PRODUCT Spotlight By Robin West
The APA panel trademark explained APA provides a lot of useful information for builders and specifiers. APA trademar ed panels are suitable for a variety of end uses including sub ooring, single-layer ooring, wall and roof sheathing, ceiling dec sheathing and more. Panels can be manufactured in a variety of finishes, thic nesses and bond classifications depending on the intended application. APA Performance Rated Panels are easy to use and specify since the recommended end use and other helpful information is clearly indicated in the trademar located on the panel. APA he Engineered Wood Association provides guidance on interpreting the APA trademar to help you select and specify the right panel for the ob.
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1. Panel Grade
Structural panel grades are generally identified in terms of the plywood veneer grades used on the face and bac of the panel e.g., A-B, B-C , or by a name suggesting the panel s intended end use e.g., APA Rated Sheathing, APA Rated Sturd-I-Floor also nown as single oor . eneer grades define veneer attributes in terms of natural unrepaired growth characteristics and allowable number and
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
size of repairs that may be made during manufacture. he highest uality veneer grade commonly available is A. he minimum grade of veneer permitted in Exterior plywood is C-grade. -grade veneer is only permitted to be used in panels intended for applications protected from long-term exposure to weather.
2. Span Rating
he span rating for APA Rated Sheathing is presented as two numbers separated by a slash. he left-hand number is the maximum recommended center-to-center spacing for supports in inches when the panel is used for roof sheathing with long dimensions across supports. he right-hand number is the maximum center-to-center spacing of supports in inches when the panel is used for sub ooring with the long dimension across supports. he span rating on APA Rated Sturd-I-Floor underlayment and APA Rated Siding panels appears as a single number. Span ratings for APA Rated Sturdi-I-Floor and underlayment panels, li e those for APA Rated Sheathing, are based on application of the panel with the long dimension or strength axis across three or more supports.
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