Fiber cement cladding is an attractive and long-term siding material, popularly used in schools. LEVENBETTS utilizes this versatile material to explore minimalist geometric forms on building facades using fiber cement cladding.
Fiber cement cladding may possess a higher R-value, yet requires additional insulation for optimal thermal performance. Consult your manufacturer about backer boards or underlay products that may help prevent moisture penetration into the panels.
Moisture Protection
Moisture management becomes ever more essential as walls become tighter sealed; moisture accumulation is one of the primary causes of wall failure.
As a way of mitigating this issue, architects often turn to fiber cement cladding in place of organic materials like wood and stone for commercial architectural projects. Fiber cement offers many benefits that have quickly made it the go-to material.
Manufacturers typically offer moisture protection products that can be integrated into facade cladding systems to help prevent moisture entry at butt joints.
Thermal Insulation
Fiber cement siding can be combined with energy-saving insulation options to meet residential energy codes. Its durability helps prevent cracking, warping and weather damage as well as keeping heat in during winter and out during summer by limiting thermal bridging.
Architects can explore numerous finishes to add texture to fiber cement siding, from smooth and polished surfaces to 3D ridges; there are endless possibilities.
Researchers conducted experiments using large-scale facade models with external curves representing fire on facades to investigate its effects on facade cladding, with results showing that load capacity of the cladding reduced progressively with increased exposure time and temperature.
Acoustic Insulation
While fiber cement provides solid acoustic insulation, architects may wish to combine it with other materials when designing their buildings. Many manufacturers offer products which can enhance its acoustic performance when added as cladding material.
Fiber cement is like the ideal teenage romantic comedy pal: reliable and not demanding of too much of its owner. Resistant to rot and insects, fiber cement offers lasting beauty with lasting looks for decades to come.
Fiber cement cladding also proves itself fireproof. A study using a large-scale facade model demonstrated this fact by showing its compressive strength not significantly decreasing during an intense fire on a facade clad wall.
Color
Fiber cement siding materials offer almost limitless color possibilities and retain them well, meaning their vibrant hue remains vivid for longer than other siding options.
Aluminum siding is a heavy product, requiring two people to lift uncut sheets, and may chip during transport. Pre-primed versions can help lower installation costs, while there are also finishes that cleverly emulate raw materials such as wood, stone and brick.
Thermal resistance and sound transmission of this material fall below average, so additional wall insulation should be utilized. When dealing with manufacturers, be sure they fully comprehend your building’s desired R-value requirement.
Finishes
Fiber cement’s beauty lies in its versatility: it can be made into various finishes that mimic stone, wood and even metals; in addition, there’s also an extensive palette of colors available that can fit seamlessly with any design aesthetic.
Manufacturers also provide an array of panel sizes to reduce on-site wastage. Once manufactured into finished panels for your project, these products can then be delivered.
Create seamless corners on cladded buildings has long been a challenge for architects and contractors. However, companies like James Hardie and Nichiha have refined their cladding fabrication techniques in order to help create seamless corner details on buildings with cladding facades.
Corners
Fiber cement cladding offers many options when it comes to corners. James Hardie offers mitered corners to create an unbroken appearance in any building.
These corners can also be useful when two buildings meet at doors or windows, as they provide an opportunity to conceal flat edges of your cladding while keeping out dirt and water from penetrating into gaps between panels. When finished with trim panels they offer additional protection and help hide flat edges of cladding preventing water or dirt entering gaps between panels.
These trims come with a 40x50x40mm coloured aluminium profile and can easily be mounted into any corner of your wall, compatible with various cladding systems.