AWS EDITION 1, 2009

80 © 2009, AWI, AWMAC, WI - Architectural Woodwork Standards - 1st Edition, October 1, 2009

As may be updated by errata at http://www.awinet.org, http://www.awmac.com, or http://www.woodworkinstitute.com/awserrata/

Section 4 - Sheet Products (Page 11 of 31)

GENERAL

1.2 BASIC CONSIDERATIONS (continued)

1.2.31 PANEL CORES (continued)

1.2.31.5 CORE PROPERTIES, PERFORMANCE (continued)

1.2.31.5.1 Property and performance characteristics (continued)

1.2.31.5.1.4 Screw holding and bending strength are influenced by and should be

considered in design engineering.

1.2.31.5.2 "MR" designates "Moisture Resistant", and "FR" stands for "Fire Retardant".

1.2.31.5.3 COMPARISON TABLE

Core Type

Flatness

Visual Edge

Surface

UniformityDimensionalStability

Screw

HoldingBendingStrengthAvailability

Particleboard 5 3 5 3 1 3 R

MDF 555333R

Combination 5 3 5 3 5 5 L

Hardwood Veneer 1 3 3 5 5 5 R

Softwood Veneer 1 3 1 5 5 5 R

Lumber 3 3 3 3 3 5 L

Hardboard - Standard 5 5 5 5 1 3 R

Hardboard - Tempered 5 3 3 3 3 3 L

MR - Particleboard 5 3 3 3 1 3 L

MR - MDF 5 5 3 3 1 3 L

FR - Particleboard 5 1 3 3 1 3 L

Key: 5 = Excellent, 3 = Good, 1 = Fair, R = Readily, and L = Limited

1.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

1.3.1 SPECIFY requirements for:

1.3.1.1 UNIFORM COLOR, special finishing techniques might be required (see Section 5).

1.3.1.2 SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS, such as sapwood, heartwood, ribbon stripe, quarter sawn, rift

sawn, or vertical grain.

1.3.2 BLEACHED VENEERS should not be used because of their potential finishing problems.

1.3.3 VENEER CORE PANELS should not be used for cabinet doors because they are likely to warp.

1.3.4 FIRE-RETARDANT cores should not be used for exteriors because they typically attract moisture.

1.3.5 FORMALDEHYDE EMISSION REGULATIONS should be carefully researched before shipping product into

an unfamiliar area. Some states, such as California, have significantly reduced their allowable emissions.

1.4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1.4.1 LOW-DENSITY FIBERBOARD (LDF) sheets have distinct weight advantages; however, they typically offer

substantially less in performance characteristics. LDF is permitted in general paneling products and/or

woodwork fabrication, with the exception of casework.

1.4.1.1 LDF may be used for casework construction, provided its performance characteristics meet or

exceed those required of particleboard.

1.4.1.1.1 Lacking defined standards, on request, the Associations will review individual products

and issue approval as appropriate.

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