Fibre cement board is dense, abrasive and dusty. Its edges crumble rather than chip, the dust gets into everything, and the board is heavy enough that a stack puts real load on whatever sits between the layers. Edge protection has to survive abrasion and hold its thickness under weight, which is a different specification from a decorative panel.
A crumbled edge cannot be repaired
Cement board does not dent, it breaks away. Once the edge has lost its square, the board cannot be cut back without changing the size, so the sheet is usually rejected.
The damage comes from the board resting on its edge on a pallet, and from board sliding against board. A channel that grips the edge takes both.
Specification at a glance
Boards are 6-20 mm and heavy, so the wall goes up for compression and the leg goes up for support. The inner width must allow for the fact that cement board edges are not perfectly square.
| Board | Inner width | Leg | Wall |
|---|
| 6 mm cement board | 7 mm | 40 mm | 3-4 mm |
| 10 mm cement board | 11 mm | 50 mm | 4-5 mm |
| 12 mm cement board | 13 mm | 50-60 mm | 4-5 mm |
| 18-20 mm board | 20-21 mm | 60 mm | 5 mm |
| Bottom board of an edge stack | As above | 60 mm | Doubled |
Dust, moisture and the pallet
Cement dust is abrasive. A channel that has been lying open in a dusty plant will grind that dust into the board face under load, so keep the bundles wrapped and blow the board edge off before fitting.
Moisture is the other issue: cement board is dimensionally stable when wet but the paper channel is not. A damp channel collapses and the stack settles. Store channels off the floor.
Stacking on edge versus flat
On-edge packing puts the whole stack weight through the channel at the bottom board, so that position needs a heavier wall or a doubled channel. Flat stacking spreads the load across the board faces and the channel only protects the edges.
Where the pallet is handled by clamp truck, add a channel or a corner at the clamp contact points. A clamp pad on a cement board edge will crush it.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Is a paper channel strong enough for cement board?
For edge protection and stack separation, yes with a 4-5 mm wall. The pallet and banding carry the stack.
Why is the inner width larger than the board?
Cement board edges are not perfectly square, so a little clearance prevents the channel splitting when it is pushed on.
Does dust affect the board?
Cement dust is abrasive. Keep channels wrapped and clean the board edge before fitting.
What about clamp truck handling?
Protect the clamp contact points separately. A clamp on a cement board edge will crush it.
Can you cut to the sheet length?
Yes, up to 6,000 mm, which covers most board lengths in one piece.
Share the drawing or the four key numbers with mona@hengnicepacking.com and we will confirm feasibility before quoting.
