Fermacell boards | specifier’s guide

www.buildingproducts.co.uk 25May 2014 | BuildingProducts

The boards that master all

Gary Carter, general manager for Fermacell UK, looks at the reasons why tiling failures are one of the biggest headaches for UK specifiers of domestic projects, and explains why one product might be the ideal alternative substrate.

The trend for kitchens and bathrooms to be the deciding factor in a home

purchase shows no sign of abating and neither does the use of ceramic tiles on the walls and floors of these rooms, with more than 60 million m2 sold in the UK every year.

But alongside the growth in sales of this form of surface finish comes the risk of installation on an inappropriate substrate,

with some 7% of the 240 million m2 stand-ard plasterboard market sold into the wrong application where a moisture-resistant or waterproof board should be used – that is, bathrooms and kitchens and damp and wet areas in general.

Tiles are commonly fixed to plasterboard and plywood but none of these materials are particularly waterproof. They require special treatment, either on or off-site, to guarantee they will resist water but very often they

British Standards on tiling substrates

British Standards gives clear guidance on the suitability of substrates for tiling. BS 5385-1:1995 Wall and floor tiling Part 1: Code of practice for the design and installation of internal ceramic and natural stone wall tiling and mosaics in normal conditions (Section 3.1.2.6) states that sheets and boards such as plaster-board, plywood and chipboard that are not dimensionally stable, should not be used in wet or damp conditions.

are still fixed in an untreated state. Then, if they became wet during the construction or utilisation phase, tiles become dislodged and the substrate loses cohesion, grows mould and starts to swell, smell and crumble.

More pressure than ever is being put on tiling substrates to perform in the face of a growing list of factors, including the trend towards multiple bathroom facilities such

as en-suites and wet rooms with the use of larger, heavier tiles. Apartment buildings are also a potential breeding ground for tiling substrate problems, where failure in one dwelling unit can impact on many more.

So when failing tiles are one of the biggest bugbears for new home owners, why are many developers still sticking with traditional backing boards when other, more reliable substrates are available?

A reliable alternativeFermacell’s BBA-approved gypsum fibre boards were developed more than 40 years ago to offer technically superior solutions to the requirement for modern materials which save time and money on site. Once installed, they combine the properties of solid blockwork with the speed and flexibility of conventional drywall techniques, allowing developers

to use radical solutions in internal space planning. Strong and dense enough for a single screw to hold 30 kg and a single toggle fixing to hold 50 kg, they feature a simple finishing system that eliminates wet trades such as plastering, making Fermacell ideal for time-pushed developers.

In terms of the boards’ composition, around 80% sustainable gypsum from power station waste is combined with 20% recycled cellulose fibres from post-consumer waste paper, and water, to form a homog-enous mass which is then formed into a dense sheet material that is strong and moisture resistant.

A demonstration of why Fermacell gypsum fibreboards’ high resistance to moisture and mould makes them such a good choice for use as a tile backer in kitch-ens, bathrooms and shower rooms is the fact that they play a key role lining bathroom pods manufactured off site.

In general domestic applications and where relative humidity does not exceed 80%, or where protection from water is provided by tiles, standard Fermacell gypsum fibreboards can be used as wall, floor and ceiling linings.

As well as being moisture resistant, Fermacell’s square- and tapered-edged gypsum fibreboards are resistant to fire (Class 0/A2), sound (offering excellent acoustics over traditional dry lining methods – Rw 43dB from a single layer with no insulation) and impact resistance (severe duty rating under BS 5234-2:1992).

For more demanding shower and wet room areas, and even swimming pools, Fermacell launched Powerpanel H2O board, a 12.5 mm cement-bonded lightweight board reinforced with glass-fibre mesh which is suitable for domestic and commer-cial builds. Non-combustible, it conforms to construction material class A1 and can be expected to have a service life in excess of 50 years.

The board can be installed as the internal lining – or as part of an external render system – on masonry, timber and steel-frame constructions up to 18 m high, and can also be used in conjunction with Exter-nal Wall Insulation (EWI) systems.

Originally designed for internal wet rooms, Powerpanel H2O is now also approved for use in façade systems as a direct-render board. Both applications are backed by an ETA (CE Mark) and BBA certificate. This dual-use from a single product makes Powerpanel H2O the obvious choice for specifiers looking to simplify their product selection and contractors managing demanding building sites.

