Patent ID: 7846278

Claim:
A method of making a reinforced smooth cementitious board having a cement skin adjacent to an outer face, comprising: (a) depositing a reinforcement fabric and a layer of hydraulic cementitious material, one on the other, wherein the reinforcement fabric comprises an open mesh united with a thin, porous nonwoven web; (b) prior to depositing the reinforcement fabric and the layer of hydraulic cementitious material one on the other, applying a slurry having a cement powder and one or more of, hydrophilic additives, wetting agents, foaming agents and foam boosters to either or both of the open mesh and the thin, porous nonwoven web, and drying the slurry; (c) penetrating the open mesh with the layer of hydraulic cementitious material and imbedding the open mesh in the layer of hydraulic material; (d) 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 by having the thin, porous nonwoven web comprise alkali resistant polymer fibers coated with a hydrophilic material; (e) penetrating through the thin, porous nonwoven web by said portion of the layer of hydraulic cementitious material to form the cement skin adjacent to the outer face and embed the thin, porous web in the layer of hydraulic cementitious material at a depth from the outer face; and (f) curing the layer of hydraulic cementitious material to form a layer of hardened cementitious material imbedding the open mesh and the thin, porous nonwoven web 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.