American engineered wood products are manufactured to conform to US voluntary product standards.
The trademark on a panel tells a customer that this product has been manufactured under the strictest programme of quality inspection and testing for a specific use.
APA is one of the several independent agencies provide quality assurance services to North American manufacturers, We operate one of the most stringent schemes of third-party quality control testing and certification in the global structural panel industry.
– and it can be withdrawn if products fail to meet quality control requirements.
Each trademark carries vital product usage information. View here examples of APA trademarks and a guide to the panel notations.
For US products placed on the UK and EU markets, they will also comply with specific standards to enable them to carry the CE or UKCA mark of approval.
This online specification tool provides the core technical information you would need to help you make the right choice for your application. Just select your application (whether walls, roofs, flooring concrete formwork or even non-structural uses)
Plywood is used for a wide range of structural, interior and exterior applications – from house construction and internal panelling through to concrete formwork.
OSB shares many of the strength and performance characteristics of plywood. The combination of wood and adhesives creates a strong, dimensionally stable panel that resists deflection, delamination, and warping.
I-joists are prefabricated ‘I’ shaped engineered wood structural members, using sawn or structural composite lumber flanges and OSB webs, bonded together with exterior type adhesives.
Structural composite lumber (SCL) is created by layering dried and graded wood veneers, strands or flakes with exterior moisture resistant adhesives into blocks of material known as billets.
US plywood and OSB structural panels are frequently used in non-construction applications as some of the same performance requirements are also applicable.
APPLICATIONS | General Description | Plywood Grade Rated (with span rating) | Non-Rated Plywood Grade | Bond Classification/Glue Line | Exterior veneer grades | Exposure 1 veneer grades | Span rating/support spacing and designated loading | ||
NON-STRUCTURAL | Where appearance of both sides is important for interior applications, with smooth surfaces suitable for painting | A-A (NON-RATED) | US panels are available in two classifications: Exterior - equivalent to (BS) EN 314 Bond Class 3 or Exposure 1 (always includes D veneer) - Bond Class 2 | Face A; Inner C; Back A | Face A;Inner D; Back A | Span rating not applicable |