Design Workshops: Resources

To discern the subtleties of structure, content and quality between the various brands and varieties of composite panels can be a bit like trying to price shop mattresses. (No two labels are exactly the same.) The bottom line is that for the typical end-user, the most important part is the visible part, the laminate, veneer, color or treatment of the surface that makes the statement. Yet, for a manufacturer and a conscientious designer, the practical construction and internal structure makes all the difference between an object that will last a decade or a century, may add extra value because of its environmental attributes, or could potentially be a health risk. With this in mind…

Provided below are brief definitions of various composite panel products, followed by a description of the particular environmental qualities of each. The information was acquired from various manufacturers’ websites and has not been independently audited or verified. Nor can this be considered a complete listing of all the brands or products available. These materials were researched for the purpose of providing a simple general reference guide explaining selection, availability and cost variance. Links are provided to the manufacturer’s website for technical information and comparisons. For all composite panel products, resins are utilized as binding agents for the various particulates. For more information on the resins and some relevant issues, go to Indoor Air Quality.

For most typical applications, Design Workshops selects MDF as the substrate of choice. The grade and variety depends upon particular application. We select MDF because of its finer particulate content which contributes to finer machining capabilities, consistency of color, and an advantage in screw holding strength. Design Workshops is in the process of evaluating the particular qualities of various MDF products to develop a standard substrate for our common applications.

Varieties
Each of the listed material categories can further be classified into grades with a variety of quality features. For this comparison, we will consider only products that are sufficient as substrate for interior applications of veneer, laminate and paint, received from the manufacturer as unfinished panels in slightly oversized 4’ x 8’ sheets ≤” thick, as would be common for furniture and wall panel applications.

Plywood - an assembled product made of layers of veneer held together by an adhesive, the chief characteristic of which is the alternate cross layers, distributing the longitudinal wood strength. It consists of three or more layers of veneer, firmly glued together with the grain direction of the middle layer at right angles to that of the two parallel outer layers. Note that multiple layers of veneer can be glued together cross grain to produce a flexible product as 3 or 5 layer veneer for flexible applications.

Plywood is available FSC certified from various sources and can be ordered with No added formaldehyde binding agents as well

MDF - Medium Density Fiberboard
It is dense, flat, and stiff, and is easily machined. Because it is made up of fine particles it does not have an easily recognizable surface grain. MDF can be painted to produce a smooth quality surface. MDF has no grain so it can be cut, drilled, machined and filed without damaging the surface. Oil, water-based paints and varnishes may be used on MDF. Veneers and laminates may also be used to finish MDF. MDF is typically made with urea-formaldehyde resin totaling 9% by weight, yet is available with alternative binding resins that do not contain urea formaldehyde. MDF is available with FSC certification and in various classifications: exterior grade, interior for wet applications for kitchen and bath applications, fire rated, and in heavier densities for multi level machining operations.

MDF from any manufacturer is not always the same. Note that the color can vary greatly and that when applying Light colored veneers such as Sycamore to MDF it is important to utilize a consistent source of the MDF throughout the production run. Available from various sources such as Sierra Pine, or Panel Source.

Particle Board - A structural material made of wood fragments, such as chips or shavings, that are mechanically pressed into sheet form and bonded together with resin. Available as FSC certified, with alternative binding resins that do not contain urea formaldehyde and also as Class A Fire Retardant. Available from various sources as Collins Pine, Sierra Pine or Panel Source. Also available as a zero emission pre-finished FSC certified panel product Trade named EcoColors, from Columbia Forest Products.

Wheat Board - Composite panel products derived from recovered agricultural waste fiber from sources including but not limited to cereal straw, sugarcane bagasse, sunflower husk, walnut shells, coconut husks and agricultural prunings. The raw fibers are processed and mixed with resins to produce panel products with characteristics similar to those derived from wood fiber. Dow Bio Products.

Product would not come under classification by FSC labeling as it is an agricultural product rather than a forest product. It still meets environmental standards for LEED criteria and is available with no added urea-formaldehyde.

ApplePly - (From the States Industries website) a premium quality veneer core panel constructed from uniform laminations of solid grade 1/16" Alder and Birch. This all hardwood core produces a strong, lightweight panel with a minimum number of voids and a naturally attractive edge. Uniformly thin core veneers laminated at right angles produces an attractive visual edge that is often used as a primary design element in furniture, fixtures and architectural installations. ApplePly is also popular for use as drawer sides because of its appearance when left un-banded. Alternating end grain and edge grain absorbs stain and finish at different rates, producing a pleasing light and dark layered effect. Because ApplePly is made from low density hardwood veneers, and because it has few voids, it machines beautifully without tearing or fuzzing. We would stand by this statement until recently when Design Workshops received a shipment of unfinished ApplyPly for a project where we applied a Doug Fir veneer to the surface. The core we received had substantial voids and knots which were visible through the fine layer of veneer and resulted in substantial man hours required to fill and prepare the substrate for veneer application. ApplePly is available as FSC certified or non-certified, and pre-finished clear and natural or in 4 specific colors. States Industries. Appleply is NOT available without added urea formaldehyde.

Fire-Rated Panels and News
As of April 2003 Panel Source International began distributing Class A fire rated FSC Certified MDF, Particle board and Plywood panels with No added urea formaldehyde. This was a great breakthrough for architects working on LEED projects. During followup research for this document, it was discovered that Panel Source, once distributed out of Canada, now has distribution out of Washington with no limits as to quantity of order and has a wide variety of both FSC, No added urea formaldehyde and fire rated product available. A great new resource.

Flame Stop II is a fire retardant for wood applications that recently was tested to meet Class A fire ratings in the US. It is a liquid that can be applied as a sealer. It is been tested and documentation is available.

