Solving the panel trademark mystery

AS A RETAILER. you've prob- fil ably seen and sold panels with the American Plywood Association (APA) trademark hundreds of times. But what's APA? And what's behind that trademark?

APA is a nonprofit trade association whose member mills produce approximately 800/o of the structural wood panel products manufactured in the United States. It performs numerous functions and services on behalf of panel product users, specifiers, dealers, distributors. and other key groups.

The APA trademark signifies the manufacturer is a member of the association and that the products, which are subject to the group's rigorous quality testing program, conform with strict product and performance standards.

The trademark is found on panel backs of most products. Panels with "B" or better veneer on both front and back and panels with special overlaid surfaces on both sides carry the trademark on the panel edge.

The trademark also provides important information about the characteristics of the panel, including veneer grades, panel thickness, and exposure durability classihcation. In the case of APA Performance-Rated Panels. the trademark includes a span rating, which is the recommended center-to-center spacing of supports in inches over which the panels should be placed in sheathing, flooring, and siding applications.

Some trademarks identify panels without specific end-use designations. If a particular application is not designated, the trademark provides the face and back veneer grades, such as A-C or B-D. and the species group numbbr, indicating the tree species from which the panel is manufactured. Veneer grades define veneer in terms of natural unrepaired growth characteristics and allowable number and size of repairs that may be made during manufacture. The highest grade is A; D is the lowest grade and is used only for backs or inner plies of panels intended for interior use or for applications protected from permanent exposure to weather or moisture. Grade and species classifications, along with panel thickness, help determine strength and durability of the panel.

The number at the bottom of the trademark is the mill number. which indicates where the panel was manufactured. Many trademarks also have a "PS 1 -83 " designation if the panel conforms to U.S. Product Standard PS 1-83. Some trademarks have an "NER-108" notation, indicating the panel is approved by the National Evaluation Service. a standards service sponsored jointly by the three major model building code organizations. An FHA recognition number in the trademark indicates the panel meets the requirements of the Federal Housing Administration material use bulletin listed.

Some panels are marked "Shop Cutting PanelAll Other Marks Void." A shop cutting panel is one rejected for nonconformance with the requirements of the product or performance standard. Shop panels can often be cut to eliminate defects and used in applications not governed by building codes, such as doit-yourself projects.

And how do you show builders