Tech Terms

British Board of Agrément - UK authority offering approval, inspection, testing and certification services.

International standard for marine plywood.

Stands for "Conformité Européenne" meaning "European Conformity". A CE mark on a product is a declaration by the manufacturer that his product meets the requirements of the applicable European Directive.

Refers to a system of assessment (CPR, annex V) and may attest that a manufacturer is capable of producing panels suitable for structural use.

Construction Products Regulation which aims to break down technical barriers to trade in construction products between members of the EEA.

The CPR has been adopted by the European Commission and replaces the Construction Products Directive (CPD).

It is mandatory for products within the scope of Harmonised European Standards, to carry CE marking if they are to be placed on the EU market.

Declaration of Performance, a document drawn up by the manufacturer expressing the performance of a construction product in relation to the essential characteristics for that product

Defines the performance requirements for the plywood glueline. There are three classifications as follows,

EN 314-2 Class 1 – Dry Conditions, internal with no risk of wetting

EN 314-2 Class 2 – Humid conditions. Plywood may be used externally in protected applications e.g. behind cladding or under roof coverings provided is covered up or treated. Will only resist exposure to weather for a short time if left unprotected

EN 314-2 Class 3 – Exterior conditions. Suitable for use in fully exposed conditions. Note, a waterproof glueline does not suggest that plywood may be left fully exposed without further treatment. Plywood may be composed of a naturally durable veneer species or alternatively it may require surface coating and edge sealing with oil-based paint to achieve the required level of durability.

Relates to the end use service class and is broken down into three parts as follows,

EN 636-1 Plywood suitable for use in internal conditions. 

EN 636-2 Plywood suitable for use in Humid conditions. Can be used externally in protected applications e.g. behind cladding or under roof coverings provided is covered up or treated. Will only resist exposure to weather for a short time if left unprotected

EN 636-3 Plywood suitable for use in fully exposed conditions.  The plywood may have naturally durable veneer species or alternatively it may require surface coating and edge sealing with oil-based paint to achieve the required level of durability.

A reference to EN 636 followed by the letter “S” e.g. EN 636-2S, denotes a panel suitable for structural use and the letters “NS” indicate a general-purpose panel for use in non-structural applications.

The harmonised European Standard that defines the performance characteristics required for wood-based panels for use in construction Characteristics, evaluation of conformity and marking.

The European Timber Regulation came into force on 3rd March 2013 and the regulation places an obligation on operators, those placing timber and timber products onto the EU market for the first time, to exercise due diligence to mitigate the risk that timber has been illegally harvested.

 M.S. Timber Ltd have been signatories to the UK Timber Trade Federation’s (TTF) Responsible Purchasing Policy (RPP) since 2011. The RPP is an off the shelf tool enabling TTF members to meet their due diligence obligations.

 Our due diligence procedures are audited annually by an independent 3^rd party.

is used in glue manufacture and exposure to high levels of formaldehyde emissions may be detrimental to health. The release of formaldehyde from plywood is broken down into two classifications as follows,

E1 – Safe for use indoors & E2 – Suitable for use outdoors only.

Irish Agrément Board (now operates as part of NSAI -National Standards Authority of Ireland).

Forest Stewardship Council - an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. M.S. Timber currently have FSC® Chain of Custody (COC) certification.

Mixed Light Hardwoods, a term often used in connection with Far Eastern plywood.

Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme – a voluntary national scheme, the MTCS provides for the independent assessment of forest management practices and audit of timber product manufacturers and exporters to ascertain that the timber products manufactured or exported are sourced from sustainably manged forests. The MTCS is endorsed by PEFC.

The Peninsular Malaysia Timber Legality Assurance Scheme (TLAS). MYTLAS incorporates all the relevant legislation throughout the supply chain from the forest to the export point to assure legality of timber exports

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification - An international non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management. M.S. Timber currently have PEFC Chain of Custody (COC) certification.

The Service class is determined by the relative humidity and hence the moisture content of the panel. EN 13986 lists which panel types are suitable for a particular service class. The three Service classes are often referred to as 'Dry', 'Humid' & 'Exterior'. 

A Service class 2 application for example, requires a panel suitable for humid conditions. Panels may be used in a higher Service class appropriate to their type, but only when premature failure or degradation would not be dangerous and only when a reduced service life is acceptable.

Consideration should also be given to Use classes (details below) which determine whether a preservative treatment or other protective measures are needed to achieve the required service life. An EN 636-3 plywood for example, is suitable for Service class 3 (exposure to periods of wetting) but unless stipulated otherwise will require a suitable treatment for a Use class 3 application (exterior, out of ground contact).

The Use class determines whether a panel requires preservative treatment or other protective measures to achieve the desired service life. 

Use classes are defined in EN 335 Durability of wood & wood-based products. Five Use classes are defined, for construction purposes, Use classes 1 to 3 are the most important,

Use class 1 - Under cover, fully protected from weather and not exposed to wetting.

Use class 2 - Under cover and fully protected from the weather but where high environmental humidity can lead to occasional but not persistent wetting.

Use class 3 - Not covered and not in contact with the ground. Either continually exposed to the weather or protected from the weather but subject to frequent wetting.

Use class 4 - In contact with the ground or fresh water and thus permanently exposed to wetting.

Use class 5 - Permanently exposed to salt water.

NOTE: 9.2 of EN 636:2012+A1:2015 Plywood - Specification, Requirements for plywood for use in exterior conditions (Use class 3), Biologocal durability, reads, the performance of most plywood will be compromised if suitable preservative treatment and/or relevant surface and edges coating is not applied and if the panels are not properly maintained and installed.

In summary, unless stipulated otherwise, it is necessary in all instances to ensure that any exterior grade panels being used in exterior applications (Use class 3) are fully coated with a suitable treatment prior to installation, on both faces and all edges, including those edges cut on site.  

Weather and Boil Proof - Relates to the withdrawn standard BS 6566, part 8. The term "WBP" is obsolete and is not recognised under CE regulations. We strongly advise against referring to plywood as "WBP". Use of this term may raise certain expectations about a panel's performance and nowadays only the most expensive panels will perform equally as well as the old "WBP" plywood.