Pricing
Listed below are standard composite panel products listed with their environmental attributes. As exact prices fluctuate all items are listed with approximate cost with % variances. Please note as stated in Veneer/budgeting the material cost of substrates and veneer is a very small percentage of the overall cost of installing an architectural panel.

Particle Board has slightly less structural stability yet can be substituted for MDF in veneer applications.

Particle Board	37% < X
FSC Particle Board	19% < X	FSC certified
PureKor FSC PB	36% < X	FSC certified
PureKor PB Plus	over 13% > X	Rapidly Renewable, No added urea formaldehyde 100% post industrial

Wheat Board	45% > Y	No added urea formaldehyde
		Annually renewable

MDF is most commonly used as a substrate for cabinets, furniture and wall panels for both veneer, laminate and paint grade applications.

MDF	=X as base price coat per sq. ft. Sierra Pine Noted for its light color preferred use with light colored veneers such as Sycamore. 100% recycled and recovered content
PureKor FSC MDF	15% < X	FSC cert. 100%recovered content
Medite II MDF	over 50% > X	No added urea formaldehyde 100% recycled and recovered content
PureKor MDF Plus	17% > X	No added urea formaldehyde 25% Post Industrial

Specialty Application MDF
Medex MDF	36% > X	MDF Interior Grade No added Formaldehyde 100% recycled and recovered content
Exterior Grade MDF	50% > X	MDF Exterior Grade

Fire Rated Applications
MDF FR	Z base comparison $
Pyro Cert MDF	36% < Z	FSC 100% Recovered
Medite FR2 MDF	5% < Z	No Added urea formaldehyde 100% recycled and recovered content
Pyro MDF Plus	18% < Z	NO added urea formaldehyde 25% Post Industrial
Pyro Cert Particle Board	88% < Z	FSC 100% Post Industrial
Pyro PB plus	26% < Z	Annually renewable No Added urea formaldehyde Rapidly renewable 100% Post Industrial

Panels, Veneer and LEED
Determining the best product for an environmentally conscious project can be very challenging at best. The above information shows a plethora of options and prices associated with those options. These of course are always in flux. There are further considerations…a panel can have a FSC certified substrate and not have FSC certified veneer applied- yet still qualify as an FSC certified panel based upon percent content of FSC certified material.

It is always best to first determine if a project is focused on the avoidance of urea formaldehyde, and if the project panels need to be fire- rated.

Those two determinates direct and focus the selection of appropriate materials. Next, inquire about the availability of FSC certified materials for your project. Nearly every wood project will require product from three categories of wood: substrate, veneer, and solid lumber. The USGBC is very proactive at updating their LEED rating system in response to new developments in technology, research and product availability. The goals is to increase the availability and to promote the optimum application of environmentally responsible materials. For the most current information regarding LEED projects always refer to the USGBC website and or your local LEED certified architect or environmental consultant. Links. For a chart defining the wood related issues and product applications go to LEED info.

Notes from the Shop
Practical concerns of manufacturability often dictate substrate as well.

The experience of our craftsmen, adds another important voice to the discussion, raises some very interesting issues. We are currently in the testing phase, evaluating the practical concerns of switching all standard substrate selection to non-added formaldehyde product. Of primary concern are the issues of telegraphing and dimensional stability.

Telegraphing
Our veneer and panel lay-up department illuminated how critical the color of the substrate can be, specifically for light veneer projects i.e. Sycamore, Douglas Fir, etc. Veneer unlike solid lumber, is so thin that, it will transmit a small percentage of light. With certain species, the natural color is so light that the color of the substrate will telegraph through to the surface. The color of the substrate will affect the tonality of the finished product. If the manufacturer of the substrate does not have controls in place to monitor the consistency of the color then production batches may vary, which if telegraphed into a finished product has the potential to cause distinguishable and disturbing variances in a projects overall appearance.

A good example of the specific ramifications of telegraphing and substrate selection appeared on a recent project. Douglas Fir veneer, clear and natural was specified for a kitchen and mail room cabinetry and furniture. The substrate chosen was Appleply, for its environmental attributes, with exposed finished edges for its pleasing esthetic of characteristic dark and light banding. One thought on the part of the designer was budgetary, cost savings to be achieved by eliminating edge banding material and labor costs. The shop ordered the Appleply without the final exterior layer of veneer, traditionally a rotary sliced architectural grade maple, so that it could apply the final layer of face and backing veneer as the specified quartered Douglas fir. This was required to fulfill upon the designer’s vision, as the final layer of veneer needed vertical grain orientation for panel height requirements, and the final layer needed to be applied lengthwise for structural cross graining purposes. The problem of telegraphing became apparent when the Appleply core arrived with a great number of dark knots, voids and patches irregularly across the surface. These were distinct and obvious markings which telegraphed through the veneer. We remedied the situation by laboriously cutting out any dark anomalies and patching all existing and newly created voids before applying the veneer to the substrate.

Dimensional Stability
During the production of a recent project, Medite II was specified and utilized as a substrate for veneered wall panels. The purpose of the selection was to meet LEED criteria for no-added urea formaldehyde. This project unveiled another important issue that we are currently conducting tests on.

A series of standard identically sized veneered wall panels were cut on the same saw with accurate guides by the same operator during one production session. The next day when the stack of panels was reviewed for the next stage of production, the panels varied in dimension by as much as 1 /4”. We have so far eliminated operator error and are seeking other answers. Our suspicions lead us to believe it has something to do with the use of MDI isocyanate as the binding agent. We are awaiting the completion of a variety of tests to determine the reason for the aberration.