More pressure than ever is being put on tiling substrates to perform

Fermacell boards | specifier’s guide

“Why are many developers still sticking with traditional backing boards when other, more reliable substrates are

available on the market?” – Gary Carter, Fermacell

specifier’s guide | Fermacell boards

www.buildingproducts.co.uk26 BuildingProducts | May 2014

Designed by David Chipperfield Architects,

the project required a durable and robust

material for the internal walls, some of

them up to 14 m high and 20 m long. In

addition, the quality of the finish needed

to be of the highest standard and the

board had to have high load carrying

strength, suitable for hanging heavy

artwork and changing exhibitions.

As a result, 10 mm and 15 mm Fermacell

gypsum fibreboard lightweight system was

specified for all internal walls, combined

with a lightweight steel stud system to

create solid walls. Fermacell was also used

for a 1.5 m feature balustrade for visitors to

lean on and enjoy the sea view through the

large gallery windows.

The building has been designed to maxim-

ise the natural light cascading down from

the roof and skylights. Its highly distinctive

shape – six identical crystalline volumes and

mono-pitched roofs – provides a focal point

The Exeter Energy from Waste facility is

based on conventional mass burn incinera-

tion technology and uses an oscillating kiln

which ensures very thorough combustion

of the waste. The plant produces a total of

around 3.6 MWh of electricity per hour and

will export around 2.8 MWh of this after it

has used some of the generated electricity

to power its own operation.

The project called for two-hour fire rated

internal walls of up to 11.2 m in height, with

very little structural reinforcement between

the floor slab and the roof steel structure.

With the industrial environment, they also

needed to be of the highest severe duty

rating, strong enough to fix services, cables

and trays back to the partition surface.

Then, owing to site sequencing of instal-

lation, these also needed to be installed

around service ducts, trays and cables.

Blockwork and standard partition options

were ruled out because of the large vertical

spans but specialist sub-contractor PJS

The boards had to carry heavy loads, elegantly

Fermacell was used for most of the partition walls

Solutions and Fermacell worked with the

site team from main contractor Chilworth

Construction to develop a solution of

light gauge steel C stud sections clad with

Fermacell gypsum fibreboards, without

the need to include additional and costly

secondary hot rolled steelwork.

Fermacell gypsum fibreboard was used

for most of the partition walls within the

complex to provide the required levels of

rigidity, sound insulation and fire protec-

tion. The system was installed to give a

virtually seamless industrial finish without

the need for plastering or painting.

The two-hour fire rating was achieved

and is covered by Fermacell’s independent

Warrington Fire Assessment (for up to 20

m high partitions) and an acoustic rating of

up to 62dB RW was achieved, as demon-

strated by laboratory acoustic testing of

Fermacell 1S31 partition system.

The Exeter Energy from Waste facil-

ity is set to recycle 60,000 tonnes of

waste every year. It will enable Devon

County Council to reduce household

and commercial waste by incinera-

tion, produce energy in the process and

substantially reduce the amount of

waste sent to landfill.

Case study: Sustainable success

Fermacell gypsum fibreboards have met a

host of onerous requirements for a sustain-

able waste project in Devon.

Imag

e ©

Ric

hard

Bry

ant/

Arca

idim

ages

.com

Photo: Stephen White

Case study: Artistic impression

Fermacell’s load carrying capabilities were

called upon in a variety of ways at the

Turner Contemporary Gallery on Margate

seafront in Kent.

to residents and visitors of the town.

Fermacell installer Pieri Interiors contracts

manager Glen Sturgeon commented: “We

found the boards to be very adaptable,

providing excellent hanging strength, with

acoustic properties another key considera-

tion. During the installation, conditions were

quite damp, for example windows weren’t

fitted, but the boards coped well with the

moisture in the air.”

Fermacell boards | specifier’s guide

www.buildingproducts.co.uk 27May 2014 | BuildingProducts

Around 20,000 m2 of Fermacell 12.5 mm

gypsum fibreboard has been used as the

partition walling, some walls of which were

5.2 m high, for the administration areas

on the ground floor, changing rooms and

dance studios on the first floor, and in the

community areas. In addition, 2,000 m2 of

Fermacell Powerpanel H20 board was used

in and around the swimming pool complex

which features an eight-lane 25m pool and

a 12m x 16m learner pool.

