Through-coloured Facade Board – photographed on our own samples

With any facade cladding, the first question is usually the colour. The second – one many people only ask years later – is how long it will stay that way. With our Facade Board the answer is simple: the colour does not come from a layer of paint, but from the whole board. In this article we explain what that means in practice, how to choose from the 10 colours and the surfaces, and what to consider before you decide.

What does “through-coloured” mean?

Most coloured facade panels receive a coat of paint or a coating at the end of production. It looks good, but over time it can fade or get scratched, and sooner or later it needs repainting. With a through-coloured board, the pigment is mixed into the cement mass at the very start of production, so the colour runs through the entire thickness of the board.

This has two important consequences: if the surface gets scratched or an edge is chipped, the same colour shows underneath, and there is no paint layer that could flake or wear off. The facade keeps its appearance for the long term without painting or surface maintenance.

A little material history

Fiber cement was patented more than a hundred years ago, around 1900, by the Austrian Ludwig Hatschek. The principle of his process – a fibre-reinforced cement board built up from thin layers – is still in use, but the material itself has changed fundamentally: cellulose fibres have replaced the asbestos fibres of the past. Our boards are 100% asbestos-free.

The 10 colours – and how to choose

The Facade Board is made in ten colours: White, Ivory, Beige, Yellow, Orange, Red, Chocolate, Space Grey, Light Grey and Dark Grey. The photo shows eight of them – our own samples, photographed in natural light.

A few tips for choosing:

• Look at the sample outdoors in daylight – in the morning and in the afternoon. Indoor lighting and screens both distort colours.
• Allow for the area effect: the same colour usually looks lighter and more vivid on a whole facade than on a palm-sized sample.
• Light colours heat up less in the sun; darker ones have more character and emphasise the building's mass.
• For one building, order all boards in one go, from one production batch where possible, for the most even shade.

Three surfaces and a ribbed version

The same colour creates a completely different effect depending on the surface:

• Polished: finely sanded, smooth and even, with a clean, modern look.
• Textured: a slightly structured, matt surface that adds a subtle material feel.
• Natural: a stone-like, marbled, cloudy pattern – no two boards are exactly alike, which is what brings the facade to life.
• Ribbed: an 8 mm board, at most 10 mm at the ribs – the play of light and shadow adds extra depth.

Sizes and technical data

• Board sizes: 2440 × 1220 and 3050 × 1220 mm
• Thickness: 8, 9, 10, 12 and 15 mm – the right thickness is best determined with the designer, based on the fixing method and the substructure spacing
• Fire safety: class A1, non-combustible (EN 13501-1)
• Bending strength: at least 13 N/mm² (National Technical Assessment A-62/2025)
• Density: 1510 ± 150 kg/m³ (National Technical Assessment A-62/2025)
• Weathering resistance: class "A" – freeze–thaw, heat–rain, wet–dry and water permeability (National Technical Assessment A-62/2025)

In a ventilated facade system it can be used on low-rise and high-rise buildings alike: on detached houses, residential, commercial and industrial buildings, in facade renovation, and as cladding for balconies, loggias and soffits.

What comes next in the series?

Over the coming days we will present the colours, the surfaces, the fixing methods and our interior boards one by one.

Would you like a colour sample, or do you have a question? Write to info@tomzol.com or call us: +36 30 959 6537