As building materials go, fiber cement has proven itself both versatile and relatively inexpensive over the years. The downside is that in its natural state it looks rather unattractive and requires protection from the elements when used externally. But that hasn't stopped major manufacturers from predicting impressive growth.

These manufacturers all produce extensive lines of decorative fiber cement sheets and weatherboards for use on commercial and residential buildings (as shown by the two photos on this page, courtesy of James Hardie). Such products have a lot to recommend them: they're unaffected by the sun, won't warp or rot, are fireproof and decidedly unappetizing to termites.

However, the manufacturers all face the same problems with their fiber cement products. The formation of fiber cement begins as a water slurry, therefore using any encapsulating sealant requiring heat would cause trapped moisture to migrate and destabilize the surface.

Some manufacturers are currently using UV-cured coatings. The problem here is that such products can only be effectively used on flat surfaces. This means sealing one side, turning the product over, then sealing the other side. Finally, the edges are sprayed separately. That's a total of four steps.

With SpectraTechnology you can coat and seal all edges then apply a decorative topcoat as part of the same production line process. Not only does the product emerge ready for packing and shipping, you've used far less energy and a fraction of the time preparing it.
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How it works - The fiber cement is coated with a specifically formulated paint before moving into a recirculating (invisible) catalyst atmosphere at room temperature (⊇15°C). Here the wet coating absorbs molecules of catalyst and curing begins. Instead of 24 hours, SpectraKote™ takes just eight minutes to cure. Totally. (For a more thorough description of what happens during the SpectraKote process, please check out the Basic Theory and The Process pages.)

A wider palette - With SpectraKote you can decorate your fiber cement sheets and weatherboards with any color, then flush the system and switch to another color in minutes...with just the push of a button. Such flexibility could greatly increase the color options you're able to offer designers, architects and builders. In fact, you now should be able to accept custom requests with minimal disruption to your overall operation.

More info - If you would like more information about how SpectraTechnology can help you produce fiber cement products more efficiently, just click Contact Us to e-mail your questions.
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