Overview
EQUITONE
EQUITONE is a brand of fiber cement rainscreen panels from the Etex group. The United States address is 1731 Fred Lawson Drive, Maryville, Tennessee. The panels are fiber cement rainscreen panels for open-joint, ventilated facade systems. They are made from high-density fiber cement and are through-colored. The fiber cement contains Portland cement, which binds the ingredients, cellulose fibers that act as filter fibers, synthetic reinforcing fibers, sand and water. The panels are noncombustible and tested to EN 13501, and the fiber cement is Cradle to Cradle Certified. Panels can be custom-cut, perforated, milled or printed.
Etex, the parent group, has produced fiber cement since 1905. Ludwig Hatschek invented fiber cement in the late nineteenth century by combining mineral materials, water, air and heat in a filtration process. Early adopters of coated fiber cement panels in ventilated rainscreen facades included the architect Walter Gropius.
The facade material ranges are natura, tectiva, linea, lunara, pictura and inspires, and the library also lists natura PRO. The natura PRO coating is UV-hardened, anti-graffiti and scratch resistant, and natura PRO is offered in 8 mm and 12 mm thicknesses. The lunara panel is 10 mm thick, weighs 3.4 lbs/ft2 and comes in 4 by 8 foot and 4 by 10 foot sizes. Its surface is a rough, unpolished fiber cement with a delicate linen touch, a randomized lunar-inspired texture and subtle two-tone shading, and it is through-colored and water-repellent. The tectiva panel is through-colored with a sanded surface and is listed in 8 mm and 10 mm thicknesses. The inspires panel is a high-strength panel with a smooth, matte surface carrying a digitally printed design under a UV-resistant finish.
Surfaces are grouped into three design lines. The Minerals have earthy, refined textures. The Colorfuls have bold tones. The Graphicals are inspired by a natural palette. The markets named for the panels are commercial, educational, healthcare, residential and mixed-use projects.
The company provides sample kits, technical and CSI specifications, CAD and BIM files, span tables, continuing education courses and a QuickShip program.
Relevant manufacturer history
EQUITONE belongs to Etex, which has made fiber cement since 1905. Ludwig Hatschek developed the material in the late nineteenth century. Eternit NV in Belgium began producing large-format flat panels in the mid-1950s, and architects including Walter Gropius used coated panels in rainscreen facades in that decade. In 1987 the architects Herzog and de Meuron used uncoated panels on the Ricola storage building in Laufen.
The first air-cured EQUITONE panel, textura, was introduced in 1990. A new generation of through-colored natura panels was launched in 2004. In 2008 a UV coating line at Neubeckum, Germany, became operational, and natura PRO and pictura were introduced. The Neubeckum plant specializes in air-cured technology. The tectiva panels are produced in Kapelle op den Bos, Belgium, using autoclaved technology.
