FAQ

3
Does Columbia make marine grade plywood?
Marine grade plywood is a designation of the American Plywood Association covered in their product standard PS-1-95. Our
industry does not produce this product under that proprietary designation, although the term is sometimes used generically to
describe our panels made with waterproof glue.
Where is your PureBond plywood made?
All of the core for our veneer core PureBond Formaldehyde-Free Hardwood Plywood is made from responsibly harvested North
American trees and is manufactured at our plants in the US and Canada.
Panel Construction
Can I get PureBond® Hardwood Plywood with an NAUF MDF or Particleboard core?
Yes. Most major composite panel manufactures now offer no added urea-formaldehyde (NAUF) options. When Columbia
laminates hardwood veneers to these NAUF substrates with proprietary, soy-based PureBond® assembly technology the result
is a panel that emits at or below de minimis” levels of formaldehyde and consequently carries the PureBond® label. The panels
described are compliant with LEED EQ 4.4.
It should be noted that NAUF panels are a small, but growing, subset of the total production of a given MDF or particleboard
mill. Particleboard and MDF bonded with urea formaldehyde resins remain as the standard commodity offering in the
marketplace even as emissions have been reduced and standards tightened with composite panel industry response to CARB.
We have found, however, that using most UF MDF or particleboard core with decorative face and back veneers applied using
our soy adhesive, that the resulting formaldehyde emissions are significantly suppressed. Just remember if the project calls for
NAUF composite cores this specification must be communicated during the bid stage and at time of order.
What is in the adhesive in PureBond® Hardwood Plywood?
Columbia’s PureBond technology uses a formaldehyde-free adhesive derived from food-grade soy flour and a wet strength resin
used in printed currency and milk cartons. There is absolutely no added urea-formaldehyde in the adhesive or the components.
What is Phenolic Glue?
Phenolic glue is one of the formaldehyde based family of adhesives commonly used in the production of pressed wood
products. It is primarily used as the glue in structural softwood plywood panels such as CDX. Phenol formaldehyde glues are
actually more efficient in binding the formaldehyde molecules in the cured form, and thus emit formaldehyde at a significantly
lower level than urea formaldehyde glues. They are generally darker in color than urea-formaldehyde resins, and thus may
change the aesthetic of decorative panel products.
What is PVA glue?
PVAs (Polyvinyl acetates) are the common white or yellow carpenter glues on the market. PVA has no added formaldehyde,
but because it forms a thermo plastic bond rather than a rigid thermo set bond, is not considered as strong or water resistant as
PureBond technology.