FAQ
EQUITONE is a fibre cement facade panel used in ventilated rainscreen applications. Our parent company, Etex, has been manufacturing and innovating fibre cement building materials since 1905. Learn more about the origins of EQUITONE and the manufacturing process here.
Fibre cement is a composite building material consisting of sand, water, cement, and cellulose fibres. EQUITONE fibre cement panels are used primarily as an exterior cladding material.
EQUITONE has many benefits for all involved parties.
- For architects in the design phase, EQUITONE has a beautiful, natural appearance. Many of the materials are through-colored, unlocking possibilities for perforation, routing, and exposed corners and making the panels look consistent from every angle. EQUITONE facades can be used on high rise projects with no building height restrictions, and they can be used for interior applications as well.
- Contractors and installers enjoy working with EQUITONE because the façade panels are available in large sizes which can be cut or drilled at a fabricator or on the construction site.
- Building owners reap the benefits of EQUITONE’s low maintenance and low cost of ownership. In addition to being resistant to fire, EQUITONE facades are also resistant to water, mold, fungi, insects, and vermin. Ventilated rainscreens offer reduced heating and cooling costs, and with through-colored materials no painting touch-ups are required.
- For those who are environmentally focused EQUITONE has a 50+ year lifespan and can be reused or recycled. The lightweight materials help achieve a low carbon footprint and have no harmful emissions. Environmental Product Declarations are available for each texture series to promote transparency. More information about environmental benefits can be found on our Environment Page.
EQUITONE is a material designed for architects by architects. International panels of architects are consulted at every phase of new development to ensure the facades are functional and appealing to the building industry.
In the UK, we have a very knowledgable and experienced Specification Team, who are on hand throughout every stage from design to build. To complement the Specification Team, we also have a Technical Facade specialist and a site team. Our expertise comes free of charge, to make your project a success.
See our section on Sustainability for a complete picture of EQUITONE’s sustainability practices and initiatives here.
EQUITONE is most often used as a commercial cladding material. Other commercial building materials are HPL (high pressure laminate) panels, metal panels, stucco, brick, stone, or porcelain. While each building project has its own needs and considerations, EQUITONE performs well in every climate and is easy to use. EQUITONE is made to withstand freeze and thaw cycles, unlike stucco, which can crack when frozen. EQUITONE panels are approximately 14,9/m2 (3.3lbs/ft2) making them more lightweight than brick, stone, and porcelain. EQUITONE’s through-colored properties increase design capabilities when compared with high pressure laminate materials, which are generally not through-colored and expose the core of the material when cutting and drilling. Finally, EQUITONE offers a natural aesthetic when compared to metal facades.
EQUITONE is very versatile and supports a range of designs from unique to classic. By changing the panel orientation, size, and layout, designers can create a custom façade unlike any other. EQUITONE cladding can be perforated, printed, and engraved. Because the edges of the panels are just as beautiful as the face, brise soliel, shutters, and shiplap applications are also possible. The material can even be gently curved. Geometric shapes and mixed colors and textures can be used to create a graphic and eye-catching design. The EQUITONE linea texture series reacts with light and shadow, making changes to panel direction read drastically different throughout the day. Possibilities with EQUITONE are limitless.
EQUITONE offers expertise at each step of your project. You can reach out to us with your questions, and a representative will respond to you shortly.
If you are an architect and are interested in requesting one of our CPDs please visit our CPD page. For technical support please contact us with your needs and we can see how best to support you.
EQUITONE is designed to be installed as a drained and ventilated facade otherwise known as a ventilated rainscreen system. These terms mean that cladding is installed with a cavity behind the panel to allow for air to pass through. The gap between the panels and the exterior wall and the insulation gives the building benefits such as improved energy efficiency, sound insulation, and the prevention of mold and mildew.
Ventilated rainscreen systems start with the anchoring base, which is typically an exterior building board in new construction, or brick or reinforced concrete in a recladding of a current building. The next layer is a weather barrier, followed by the substructure made of either metal or timber. Insulation is added before attaching the facade to the substructure.
The cavity of open space behind the cladding in a rainscreen system allows air to circulate and escape at the top and bottom of the assembly. As such, hot and cold air can travel without penetrating the building. Installation of rainscreens also allows for continuous insulation reducing thermal bridges.
