FAQ

ManualsBrandsColumbia Forest Products ManualsLumber & Composites1/2 in. x 2 ft. x 8 ft. PureBond Cherry Plywood Project Panel (Custom Cut Available)

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question about formaldehyde-free hardwood plywood technology and its connection to air quality? We’re here to help.

General Product Specification Questions

Are your finishes VOC-free?

Columbia uses 100% solids ultra-violet cured coating of modified acrylate finish that does not emit any Volatile Organic

Compounds (VOCs).

How do I obtain a certificate of compliance for your PureBond products I’ve specified for my green

project?

You may download our MSDS files for PureBond plywood and finishes from our website.

Are PureBond Formaldehyde-Free Hardwood Plywood panels fire rated?

Our standard PureBond veneer core plywood meets a Class C Flame Spread rating as described in the Fire Safety Code. Most

untreated wood products meet Class C. Our PureBond® veneer core panels are not treated with a fire retardant and are not

available with a Class A rating.

Class A core (required by some building codes) may be available for manufacture into a no added urea-formaldehyde (NAUF)

panel using either fire-rated particleboard or fire-rated MDF. The Class A rating is not affected as long as the veneer on either

side does not exceed 1/28″, which ours usually do not. These cores also carry minimum volume requirements and lead times

come into play. When manufactured with our formaldehyde-free, soy based adhesive these panels are compliant with LEED

credit EQ 4.4 and are part of our PureBond® product line. For more information about Flame Spread Ratings click here.

What is an Architectural Panel and how would I specify one?

Architectural plywood is essentially any panel product intended for a high end application. Typically, the grade or custom

specifications are provided by the architect, specifier or designer, but even standard grades such as “AA” or “A” in most species

would be considered applicable to architectural specifications. There are also architectural blue print panels which not only are

specified by the architect, but also are produced to very specific sizes for very specific locations in accordance with an actual

blue print. The Architectural Woodwork Quality Standards Illustrated, published by the Architectural Woodworkers’ Institute

(AWI), incorporated numerous provisions and caveats for specifying face appearance and core performance, and should be

consulted before finalizing any woodworking project specifications. Certain core materials are more suited for certain

applications and should be specified accordingly.

Summary of content (8 pages)

PAGE 1
Frequently Asked Questions Have a question about formaldehyde-free hardwood plywood technology and its connection to air quality? We’re here to help. General Product Specification Questions Are your finishes VOC-free? Columbia uses 100% solids ultra-violet cured coating of modified acrylate finish that does not emit any Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
PAGE 2
Is wheat or any derivative used in the adhesives or manufacturing of your plywood? At this time we do not include any wheat components in panels or adhesives. Over the years a few panel adhesives may have included wheat flour as an extender and some panel products have been manufactured using post harvest grain stalk reduced to fiber and bonded together to form a panel product resembling particle board.
PAGE 3
Does Columbia make marine grade plywood? Marine grade plywood is a designation of the American Plywood Association covered in their product standard PS-1-95. Our industry does not produce this product under that proprietary designation, although the term is sometimes used generically to describe our panels made with waterproof glue.
PAGE 4
What is a composite panel? A product consisting of wood, plant particles or fibers, bonded together by an adhesive such as a synthetic resin or binder. Examples include plywood, particle-board, OSB, and MDF. Visit the Composite Panel Association for more info. What is MDF? Medium Density Fiberboard is an engineered wood product made from wood fiber bundles and resin, extruded onto a conveyor in a “mat” form then pressed to a given thickness.
PAGE 5
What is Quarter Cut? Quarter slicing (also known as Quarter Sawn, Quarter Cut or Quartered) is a cutting method that involves dividing the log into quarters and slicing the quarter log on a radial direction approximately perpendicular to the growth rings to produce a straight grain appearance with the flake from the wood rays typically exaggerated on the surface. It is commonly used with red and white oaks because of the desired flake effect, but may be used on any species.
PAGE 6
What is a Calibrated panel? A calibrated panel is typically a veneer core panel whose core was produced in a separate step and sanded to strict thickness tolerances before the outer decorative veneers are applied. Natural variation such as density, moisture absorption, and physical properties, combined with manufacturing variation results in thickness fluctuations in all wood panels. Veneer core typically has more potential thickness variation than engineered cores.
PAGE 7
What does “formaldehyde-free” mean? When we say PureBond technology is ‘formaldehyde-free,’ we’re describing the way our hardwood plywood panels are comprised of no added urea formaldehyde components and assembled with zero formaldehyde adhesives. In other words, we don’t add any formaldehyde to the products we call “formaldehyde-free,” whether in the resin or the wood that makes up the core of the panel.
PAGE 8
What is LEED®? LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is a green building rating system accepted as the national benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of highperformance green buildings. As a third-party certification program, LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.