Fibre cement external cladding

[surf09]

Hi there

There is a property I am interested in built around 1986. It has fibre cement external cladding.

What is involved keeping the property weather tight and is this a bad material used for external cladding?

Would this be asbestos fibre cement or the non-asbestos version based on the year the house was built?

I'm assuming there would be no cavities for a house like this and the sheet nailed directly to the framing of house? Is this bad?

Is this material quite fragile if someone accidentally crashed to it with a bike?

Thanks

[AlFa]

photos please

[surf09]

photos please

[AlFa]

- What is involved keeping the property weather tight and is this a bad material used for external cladding?
All Hardy cladding is fibre cement yet everyone is using it

- Would this be asbestos fibre cement or the non-asbestos version based on the year the house was built?
Take a piece, double bag it and send to Auckland lab or pay someone to do the same

- I'm assuming there would be no cavities for a house like this and the sheet nailed directly to the framing of house? Is this bad?
Most houses with timber weatherboard built back in days don't have cavity or building paper. Most houses I've seen (going to 1950s) with fibre cement cladding do have a cavity battens. If you want to know for sure get a good builder to check

- Is this material quite fragile if someone accidentally crashed to it with a bike?
You'll have insurance for this

[surf09]

- What is involved keeping the property weather tight and is this a bad material used for external cladding?
All Hardy cladding is fibre cement yet everyone is using it

- Would this be asbestos fibre cement or the non-asbestos version based on the year the house was built?
Take a piece, double bag it and send to Auckland lab or pay someone to do the same

- I'm assuming there would be no cavities for a house like this and the sheet nailed directly to the framing of house? Is this bad?
Most houses with timber weatherboard built back in days don't have cavity or building paper. Most houses I've seen (going to 1950s) with fibre cement cladding do have a cavity battens. If you want to know for sure get a good builder to check

- Is this material quite fragile if someone accidentally crashed to it with a bike?
You'll have insurance for this

Thanks for your help.

[donna]

It's still a popular building material today and not just in NZ.

cheers,

Donna

[mrsaneperson]

Its a popular cladding well liked product and you can still buy the newer version today as James Hardies Fibreplank. I think some of the older stuff contained asbestos but it was safe unless you started grinding it so the dust would be released but easy prevention is to use a dust mask if doing this. Yes you will find the cavities for the walls will have no insulation. Its generally not really fragile but sometimes i have had cracked boards at the lower part of the house when the lawn mower guy has knocked them. All round its a good product and needs little maintenance.

[klauster]

Fibre cement, never had a problem with it, doesn't rot, durable, but check for cracked boards.

[John the builder]

The product is crap and because it is absorbent transmits moisture to the frame unless the face seal is perfect. There are court cases currently deciding if James hardie are liable for misrepresenting their products.

It works well with a cavuty because the cavity allows moisture to dissipate. Your house has well treated timber so is resilient to moisture, The serious problems occur untreated timber used between 1995-2003


board and batten effect is good because you can easily replace parts and remove to inspect framing if there is a problem.

mr S;

Yes you will find the cavities for the walls will have no insulation.

the cavity we refer to is on outside of frame. There should be insulation in walls as this was a mandatory requirement from 1976(?) (albiet not well done or generous)

[donna]

The fibre cement is still used a lot for the eves too aye. If you had a choice would you use it here John? It's not really exposed to the weather is it.

cheers,

Donna

[John the builder]

it is suitable for eaves as there is a well ventilated space above and frankly is rarely wetted. It isnt the product per se but the way it is used. The manuafacturers never did weathertight testing of the jointing and window details etc. When they did they found they leaked like sieves? Did they tell us this when they found out ?? ? NO they didnt, Do they now insist on a cavity ?? yes they do.

[mrsaneperson]

The product is crap and because it is absorbent transmits moisture to the frame unless the face seal is perfect. There are court cases currently deciding if James hardie are liable for misrepresenting their products.

It works well with a cavuty because the cavity allows moisture to dissipate. Your house has well treated timber so is resilient to moisture, The serious problems occur untreated timber used between 1995-2003


board and batten effect is good because you can easily replace parts and remove to inspect framing if there is a problem.

mr S;

the cavity we refer to is on outside of frame. There should be insulation in walls as this was a mandatory requirement from 1976(?) (albiet not well done or generous)

From what i can gather, any problems related to fibre cement board were confined to monolithic clad buildings. Those are the only cases presently before the courts. The vast majority of homes built with the fibre cement boards which was the most popular external cladding product of its time in the 70's & 80's have not had issues.

[John the builder]

the houses of the 70's and 80's had well treated timber.

The boards were likely weatherboards which allow leaks to drain and have minimal contact with the frame

I have personally seen brick veneers and weatherboards involved, but yes the worse ones were (and are) the monolithics because they usually represented the worst designs and the highest risk.
Strictly speaking this case is a monolithic as well?

[mrsaneperson]

Thanks for clarifying that John, and yes advice to original thread poster to proceed with caution as they may have used untreated timber for the framing though very unlikely if built in 1986 as that falls outside the period of 95-2003

[John the builder]

No untreated framing was unheard of then but the workmanship was the same?