EQUITONE can be attached using visible or concealed fastening methods. For visible or face-fastened panels, rivets are used to attach the panels to metal substructures. Screws are used to attach the cladding to timber framing. Both rivets and screws are colour-matched and provide a minimal aesthetic disruption. For invisible or concealed fixing, an anchor is used to attach a clip to the back of the panel.
This refers to a European classification for building products designed to ensure uniform performance. A scale of “A”-“F” ranks fire contribution, while “S” refers to the smoke emitted. The suffix “D” refers to the droplets or particles produced within the first 10 minutes of fire. EQUITONE’s classification A2-s1, d0 means there is no or negligible contribution to fire with little to no smoke and no burning particles released.
- “A2” no or negligible contribution to fire
- “s1” limited smoke emissions
- “d0” no dripping
Normal stains can be removed with water and a sponge. If further cleaning is necessary, it is important to avoid abrasive materials such as steel wool as they may leave scratches on the surface of the material. To find out the best solution for your cleaning issue, contact us.
EQUITONE offers a 10 year warranty with a life expectancy of 50+ years.
EQUITONE facades are very low maintenance, however, they should be routinely cleaned and inspected to avoid long-term exposure to soils that could permanently penetrate the material.
EQUITONE is suitable for all climates. Our materials have been used in each type of weather from the deserts of Dubai to the Arctic Circle in Alaska. Coastal and rainy areas benefit greatly from ventilated rainscreens, and our through-coloured panels can withstand extreme heat and cold.
EQUITONE offers BIM Object files for each of our material types. Models are available in Revit, Archicad, and others.
EQUITONE offers expertise at each step of your project. You can reach out to us with your questions, and a representative will respond to you shortly.
EQUITONE is 100% recyclable and all waste from factories (e.g. cutting residues and productions that do not pass quality control) is currently recycled. Once the material leaves the factory, it remains reusable. Very often practical challenges such as logistics, material handling, and optimization expertise arise, and job-site waste ends up in a landfill. We have dedicated ourselves to provide step-by-step solutions to these challenges, and we report every six months on progress in this field. Click here to stay up to date with our progress.
Sustainability is multi-faceted, and we invite you to explore the Sustainability page for a complete picture on our current and future sustainability stance.
When it comes to sustainability and environmental management, less is more. Despite being a very thin material, EQUITONE panels are exceptionally strong and durable, thus providing a high-quality building skin. Even though cement is a carbon intensive raw material, there is so little of it in EQUITONE’s 8mm board that the net footprint per m² installed facade is very favorable when compared to other construction materials. Click here to check out a Material Sustainability Datasheet, where such comparisons are shown.
This, however, does not mean that we are complacent. We use our supplier relations, material know-how, and production skills to relentlessly seek for options to further reduce our material footprint, in terms of carbon, water consumption, virgin raw materials, and beyond.
EPD stands for Environmental Product Declaration. EPDs are used to gather data on the life cycle environmental impact of products and communicate it in a way that allows customers to make buying decisions based on these impacts. Environmental Product Declarations are verified and registered by third parties, and they can be used to achieve LEED, BREEAM, WELL, and other sustainable building certificates. All EQUITONE materials have EPDs, and you can request the document associated with your preferred texture here.
The EQUITONE lifetime is estimated to be 50 years, and this is declared in the MSD and EPD.
We pay close attention to process and quality control, so production flows are streamlined and very energy efficient. EQUITONE factories produce more than half of the required operational energy locally through solar panels and CHP systems. The remaining energy is supplied with green certificates of origin. Our goal is to produce the most sustainable panels possible.
ISO is also known as International Organization for Standardization, and ISO 14001 is an international standard for designing and implementing an environmental management system. Businesses that follow the ISO 14001 guidelines are committed to evaluate their processes, policies, and plans to ultimately reduce their environmental footprint. Both factories that produce EQUITONE panels have ISO 14001 accreditation.
EQUITONE offers help to architects in the planning and design phase to obtain the best possible material efficiency and consequently avoid waste. EQUITONE is also challenging itself to see how the remaining residues can be valorised. Check back regularly for updates on this and other waste-reducing strategies or sign up for our sustainabiliy communications at this link.
Most of the common green building certificates such as LEED and BREEAM are awarded for the overall project rather than individual components or materials. To assist those seeking to obtain these certifications and to further promote sustainable construction, we have Environmental Product Declarations. In line with our ambition for transparency we have developed MSDs – Material Sustainability Datasheets and specific information for LEED & BREEAM credits is provided. Access MSDs for each of our textures: