Methods of Making Smooth Reinforced Cementitious Boards

A method of making a reinforced smooth cementitious board having a cement skin adjacent to an outer face, comprising:

• depositing a reinforcement fabric and a layer of hydraulic cementitious material, one on the other, wherein the reinforcement fabric comprises an open mesh having glass fibers encapsulated with an alkali resistant material, the encapsulated glass fibers being joined with a binder at intersection areas thereof within the open mesh and being united with a thin, porous nonwoven web for penetration by a portion of the layer of hydraulic cementitious material, and wherein the thin, porous nonwoven web comprises polymer fibers having thereon a hydrophilic material to enhance wetting of the thin, porous nonwoven web by the layer of hydraulic cementitious material, and adhesion of the thin, porous nonwoven web to the layer of hydraulic cementitious material, and continuity of the layer of hydraulic cementitious material about the reinforcement fabric;
• penetrating the thin, porous nonwoven web by said portion of the layer of hydraulic cementitious material, to embed the reinforcement fabric in the layer of hydraulic cementitious material at a depth from the outer face with continuity of the layer of hydraulic cementitious material about the reinforcement fabric, and to form the cement skin adjacent to the outer face with said portion of the layer of hydraulic cementitious material;
• and
• curing the layer of hydraulic cementitious material to form a layer of hardened cementitious material imbedding the reinforcement fabric at a depth from the outer face, wherein a portion of the layer of hardened cementitious material comprises the cement skin adjacent to the outer face.

A reinforcement fabric for reinforcing a smooth cementitious board having a cement skin adjacent to an outer face, comprising:

• an open mesh penetrable by layer of hydraulic cementitious material for the cementitious board and the cement skin;
• the open mesh being united with a thin, porous nonwoven web;
• the thin, porous nonwoven web comprising polymer fibers coated with alkali resistant hydrophilic material promoting penetration through the thin, porous nonwoven web by a portion of the layer of hydraulic cementitious material to form the cement skin adjacent to the outer face;
• and
• a cement powder and one or more of, hydrophilic additives, wetting agents, foaming agents and foam boosters on either or both of the open mesh and the thin, porous nonwoven web.