Viva Board | Wood Cement Board

Viva Board is made of wood flakes mixed with portland cement. It has special technique to polish the surface. The special technique offers the polished surface. Cement acts as binder in this case. In terms of of load-bearing capacity, it's been claimed that cement-bonded particle boards like wood cement board have higher capacity than that of fiber cement boards. The manufacturer offers 6mm to 24 mm thickness, or even 30 mm thickness which makes it ideally suitable for high load bearing application. These boards are made of a homogeneous mixture and hence are formed as single layer for any thickness.

Advantages 

(Quoted from Wikipedea)

As a tile backing board, cement board has better long-term performance than paper-faced gypsum core products because it will not mildew or physically break down in the continued presence of moisture or leaks. Cement board is not actually waterproof, but it is highly resistant to absorbing moisture and has excellent drying properties. In areas continually exposed to water spray (i.e. showers) a waterproofing barrier is usually recommended behind the boards or as a trowel-applied product to the face of the boards behind the finish system.

Disadvantages

(Quoted from Wikipedea)

One major disadvantage of cement board is the weight per square foot. It is approximately twice that of gypsum board, making handling by one person difficult. Cutting of cement board must also be done with carbide-tipped tools and saw blades. Due to its hardness, pre-drilling of fasteners is often recommended. Finally, cement board is initially more expensive than water resistant gypsum board but may provide better long term value.