cladding
Fiber cement weatherboards
Fibre cement has become more and more popular in recent history. The general make-up of the weatherboard material is cement, sand, and cellulose. Most of the time the boards are made to look like timber and then painted. Lower maintenance requirements compared to timber weatherboards are a big part for their popularity. Let us be honest, who has lots of spare time? Here we look at the pros and cons of fibre cement weatherboards.
Environmental Impacts:
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From an environmental point, fiber cement weatherboards currently lag behind of where they could be in NZ: the cement for its production and the production process itself emit a high amount of CO2. It is possible to create fiber cement weatherboards out of only recycled materials (especially cement; according to our research not currently done in NZ), which would cut down on landfill. And as technology improves there is also a potential of lower CO2 emissions on the production side.
Advantages of fiber cement weatherboards:
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It can be recycled and put into the roads
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It uses to an extend recycled product (wood chips)
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Fiber cement weatherboards require less maintenance work than timber
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Resistant to moisture and rot
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Can be painted in any color
Disadvantages of fiber cement weatherboards:
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Fiber cement tends to end up in landfill although it can be recycled
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The production process of cement and fiber cement is high on CO2 emissions
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While fiber cement weatherboards could be made with recycled cement it currently to our information is made in NZ with new Portland cement
