Last modified: October 07, 2009

Solutions, Highlights and Suggestions

For acoustical use see our web page

Acoustical wall retrofit and encapsulation achieved with one fast material: Magnesiacore can be applied over existing materials to reduce the cost for demolition, disposal, clean up and related mess. Series of pictures below shows an interior office space refitted with magnesiacore over the walls and floors. Walls show a two layer (larger and smaller panels) system with acoustical goo between. Also shown is a two layer system for the floor over existing carpet. In each case the existing old materials have been encapsulated by the magnesiacore rather than removed and disposed. This not only saves time, money but also the environment by reducing waste for landfills from demolition and disposals.

Radiant Heating Floor Systems:  Magnesiacore used as part of Radiant Floors (or Radiant Wall) Heating Systems allows construction to be done by simple dry boards glued, screwed and or stapled together quickly for perfectly flush surfaces ready to refinish immediately. Added benefits include the ability to more easily access piping by removing boards in the future for repairs or changes which is much more difficult with poured in place concrete. Additionally with magnesiacore laid as a panel finish significant cost saving can accrue. Pictured below can be seen the high degree of control possible in the placing and locating of hot water piping using cut magnesiacore spacers laid in curves to fit.

As a unique finishing material:  Magnesiacore provides design and decoration options that are both interesting and natural. Below is magnesiacore used as a finishing material in wet areas subject to high maintenance from water and abuse damage. The natural grey board is polished and sealed for decorative effects.
and/or as a base for other cladding

The Perfect Garage Wallboard: Magnesiacore used on the walls of a garage as a natural material not only renders the garage walls fireproof and resistant to moisture and impact damage, it allow one to place nails and screws anywhere on the wall to build shelving and hang tools without looking for studs.

The Perfect Garage Floor: Magnesiacore used on the floor of a garage for a natural and true garage look. (don't try this with any drywall or cement board)

Non-combustible board that takes brad nails, crown staples, and screws: Magnesiacore is used as support board for asphalt shingles where non-combustible construction is required or desired. Asphalt shingles are designed to be nailed in place to plywood or OSB. Magnesiacore allows asphalt shingles to be stapled over a non-combustible material, typically screwing magnesiacore to metal deck or sloped concrete structures, thus allowing shingles to be more quickly stapled on to magnesiacore.

Non-combustible construction options include using magnesiacore screwed to structural metal deck for light weight floor and roof structures that solve many mandated requirements of building codes for non-combustible construction. In wood frame construction, a layer of magnesiacore over the roof sheathing under your shingles will add a measure of life safety protection against fires that can start from outside flaming ambers falling on roofs. Roof fires are a deadly kind of house fire that can collapse a roof onto inhabitants without smoke detectors or any other warnings given inside the house before the cave-in from above.

In non-combustible assemblies magnesiacore permits the incorporation of elements into wall systems such as electrical lighting and wiring; as pictured below with high quality wall finish that cannot be applied to paperfaced gypsum or other combustible and soft materials. This is a feature wall of an Architectural Office. Note finish in deep blue without feathered joints nor visible imperfection.

Non-combustible solid building material that can be cut and worked like a wood particle board or drywall material:

Laminated with other materials as in the application for balcony railing and divider infill panels. In this example prefinished aluminum sheets are laminated to magnesiacore on one side allowing textured coatings or other finishes to match the building facade on the exterior side.

Substitute in steel construction concrete deck composite floors; to eliminate using poured concrete over the metal floor deck in multi storey steel buildings. Apply magnesiacore with screws directly to the metal deck to substitute the wet  concrete infill. Magnesiacore is ready to receive all types of flooring immediately with a perfectly smooth base surface (without trowel marks from workmanship) and without pouring and refinishing wet concrete slabs. This eliminates the associated high cost, mess and down time of poured in place concrete for your conventional steel structures. This also provides for lighter structures allowing associated structural steel support members to be downsizes by reduced overall structural weight with magnesiacore rather than heavy poured in place or precast concrete to save money and resources. Furthermore, magnesiacore allows the use of sandwich panels for the infill material made with two layers of magnesiacore laminated to rigid insulation to  provide insulation between floors of steel structures for both temperature and sound attenuation benefits.

Light curvatures can be achieved: Magnesiacore has the flexibility to bend to a slow shallow radius as in the vaulted ceiling shown below. Jointing in this case is achieved by using plastic "H" molding at all panel junctions without filling or tape. Equally suitable for sharp elaborate angular ceiling shapes

Concrete Form Liner Surface Finish: Magnesiacore can be used inside formwork as a finishing liner facing that will bond to the concrete naturally. Concrete, as well as most cement materials will bite into magnesiacore's pores for a strong natural bond. Note, the concrete juice that has seeped through the panel joints can be simply scraped off with a sharp blade to reveal the natural undamaged magnesiacore panel to reveal perfectly flush joints.

Exterior Panel Finishing Systems: Magnesiacore has numerous applications in uses for exterior wall panel finishing systems. Contact us with your requirements and we will work with you to develop a specific system detailed for your project.

