James Hardie – a company in full bloom
The formation of Fermacell dates back to 1971, but this specialist in gypsum fibre plates is anything but a stuffy and old fashioned company. ‘We’ve always been a progressive company. Since the takeover of Fermacell in 2018 by James Hardie and the accompanying investments, we’ve grown even more strongly,’ Melissa Mican emphasises.
Back in the 1970s, Fermacell started to produce gypsum fibre plates, a product which is still the basic product and showcase of the company even today. James Hardie now has four production sites for fermacell® Gypsum Fibre Plates and Floor Elements, two in Germany, one in Spain, and one at Wijchen in the Netherlands.
Since 2018, fermacell® has been trading under the auspices of James Hardie, formed in 1888 and a reference player in the fibre-cement wall finish. ‘James Hardie has lots of ambition with fermacell® and is investing in the future,’ Melissa continues.
Fermacell® is present in Western Europe via a network of dealers and wholesalers of items such as building materials. ‘Apart from our own products of gypsum fibre, we also offer the fibre-cement products of James Hardie, such as Hardie® Plank and Hardie® Panel.”

Strict market demands
Anyone who says subfloors also says acoustics in one breath. Moreover, the demands of the market in terms of acoustics are becoming increasingly strict. ‘Even those who live in busy inner cities want to reduce external sounds as much as possible. That’s where subfloors and gypsum plates play a vital part,’ says Melissa as she explains the added value of good subfloors for end clients.

Besides the acoustic aspect, which is enjoyed mainly by end clients, floor contractors and fitters are also looking for user-friendly and installation-friendly materials. ‘James Hardie responds to that wish with fermacell® products which are easy to install. For instance, with our gypsum fibre plate you only need one fitting operation, whereas usually with gypsum cardboard you still need an OSB layer. In this latter case two operations are needed and that increases labour hours considerably,’ says Melissa.
James Hardie responds to the demands of the market not only with a strong range of products, but also with sound guidance and training for its staff, distributors, contractors, and architects. ‘Internally, we get in-service training on a regular basis, for instance in the area of safety, and our clients can count on an extremely precise follow-up of their questions and projects.’

Waterproof Power Panel plate and gypsum fibre plate – an asset in fortitude
One of the most striking references in the James Hardie range is the Power Panel H2O. As the name suggests, this panel has waterproof features. ‘This cement-bound plate is also popular for use in damp rooms. Think of swimming pools, bathrooms, or saunas,’ Melissa explains. The Power Panel H2O is available in various sizes and is 1.2 metres wide and between 1 and 3 metres long. It is 12.5 mm thick.
The gypsum fibre-plate is another showcase in the range. Its special feature? Unlike gypsum cardboard, for instance, fermacell® gypsum plates consist of cellulose fibres (obviously apart from the gypsum itself). Those cellulose fibres work as a sort of integrated reinforcement so you don’t need an extra bottom layer. ‘Moreover, the fibres also play an acoustic role since they absorb vibrations,’ Melissa adds. The gypsum fibre plate is available in different sizes ranging from lengths between 1.2 and 3 metres and widths between 0.6 and 1.20 metres. Customised work is also possible.
Both the Power Panel H2O and the gypsum fibre plates are suitable for use in diverse circumstances. Just think of the timber frame construction of CLT (Cross laminated timber or cross layer wood). The references are also compatible with all types of floor e.g. parquet, tiles, laminate, vinyl, etc.

New in the range: fermacell® Therm25TM Floor Heating Elements
James Hardie has recently launched the fermacell® Therm25TM range, pre-milled floor heating elements which are designed as a dry covering floor with integrated pipe conductors for floor heating and cooling indoors. The fermacell® Therm25TM Floor Element consists of a 25mm thick fermacell® gypsum fibre plate. The upper side is milled into a special pattern to enable easy assembly of the elements and, after that, the floor heating pipes.
‘One of the many benefits for the fitter is that these fermacell® Therm25TM Floor elements do not require any drying time, that they are lightweight, and that they have a limited mounting height,’ Melissa adds. ‘This makes them the perfect solution in many renovations.’

Expectations for the future
Melissa Mican, technical engineer for sales at James Hardie Netherlands, can look back on years of experience in the world of the timber frame construction. And so, she has dealt with subfloors on numerous occasions and is therefore ideally placed to consider the development of the sector.
‘In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on comfort and time-saving during the installation. Time-saving is increasingly the starting point of installation companies which nevertheless do not want to compromise on the quality of the used materials. Our gypsum fibre plates and our floor elements offer the double benefit of a rapid installation on the one hand and high-quality materials on the other.’
What development does Melissa expect in the near future? ‘I expect strong growth in dry construction and in the pre-fab industry, both in the area of manufacture and on the sites themselves. At James Hardie we already offer products in response to that development.
Parent company James Hardie is certainly ready to face the future with confidence. ‘Our corporate group is in full development and is proactively occupied with reinforcing our position within the sectors of indoor walls, subfloors, and wall finishes.’