Fibre Cement Board for Facade and Interior Use

What it is

A sheet of cement, cellulose fibre and mineral fillers, cured and pressed to a defined density. Facade grades are through-coloured or factory-coated; substrate grades are left plain for tiling or painting.

It occupies the space between a decorative panel and a structural sheathing board, and is specified for both.

Specification at a glance

Property	Typical specification
Standard	EN 12467, category and class named
Thickness	6mm — 12mm facade; 6mm — 20mm substrate
Fire class	A2-s1,d0 or A1 to EN 13501-1
Density	Approximately 1,300 — 1,800 kg/m³
Finish	Through-coloured, factory coated, or plain
Fixing	Visible screw or rivet; rear rail systems available

Why it gets specified

Fire class, on a decorative panel. Very few materials give a coloured rainscreen face at A2 or A1. On high-rise and high-occupancy buildings this removes the core-grade argument entirely.

Dimensional stability. Movement is small compared with HPL or timber, so joint and fixing detailing is less demanding.

Dual use. The same material family gives you a facade panel and the tile substrate in the wet areas inside, which simplifies procurement on a design-and-build package.

Where it is used

Application	Grade
Ventilated rainscreen facade	Through-coloured or coated, 8mm+
Tile substrate in showers and wet pantries	Plain substrate board
Soffits and canopy linings	Coated facade grade
Sheathing behind rainscreen	Plain, higher thickness
Fire-rated shaft and duct enclosure	Specified board with tested system

What drives the cost

Density grade · thickness · through-coloured versus coated versus plain · panel size and cutting waste · fixing method · edge sealing requirements · whether the board forms part of a tested fire-rated system, which restricts substitution.

Where projects go wrong

• Cut edges left unsealed on a facade. The cut edge is the absorbent face; it must be sealed with the manufacturer's product or it weathers unevenly.
• Substrate grade used as a finish. Plain board is not a facade panel and will not hold appearance outdoors.
• Drilling without the right bit. The board dulls standard bits quickly and chips at the face; carbide tooling and correct hole sizes matter.
• Treating it as waterproof in wet areas. It is water-resistant; the membrane is still required.

Standards referenced

Flat sheet product specification under EN 12467. Reaction-to-fire classification to EN 13501-1. Fire and life safety provisions for external walls under NBC 2016, Part 4.