EnglishFiber cement is an advanced technological product applied to construction, whose composition is based on the combination of a high content of cement (75%) reinforced with a mixture of mineralized and organic fibers, achieving a sufficiently robust material with high resistance, both to the elements of the environment as to the impacts. These properties give it unparalleled characteristics for its application as walls, external or internal, bases for roofs or even roofs.
In this opportunity we will focus on the fiber cement for application as a tile; this one gathers all the previous properties, with the particular characteristic that these sheets are manufactured with wavy profile (profile 10, high wave) in order to equal both appearance and operation the traditional roof of “Creole tile”. For this purpose, this type of material incorporates the color terracotta mass, instead of the characteristic gray cement color of the sheets of fiber cement. As it is not only a superficial coating, the terracotta color is uniform both in the exterior finish (top or bottom) and in the interior, so that in their natural edges, or due to the effect of the cuts made for the assembly, they preserve the same tonality.
In order to adapt to different requirements, the classic baroque tile of fiber cement has a uniform terracotta ground color, while the aged baroque tile has a “aged” tone on its external face, in order to imitate as closely as possible the aging effect typical of the roofs built with the conventional Creole tile.
It should be noted that in order to ensure the longest possible fiber cement tiles are reinforced using a new technology called ARFG (Alkali Resistant Fiber Glass) ensuring that the fiber glass reinforcement present in its composition, will remain unchanged for a prolonged period of time (up to 100 years according to the affirmation of the specialists in the matter). In the same way, the acrylic coating of the entire sheet is incorporated into the manufacturing process in order to grant it inimitable hydrophobing properties.
Installation
The corrugated fiber cement sheets for roofs can be fixed directly on a supporting structure made of metal or wood belts; said belts should be oriented perpendicular to the length direction of the sheets and keep a recommended distance of 0.70 m between each one. To fix the corrugated sheets to the system of belts, self-piercing galvanized screws with rubber stop washer and tip bit are applied to the upper edge of the wave for the case of fixing against metallic belts or, of fine tip, for the case of fixing the sheets on wooden belts.
For the case of fixing the corrugated sheets on a fiber cement roof base (see our technical article on roof bases with fiber cement in the edition of between stripes 91), you must have a support structure superimposed on the roof base whose Straps should be equally spaced every 0.70 m and oriented perpendicular to the length of the sheet. In this case, they can be fixed using self-drilling galvanized self-drilling screws type PH or type 1-1 / 4 “PL in the valleys of the wave valleys.
It should be noted that the corrugated sheets for roofs should be installed following a recommended pattern of longitudinal and transversal overlap, contemplating the blunting at 45º of the ends where the corners of 4 overlapping sheets coincide. This pattern obeys to guarantee the correct draining of the water and the joint support of the roof, in order to assure the correct operation of the roof and a prolonged time of service.
The fiber cement tile is a system that combines beauty, durability and technology, allows an impeccable “classic” roof finish with a wide guarantee of operability, high resistance to both impacts and environmental elements, does not require any type of of coating, painting or subsequent maintenance, conserving its operation and finishing for much longer than the traditional system of criollo tiles, you can consult the availability and the specific details required by your project in H. Welle, SA, where we will gladly assist you with the most professional and qualified advice.