# Forum Home Renovation Structural Renovation  Exterior cement board - waterproof ?

## rick57

Hi 
We are soon to build & clad a timber framed building, close to the house where it has to look good. We considered Cemintel, the fibre cement panels that look like weatherboards. Then I learnt today that it costs about 2-2.5 times as much as weatherboards, and may not have any real durabality advantage. So . . 
As itll take up a lot of our remaining garden bed, my wife suggests we grow a climber over the building, and likes the *clinging fig. 
Fibre cement must remain sealed, so the two long term arent compatable 
I find in Wikipedia there is a kind of exterior cement board which is waterproof 
"It can be used on the exterior of buildings as a base for exterior plaster systems and sometimes as the finish system itself" 
I know of interior waterproof/ resistant cement board for showers etc - is there an exterior water*proof cement board here in Australia? 
Thanks
Rick

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## ausdesign

No

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## rick57

What do you suggest? 
Thanks

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## pharmaboy2

hi 
fibre cement board in a vertical surface situation is weather resistant for all intents and purposes. If long term it may not be painted again, then the sarking behind can provide life of building waterproofing.  choose a good water proof product perhaps like tyvek homewrap and overlap and tape any joins so the building is totally waterproof before you clad in fibre cement. 
Your options depend on budget, what your existing house looks like, and what you want the out building to look like (eg blend in, stand on its own, look thoroughly modern etc). 
Just on a personal aesthetic viewpoint, while I can totally understand the ficus pumila look - I'd either build the thing so it looks beautiful on its own, and /or put a hedge in front that doesnt harm the building fabric like a  ficus eventually will.

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## myla

hello, 
yes look at all the "fibre-cement" shacks that are around in coastal holiday towns, I know down the mornington peninsula plenty around, 
they where typically "grey" board, timber strip over joints (seal first), and painted so it is fine 
as pharma suggests wrap with paper do a really good job overlapping, seal around openings with say sikaflex or bostix,  
and seriously paint with at least 3-coats of weathershield or like 
thankyou 
myla

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## Dirty Doogie

Don't even think of growing a creeping fig on a fibre cement wall.

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## Dirty Doogie

OR Ivy!!!

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