Simon Potts, site foreman with

Fermacell installer Classtech, said: “One

of the major advantages of Fermacell

over plasterboard is its robustness

and water resistant properties which

allowed us to fit the product prior to the

building being sealed off despite the wet

outside conditions.

“Keeping noise levels down between

adjoining walls was also a key considera-

tion and we needed just one layer of Ferma-

cell 12.5 mm gypsum fibreboard to provide

the level of insulation we were looking for,

whereas conventional plasterboard would

have needed two.

“Fermacell’s fire resistant properties,

providing one hour from a single layer, was

also a consideration and although much of

the building was open plan and so only a

limited number of firewalls were required

within the scheme, it was used as a central

fire core within the ground floor administra-

tion areas and also in a shaft wall within the

dance studio store.

He added: “The swimming pool design

enables all ventilation to be delivered via

an air plenum within the Powerpanel H20

Case study: Doubling up at Northolt

Two types of Fermacell dry lining board

have been used on the new £15m North-

olt Leisure Centre, designed by architects

S&P, in Ealing, West London.

board, thereby ensuring no unsightly

tubes in the ceiling. Fresh air is pumped

in through tubing and exits via the grills

under the spectator seating area, ensur-

ing that the temperature within the pool

is maintained.”

Simon Ramage, operations manager

with main contractor Willmott Dixon,

also added: “We opted for Fermacell

on the recommendation from other

project teams who have used it in school

projects and following a value compari-

son exercise between blockwork and

Fermacell. The main saving achieved is as

a result of not installing scaffold for the

blockwork construction.”

Evesham Leisure Centre’s facilities include a

25 m swimming pool and a 12 m studio pool,

both of which have their partition walls lined

with Fermacell Powerpanel H2O boards. In

addition, 12.5 mm Fermacell has been used

on many of the interior walls and as an exter-

nal backing board for the building’s cladding.

The building features a dramatic green,

copper-clad curved entrance and climbing

wall enclosure providing a unique, recognis-

able focus to the 4,500 m2 centre.

Peter Head, project manager with

Wychavon District Council, commented:

“Most of the centre’s upstairs internal walls

are made from a combination of Fermacell

and steel stud and the contractor was able

“When Fermacell is fully prepared it provides a very good finish” – Peter Head, Wychavon District Council

Case study: A hat trick at Evesham

More than 20,000 m2 of Fermacell gypsum

fibreboard has been used in three different

ways within a new £10.75m leisure centre

complex built for Wychavon District

Council in Worcestershire.

to install them quickly. When Fermacell is fully

prepared it provides a very good finish.”

John McCabe, project manager for main

contractor Galliford Try, said: “We specified

the use of Fermacell on this project. One

of its strengths is that it is ideally suited to

the environment, being made from recycled

materials and being 100% recyclable.

Running along the ground and first floors are

16 ft radius walls comprising steel stud track

and Fermacell.”

Peter Newth, associate director with

project architects Roberts Limbrick, said:

“Externally, the building elevations were

designed to create a dynamic, exciting,

high-quality and low-maintenance building

enclosure, with materials selected with

regard to durability and quality of appear-

ance in the long term.

“Internally, Fermacell boards with glued

joints were used for a lightweight wall as these

would achieve all the requirements for fire,

acoustics and severe duty rating using a single

board rather than using the many different

combination of boards needed with other

systems. This enabled partition walls to be

constructed both rapidly and to the required

standard, providing a very high-quality, robust

finish throughout the first floor.”

