• Construction
• Portable buildings
• Roofing and flooring
• Joinery
• Vehicle body building
• Boat/yacht building

• BS EN 313 – Plywood classification & terminology.
• BS EN 314 – Plywood bonding quality.
• BS EN 635 – Plywood classification by surface appearance.
• BS EN 636 – Plywood specification.

Specifying plywood for use in exterior conditions

EN 636-3 specifies the requirements for plywood for use in external applications as defined in Use Class 3, where the moisture content will frequently be above 20%.

Use Class 3 is defined fully in EN 335:2013 but essentially it outlines situations in which wood or wood-based product is above ground and exposed to the weather (particularly rain). Attack by disfiguring fungi and wood destroying fungi is possible as well as attack by wood boring insects, including termites.

Essential elements of plywood for EN 636–3

Bonding quality – The bonding quality of the plywood needs to comply with the requirements of Bonding Class 3 of EN 314-2.

Biological durability – Plywood shall be appropriate for the prevailing climatic conditions. It is therefore important to assess whether the durability of the plywood to be used is sufficient and if not, consider another solution such as design or preservative treatment. Guidance on factors affecting durability can be found in CEN/TS 1099. When specifying plywood for Use Class 3, appropriate surface and edge coating should also be considered.

h Performance Plywood® is imported from Indonesia and is FLEGT Licensed. Following the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s implementation of a robust timber legality assurance system (SVLK), the country has fully complied with the legality requirements set out by the European Union. As such, Indonesia is the first country to offer FLEGT Licensed timber products which are fully compliant with UKTR requirements.

In addition to this attestation to legality, the timber in h Performance Plywood® is sourced from FSC® forest management units. On visiting the mill, Hanson Plywood staff came into the knowledge that the mill incorporates a robust reforestation scheme into their forest management, sustaining the forest for future generations.