Fiber cement: unique, durable and with infinite application possibilities

You can give any project a unique character with SVK's fiber cement wall panels. "Our extensive standard color range is available in several standard sizes, within which almost all shapes can be sawn." So says Rowan Conradi, account manager and facade specialist at SVK. "This architectural freedom stimulates creativity, which is exactly what we want to offer our customers.

Natural, vibrant cement look

With SVK's Puro Plus fiber cement board, you achieve a natural look in nuanced gray. It is a lightly polished fiber cement cladding panel without coating, giving the panel a natural matte look and feel. Changing weather conditions create a typical natural color play of nuanced grays on the slab for an even more vibrant appearance. The Puro Plus fiber cement board is not only very beautiful but also very hard and therefore quite 'hufterproof,'" Conradi continues. "In terms of price, the slab is distinctive and therefore very interesting for both new construction and renovation."

In addition to facade slabs, SVK also supplies slates in fiber cement. Aesthetically pleasing, economically interesting and durable.

100% customization

Conradi also mentions the Ornimat. "A rock solid and good colorfast board. This is due to the water-based UV-resistant 2-component polyurethane paint. The thick coating also ensures that the board is well protected and low maintenance." SVK offers a 10-year color guarantee on the Ornimat. "Although I dare say it will be permanently beautiful for more than 20 years." Conradi continues: "The Ornimat is a custom product and is cut to size in our factory according to the contractor's specifications. Our CNC machines can perform other operations, such as milling into the plate of, for example, a house number or a drawing. After processing, the sheet is coated right up to the edges, giving the corners and recesses a nice finish. This gives an extra beautiful look to the facade. Really interesting for the traditional and high-end market," Conradi believes. "In addition to our standard extensive color range, the panel is available in virtually every RAL and NCS color." With the Ornimat, SVK sells the net square meter that goes on the facade. Only that is transported to the construction site and charged for. Which in turn fits in nicely with SVK's sustainability concept.

SVK's thoroughly pigmented fiber cement board is the Colormat Scripto. Available in smooth or structured surface. In this project in Amstelveen, where a former office building was transformed into housing, the Colormat Scripto Slate variant was used for approximately 5500 m2 of facade area.

Lower CO₂-footprint

"On the Ornimat, the environmental impact is quite low," continues Conradi. "Everything that is cut off is ground up and goes back into the production process. Even the sanding dust when polishing the Puro Plus sheet goes back into the production process. This is how we deliberately reduce our waste mountain." The SVK plant in Belgium has now signed an energy pact with the Belgian government, and since 2014 its energy consumption has already dropped by 9%. "This lower energy consumption, the use of LED lighting, the reuse of surface water and the insulation of the buildings all contribute to a lower CO₂-footprint. In addition, not only do we deliver an aesthetically beautiful product, but it must also meet government requirements. Because it is clear that new requirements and developments increasingly lead to the choice of other materials. We like to move along and want to advise the customer so that they can also take that into account in the selection process."

Conradi would certainly like to mention that both the Puro Plus and the Ornimat are extremely suitable for gluing and can therefore also be fixed blind very well. "They are also non-static; do not attract dirt and are low maintenance. All our fiber cement products comply with Fire Class A2, making them virtually incombustible," he concludes.