Fermacell’s water resistant properties were a key benefit

Fermacell boards with glued joints were used to create a lightweight wall

specifier’s guide | Fermacell boards

www.buildingproducts.co.uk28 BuildingProducts | May 2014

1. Does Fermacell’s load carrying performance really match up to its impressive claims? TRUE / FALSE Tests have shown Fermacell can carry up to 50 kg per cavity fixing and 30 kg per screw. That’s the same weight as a 50” plasma TV or a couple of radiators. There’s no need for additional patressing, and if a customer changes their mind about where they want their plasmas, radiators or kitchen wall cupboards, they can be easily moved.“We tried to convince the architect that he didn’t need the ply. We put a screw in it [Fermacell] and we got our heaviest fixer and he hung off it with a claw hammer!”*

2. Fermacell is challenging to fit. TRUE / FALSE Fermacell boards are fitted and finished slightly differently to traditional methods but with expert training from us, you’ll get the hang of it in no time then wonder why you didn’t sign up for it a long time ago. It’ll take a fraction of the time to install compared to traditional dry lining methods and once the boards are up Fermacell can be tiled or wallpa-pered without any additional preparation. Or for a plaster-like finish without the need for messy and time-consuming wet trades, our FST gives a quick and easy finish.

3. Fermacell is not environmentally friendly. TRUE / FALSEFermacell is manufactured from recycled gypsum, recycled cellulose fibres from post-consumer waste paper, and recycled water. It is also fully recyclable - all off-cuts are fed back into the manufacturing process.

4. Fermacell boards can be used anywhere. TRUE / FALSE In general domestic applications, or where protection from water is provided by tiles, regular Fermacell gypsum fibreboards can be used as wall, floor and ceiling linings and even in semi-exposed external applica-tions and as a sheathing board. For more demanding shower and wet room areas, as well as swimming pools, Fermacell Powerpanel H2O board provides a solution that’s so impervious to water it can even be used as a render carrier in external applications.

5. Fermacell’s FST finishing system requires specialist skills. TRUE / FALSEA skim plaster-type finish can be applied in a fraction of the time of traditional wet plaster AND it dries in anything from 45 minutes to two hours, not the days you can spend on site waiting for plaster to dry out. Just apply with a spatula and simply scrape off the excess.

6. Fermacell is just an impact resistant board. TRUE / FALSEFermacell is an impact resistant board. However, it’s also resistant to moisture and fire (Class 0 / Euroclass A2). Not only that, it performs acoustically, a single layer of 12.5 mm Fermacell gypsum fibreboard to each side of a steel stud achieving Rw 43dB of sound insulation.“It’s a fantastic product.”*

7. Fermacell requires specialist fixings. TRUE / FALSEBecause Fermacell is so dense (its density equating to awesome racking strength) it should be fixed using Fermacell’s self-countersinking screws. In fact these are proving so popular, we’re told they are sometimes used on competitor boards.

8. Fermacell is unproven in the UK. TRUE / FALSEFermacell boards were pioneered in Europe more than 40 years ago and were introduced to the UK more than 20 years ago. Since then they have been used on a plethora of building projects across all sectors, including the Coca-Cola Beatbox pavilion at the London 2012 Games, Center Parcs Woburn, and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

9. Fermacell is expensive. TRUE / FALSE Fermacell board is a little more expensive than a sheet of standard plasterboard when looking at the boards on their own but compared to other high performance boards (where double layers are sometimes required to meet sound and fire regulations for example), only a single layer of Fermacell is required as it has all the benefits in one sheet. Add that to its increased speed of installation and reduced cost of finishing and a Fermacell wall could end up costing 50% less than a plasterboard, skim-finished wall.

10. Fermacell requires special tools to fit. TRUE / FALSEFermacell board can be cut with a standard circular saw using a vacuum attachment. Select a blade with fewer teeth (a maximum of 16 is advis-able) and reduce the cutting speed. You can also rout and plane it. If you want to score and snap it, use a Fermacell knife – its blade is very strong, more like a tile cutter.

*Actual statements taken from “Understanding perceptions of Fermacell” focus groups.

10 fermacell home truths

After reading the previous three pages, you might still have one or two questions about the product. Let’s take this opportunity to resolve some of the misconceptions about Fermacell building board.

“Compared to other high performance boards, only a single layer of Fermacell is

required as it has all the benefits in one sheet”

00000

Contact detailsFermacellUnit 2 The CourtyardReddicap Trading EstateSutton ColdfieldB75 7BUT: 0121 311 3480F: 0121 311 1882fermacell@yourresponse.co.uk www.fermacell.co.uk

Image © Richard Bryant/Arcaidimages.com