# Forum Home Renovation Rendering  FC sheeting with battens as external cladding

## Quintin79

Hi Guys 
i have seen on a lot of contemporary buildings the use of a type of cladding that looks like FC sheeting with timber battens to cover the joints.  it was quite common in older houses that used asbestos but it seems to be making a comeback as a 'feature'. 
i would like to use this technique on a wall around my pool but i would like some advice on the materials that would be best suited to the job.   
i understand that blueboard is a common exterior cladding but its best suited to rendering and its almost impossible to screw without pilot holes.  it also has tapered edges designed for filling that doesnt suit the batten idea. 
does anyone have experience or can anyone recommend an external cladding FC material that can be screwed.  i say screwed because i want to use self sinking screws and fill the holes for painting.  also what kind of material for battens should i use?  a treated pine 20x40? 
attached is a pic or 2 of what im talking about 
thanks in advance 
Quintin

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## SilentButDeadly

blueboard and other similar sheeting products can be screwed if you use the right screws. Like Wing Teks http://www.buildex.com.au/products/p...mposite+boards

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## Quintin79

hi thanks for the quick reply.  is that screw a metal only screw?  what about if i plan to screw to a timber frame?

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## Bleedin Thumb

> Hi Guys 
> i have seen on a lot of contemporary buildings the use of a type of cladding that looks like FC sheeting with timber battens to cover the joints.  it was quite common in older houses that used asbestos but it seems to be making a comeback as a 'feature'. 
> i would like to use this technique on a wall around my pool but i would like some advice on the materials that would be best suited to the job.   
> i understand that blueboard is a common exterior cladding but its best suited to rendering and its almost impossible to screw without pilot holes.  it also has tapered edges designed for filling that doesnt suit the batten idea. 
> does anyone have experience or can anyone recommend an external cladding FC material that can be screwed.  i say screwed because i want to use self sinking screws and fill the holes for painting.  also what kind of material for battens should i use?  a treated pine 20x40? 
> attached is a pic or 2 of what im talking about 
> thanks in advance 
> Quintin

  I haven't used it yet but I have the embryo of a design to cover an ugly besser wall doing this. 
I was going to use hardwood battens over a shadowclad board, but you could use preprimed LOSP treated pine over Hardiflex? board if it was to be painted.
20 x 40 sound right to me.

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## PlasterPro

In regards to the reccesed edge on the blue board you could always just cut it off, and the battern would cover any nasty edge.
also have you considered express wall or similar?

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## Quintin79

ok so is there an exterior paintable fc cladding that doesnt have an edge profile for gap filling?  just a straight flat edge?  that is easy to screw? 
hey plasterpro what is expresswall?  i tried googling it but got nothing. 
Quintin

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## Bloss

Nah - you don't use blueboard unless you are using a textured coating. 
Boral, CSR, James Hardie all make fibre sheeting for what you want to do. 
For example see: http://www.cemintel.com.au/products/...20Linings.aspx 
which includes the expresswall that Plasterpro mentioned. 
and hardies at http://www.jameshardie.com.au/products/hardiflex.html# - look at the installation manual button on the right which describes battens as one joint cover method.  :2thumbsup:

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## Quintin79

wow that expresswall looks really nice.  but it looks a bit expensive and complicated to install.  also its overall depth over the framework is a bit prohibitive.  think i might find some square edge hardiflex and either use the plastic strip or some timber batten.  
thanks for all your help guys.

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## Bloss

That'd work fine for your job. Screws can be used, but nails too. TP battens would be fine - but you should look at you builders' supplies store - primed and/or undercoated cover strips of various sizes and shapes are available too.  :2thumbsup:  Depends on the look you want, but the fibre cement 'weatherboards' can also be used in some innovative ways to give texture and shape to an otherwise flat wall.  :2thumbsup:  The Hardies site has brochures on that too.

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