Fibre Cement Lap Cladding Installation Guide

Install 50mm x 50mm recycled plastic battens flush to the wall, creating a minimum 38mm ventilation gap between the wall and the fibre cement lap cladding boards.

Battens must be no more than 600mm apart, reducing to 400mm or 500mm at boundary areas, and a clear space of 38mm should be left at the base of the battens.

If your home has a gable end, battens must be spaced up to 600mm apart with additional, shorter supporting battens installed every 200mm between, going up and down the apex (the triangular shape of your gable end). This ensures the boards are fully supported across the entire build.

Ensure all battens are vertical and level using either a tape measure or a spirit level before moving on to the trims and details.

Please note: the damp proof course must be installed on any battens around corners, or on any double battens (where two cladding boards are butted together).

Once the battens are installed a water proof strip or DPC (damp proof course) must be fitted to any batten which will have a corner trim attached to it, or borders any windows or doors. Fix the DPC using a staple gun at regular intervals. Then, at the base of the battens secure the perforated closure using 39mm fibre cement screws.

Fix corner trims to the battens, ensuring each trim overlaps the batten on either side by 10mm. Fix the trim to the batten using 39mm fibre cement screws, at regular intervals until the trim is secure.

Screw the start trim to the batten, as per the diagram, only at the top of the trim and through both the batten and perforated closure at the base.

Ensure the lip of the start trim is just below the base of the batten. Make sure there is a 10mm clearance between the base of the trim and the base of the wall.

The first board will be fixed to the side of the building using the attached start trim as a support.

Mark 180mm up from the base of the start trim and ensure it is level. This will be where the top of your first board will sit.

Sit the board securely onto the start trim and fix to the battens behind with a 40mm wood screw. Screws should always be inserted at the top of the board into the battens.

There must be a 20mm clearance gap between the edge of the board and each screw.

If the Screw location is within 50mm of the board’s end, pre-drilling is required. We recommend using a 5mm drill bit in conjunction with our M4x40 screws.

Screw fixing to the support structure can be achieved without pre-drilling where fixings are at least 50mm from the end of the board.

Place your second fibre cement lap wall cladding board so that the base of the board overlaps the top of the first board by a minimum of 30mm. The dimensions of the overlap must be maintained throughout the installation.

Insert 40mm wood screws through the top of the new cladding board into the batten as before.

Once the board has been secured, measure 180mm from the top of the board to give the next board’s top rate edge height. This is to ensure that the correct gaps are being met throughout the installation. Install the rest of the boards following this method.

It is unlikely that boards will fit exactly to your wall height, and so it may be necessary to cut the last board to the correct width. To ensure the board is cut correctly, measure the distance from the top of the previous cladding board to the top of your wall, ensuring to include the 30mm overlap.

Leave enough space for a 10mm ventilation gap between the boards and the underside of the soffit. Once the last board is cut to size, install exactly as before using 39mm fibre cement screws with colour-matching heads.

Perforated closures must be installed before the trims. Start by measuring the width of the top and bottom of the walls and windows, as well as the width of any doors. Cut the perforated closure to the correct lengths using Cladco straight cut tin snips. Using 39mm fibre cement screws with colour-matching heads, fix the perforated closure onto the battens along the top and bottom of the walls, windows and the top edge of any door frames.

Measure the height of all external and internal corners of your building, as well as the height of windows and doors. Once measured, use Cladco straight cut tin snips to cut the symmetric corner trims (for external wall corners), asymmetric external corner trims (for external window and door corners), and internal corner trims (for internal wall corners) to the correct sizes. Use 39mm screws to install each of the corner trims into place.

Measure the height of the battens along the outer edge of your fibre cement wall cladding installation and cut the wall end trims to matching lengths. Fix the wall end trim on top of the batten using 39mm fibre cement screws with colour-matching heads before installing boards.

Measure the length of the base of your wall and cut the start trim to the correct size using Cladco straight cut tin snips. Using 39mm screws, secure the start trim over the top of the perforated closure and overlap the external and internal corner trims installed in the previous steps. Leave at least a 10mm gap from the base of the wall to the start trim.

Alongside the asymmetric external corner trims previously installed around windows and doors, secure connection profile trims to the internal corners of a window or door reveal using 39mm screws, as shown in the diagram. Make sure that the small painted edge of the connection profile trim sits neatly against the window or door frame.

Cladco fibre cement lap boards can be cut to the same width as the window or door reveals using a wet saw and a level P3 respiratory protective mask. Slot the board between the connection profile trim and the asymmetric external corner trim. Use 39mm fibre cement screws with colour-matching heads to fix the boards into place.

Measure a connection profile trim to fit the top internal corner of a window or door head. Cut the connection profile trim using Cladco straight cut tin snips and secure into place using 39mm screws. This will provide adequate support for the overhanging fibre cement lap board under the window or door head.

Measure and cut the fibre cement lap board in the same way as before and secure the fibre cement lap board in place using 39mm fibre cement screws with colour-matching heads. Make sure there is at least a 20mm gap between the edge of the board and the perforated trim to allow for adequate airflow.

Before installing the next fibre cement lap board above a window or door frame, a section of the board matching the width of the window or door frame will need to be measured and cut using a wet saw. Once cut, secure the board in place using 39mm screws into supporting battens.

Ensure your boards are kept clear of debris and dirt by cleaning with lukewarm or cold water. A mild, household dish soap can be added for more stubborn stains such as bird droppings.

Mildew and algae are common to outdoor products but will not penetrate fibre cement lap cladding boards. Ensure the boards are kept clean of dirt, pollution and other stains by checking them seasonally and giving them a quick clean when necessary.

Cladco fibre cement lap wall cladding boards are painted using a paint-and-bake method to give them their durable properties and unique look. However, the boards can be painted with a suitable outdoor paint for an alternative colour. If you are wishing to paint the cladding boards, it is recommended to purchase the unpainted fibre cement lap cladding board.

Touch-up paint for fibre cement boards is no longer available to purchase as a standard accessory. In some cases, touch-up paint can be provided for specific projects. If you require a small amount for colour matching or minor repairs, please contact our customer support team, who will advise on availability and the best approach.

Important: do not use high-pressured cleaning systems on Cladco fibre cement lap wall cladding boards as this may cause damage to the paint and finish of the boards.