Durable Versatile Material: Magnesiacore has the flexibility to be a paint substrate, a stucco substrate, and a tile backer on the same wall face without changing substrates to avoid joints between dissimilar materials. Cut and worked with carpentry tools provides simple design options not available in any other all-in-one dry board material. Below is shown a simple wall using 3/8" (9mm) grey, used as base with 1/2" (12mm) white adhered over it to create raised panels; thus creating solid wall panel detailing that combines both (buff) paint and (white) stucco texturing finish... over the same substrate. This would otherwise require different highly skilled trades applying different materials and jointing to create similar effects. The end result is a 20 MpA (3000 PSI) concrete-hard, plaster-like, wall surface that is fireproof and resistant damage from water, moisture, organisms and salts and more resistant to impact damage and cycles of freeze-thaw to reduce maintenance and extend longevity.

Stucco Substrate: Traditional Stucco applications may use an insulating material board to provide a thermal break over a sheathing material on stud work over which lath (galvanized wire or mesh) is applied. This is then followed several layers of wet cement plastering to create a hard base when dry. The base coat is made in layers of wet mix, hand applied, trowel on material that eventually create a stucco substrate with uncertain and varying properties and quality depending on the tradesman.  A multitude of steps and curing periods, and uncertainty till everything has cured. Using Magnesiacore however, these laborious steps, different materials, and drying downtimes are completely eliminated, and a consistent quality substrate is guaranteed as soon as the board is screwed onto the wall to receive stucco or paint.

Stucco jobs can be done in one quick continuous process by mechanically fastening Magnesiacore to the structure using appropriate thermal break foam behind the board. The application of flexible decorative finishing stucco goes on directly in a sequential operation without waiting for plaster base coats to dry. Magnesiacore provides an excellent surface for adhesion of stucco. Does not require a great deal of skill to create the uniform base surface; and this also reduces the amount of costly acrylic stucco material required to complete and make uniform renders. For panelizing and embossing, layers of magnesiacore can be used and edges can be made true or routered without corner and edge trimming materials.

Pictured below is an example of building in lightweight steel framing using  magnesiacore used as exterior cladding and interior wall board that come together in engineered systems that creates lightweight structures with maximum functional strength and minimum construction time and material used; Producing quality buildings with the character and functionality of heavier construction methods.

FAST and EASY Plaster Hard Walls: (Interior or Exterior) Gypsum based board materials suffers from structural weakness with a separate friable core and paper or plastic facings that require taping to reinforce joints over the front and cannot be used on exteriors. Using Magnesiacore board provides a solid integral plaster-like wall that can be adhered together at the edges without reinforcing over the face of joints. High impact resistance in addition to fireproofing and moisture resistance suitable for interior or exterior use.

Basement Dry floor component Magnesiacore is used as pictured below to create a raised dry basement floor subfloors over a cold damp concrete slab. In this case two layers of magnesiacore are glued and stapled together to form a rigid mass over high density waterproof foam insulation. Performs both as an insulated floor and dry floor that will not rot as well as provides high acoustical attenuation.

As general purpose exterior panels magnesiacore has a practical application to encapsulate pressure chemical treated wood lumber (reducing physical contact with arsenic releasing surfaces) thus allowing the common pressure treated wood decks and railings new life as support for our hard flexible concrete-like surface. (Note* USA banned the use of virtually all Arsenic Wood Preservative Treatments in new residential construction starting in the year 2004)

The magnesiacore surface is smooth and dense yet finely porous thus receiving all coatings with a higher degree of adhesion than most other materials. In stucco applications considerably less stucco material is required to achieve a more uniform surface for saving in the cost of the finishes. Finishing options also include, stucco, painting, staining, or left natural with a gloss coatings or clear penetrating sealers.

As an exterior wall cladding magnesiacore can be used as a faster alternative to stucco, block, brick or siding left in natural color with a clear weatherproof sealer, or stained for different effects. For providing a paintable exterior wall surface, it can be used textured or smooth. Shown below is a representative exterior wall assembly made using natural T&G panels representing  32" x 48" (81cm x 122cm) in 15mm thickness and dramatic reveals. Panels are joined by buttered T&G joints and exposed countersunk screws.

Alternatives for fasteners (exposed or concealed) while providing unlimited choice for architectural coursings, reveals, ornamentation, and embossing to permit diverse designs by working with three dimensions off a walls surface.

POP RIVET FASTENERS to apply aluminum and metal trim to magnesiacore for more options and versatility not achievable with other types of construction board.

T&G JOINTING: Magnesiacore can be shaped to permit using "tongue and groove" joints to eliminate taping and filling to speed up construction. Pictured below is a wall made using T&G in 1/2" x 32" x 48" (12mm x 810mm x 1220mm) panels that can be prime painted before the end of the same day the wall started. Left with a natural finish you could have lunch in a room started after breakfast.

