Can I cut up sheets of cement board and use it as wall shingles?

Fiber cement siding (or "fibre cement cladding" in the UK and Australasia) is a building material used to cover the exterior of a building in both commercial and domestic applications. Fiber cement is a composite material made of sand, cement and cellulose fibers.

In appearance fiber cement siding most often consists of overlapping horizontal boards, imitating wooden siding, clapboard and imitation shingles. Fiber cement siding is also manufactured in a sheet form and is used not only as cladding but is also commonly used as a soffit / eave lining and as a tile underlay on decks and in bathrooms. Fiber cement siding is not only used as an exterior siding, it can also be utilized as a substitute for timber fascias and bargeboards in high fire areas.

Specifications[edit]

Sheet sizes vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer but generally they range between 2400 – 3000 mm in length and 900 –1200mm in width (600 & 450 mm increments). This manufactured...

Take a look at our gallery featuring 41 Marvelous Examples of Home Exterior Ideas complete with a walk-through of the pros and cons of each material type.

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Exteriors are very important to a home design; it is the first thing that anyone sees when approaching a house.

The exterior sets the tone for the entire style of the house and acts as an introduction to the interior.

The structural style of the house can also affect the style of the exterior covering you should choose. If you have a Cape Cod cottage style house, lap siding tends to be the most flattering of styles and the most common used at the time the style was created.

Alternatively, if you choose a modern contemporary style then you would probably benefit from a more striking and eclectic exterior, like fiber concrete panels or even copper panels.

Most people choose siding as a basic go-to because...

Start two rows of shingles above the top holes you drilled from inside and insert a flat prybar between the shingles to break the seal. Slide the bar and remove the roofing nails that attach the shingles. Try not to cut any of the shingles. Remove entire shingles pieces, or it may look like a patching job when you re-shingle around the skylight.

Work from the top down and remove enough shingles to work around the skylight, but do not remove the last row of shingles where you drilled the bottom holes. You will be setting the flange of the skylight on top of these shingles to allow for water drainage.

Remove any roofing nails left behind from removing the...

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Edited to remove ANY subjectivity:

HardieBacker is made from wood (cellulose fibers) and cement and carries a limited warranty for exterior use and only in certain climate zones. See HardieBacker's 10-Year Limited Warranty for Exterior Use

Durock is made from cement and fiberglass mesh. Wonderboard and others are made similar to Durock.

Subjectivity Here:

Obviously, there is a reason for the substantial difference in warranty between interior and exterior applications. My belief is that the cellulose will eventually break down from the shifting between warm humidity/ and freezing temperatures, especially in applications that would limit the ability for the product to appropriately air out. Durock is cement and fiberglass, and while both products will react to hot/cold like poured concrete, I would prefer the product that does not use wood. Given that they cost about the same, I would rather use something that the manufacturer expects to be able to...

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Asbestos-containing building siding identification & history:

This document provides a photo guide and text for the identification of asbestos-containing wall siding products like asphalt shingles & asbestos-cement siding shingles. We include a history of asbestos cement siding & roofing products.

This document assists building buyers, owners or inspectors who need to identify asbestos materials (or probable-asbestos) in buildings by simple visual inspection. In cement asbestos siding article series listed below, we provide photographs and descriptive text of asbestos insulation and other asbestos-containing products to permit identification of definite, probable, or possible asbestos materials in buildings.

While an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy may be needed to identify the specific type of...

Installing cement backerboard is one of the more popular choices for a shower wall substrate. Cement backerboards include Hardiebacker, Durock, Fiberboard, wonderboard, and similar products. These materials bridge the gap between expense and effectiveness. When installed properly they will give you many, many years of durable shower construction.

The advantage of cement backerboards is that, while not waterproof, they are dimensionally stable when wet. That just means that when they get wet they do not swell up. Any swelling behind tile is a bad thing. It will lead to cracking grout, tile, and all sorts of bad things.

Waterproofing your studs

To install the backerboard you must have a vapor barrier between it and the wooden wall studs. While the backerboard will not swell when wet, your wall studs will. You must prevent any moisture from reaching them. The preferred material for a vapor barrier would be 4 mil or thicker plastic sheeting which can be purchased...

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