Using rounded bullnosed edges as pictured below provides a different method of installation to eliminate taping. Since magnesiacore is a uniform solid material without a separate facing material it can be bonded together by the edges using a variety of different type and strength bonding fillers not limited to drywall joint compounds.

For fast easy heavy duty ceramic tile backerboard: Laminated over a sub-floor or over existing old flooring, 1/4" (6mm) (or 3mm 1/8" in certain instances) of Magnesiacore is used with flexible adhesives for laminating to receive tiles. This replaces the wire lath and cement screeds, mud coats and plastering work that requires downtime and skilled trades over the subfloor. Hard tiles are applied over the magnesiacore using normal floor mix adhesives. Common labour can apply the magnesiacore while a tile setter lays the tiles in sequence. Different thickness are available in one millimetre increments from 3mm to 20mm or thicker by laminating multiple layers of magnesiacore.
 

Considerable savings in floor mix material are obtained using finer tooth ceramic floor mix spreaders which is made possible by magnesiacore being smoother and more uniform than other systems. (1/4") 6mm of magnesiacore pays for itself and saves money by increasing the floor coverage obtained from a bag of floor mix adhesive. Using a 1/4" tooth spreader rather than 1/2" tooth, a four fold increase in coverage can be obtained. (i.e. one bag of floor mix provides the coverage of four bags)

Impact resistant suspended ceiling tiles: Pictured is an application using 6mm (1/4") magnesiacore cut to 24" x 24" (610mm x 610mm) ceiling tile size in natural chalk white. Apart from higher impact resistance magnesiacore can be left natural, painted, stucco, coated or laminated to provide unlimited options to T-Bar suspended ceilings. With variety of thickness, various densities provide solutions and impact resistance beyond what is available with fibrous, cellulose or soft tiles.

Foundation wall insulation protection board for cold climates subject to ground swelling and soil heaving from freeze and thaw cycles. Soil movement between cold winters and hot summers can erode and wear away buried rigid insulation over exterior foundations walls. We recommend a minimum of 3/8" (9mm) thick for protection board for buried insulation for most types of soils subject to these effects. Withstands pressure of frozen earth pushing against exterior foundations preventing damage to insulation.

Existing Wall Refinishing System: Magnesiacore resistance to salt and chlorine makes it an ideal wallboard material for protection covering and/or re-facing for masonry or concrete surfaces that are prone to salt damage in costal areas, seaside buildings and for the interior of swimming pool building walls and ceilings that otherwise undergo periodic maintenance for salt or chlorine damage. Magnesiacore mechanically fastened to walls using Stainless Steel (SS) Masonry Screws and SS Clips provides a quick and easy, less expensive, and more durable solution to other more costly protective coatings. On-going  maintenance procedures over the long term results in significant savings to the building owner by reducing the frequency of retrofits.

For the signage industry in place of high end exterior grade plywood and composite panels Magnesiacore provides a novel and suitable alternative for sign boards, bill boards and signage panels, making an economical alternative to exterior sign plywood. As machinable material, uses for carving and cut out or routered signs render interesting stone like effects. Usable as a exceptional and durable paint substrates for watercolours, oils, acrylic, pastels and most other graphic arts medium.

Finish Flooring: Magnesiacore is suitable as a novel finishing material for floors. By laminating to sub-floors with adhesives; or using concealed fasteners, nails or screws, with visible plugs etc., and grouted or otherwise with reveal jointing Magnesiacore can receive sealers directly for an attractive, interesting and economical floor finish. Since the color is throughout the material and not a surface feature this allows for sanding, refinishing and to regenerate worn floor surfaces over time.

Skin Material for paint grade, veneered and pre-finished doors or paneling:
The inertness and moisture management properties make Magnesiacore the ideal material for use as core or skin materials for doors (interior and exterior), countertops and cabinets, especially those that may become in contact with water or humidity such as kitchens, baths, public washrooms, sporting facilities, pools, change rooms, showers, vestibules and other interior or exterior applications.

As hot applied roof membrane base sheet or as a roofing ballast; magnesiacore does not burn and will take flame applied and hot roofing without being adversely affected. Under roofing it will not deteriorate if it gets wet making roof leak repairs easier without water damaged gypsum or other materials that need replacement. Magnesiacore dries out unharmed after getting wet. As embedded ballast on top of soft roof membranes it provides a walking surface for  balconies and roof top patios while replacing the stone ballast as UV protection.

For wood frame construction: Magnesiacore provides a concrete like floor with ease by laminating over plywood floor sheathing. Wood frame structures receive the added benefit of fireproofing between floor levels as well as acoustic and thermal resistance improvements that plywood does not provide. Tendency for squeaky wood floors is reduced with Magnesiacore being more rigid than plywood. Separating living spaces of homes from the wood structure creates fire separation between rooms. If a fire starts in a room that has Magnesiacore on the floors, wall and ceilings; fire can be contained within the room for an hour or more giving ample time for smoke alarms and intervention to limit the extent of fire damage to the contents of the room, minimizing the risks of fire spreading to structures and other rooms.

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