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Wood craftsmen require high-quality products to work with, but more and more, they also demand that these products are produced responsibly. To foster long-term environmental sustainability, Columbia Forest Products offers a line of environmentally certified decorative panels and veneered particleboard that carries the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) ecolabel and qualifies toward the US Green Building Council LEED Green Building System requirements. By choosing certified woods for cabinets, furniture, store fixtures, and other artisan uses, you and your clients support environmental practices without sacrificing the look you want. Redundant, Reliable Supply
Since 1998, Columbia has been certified by Smartwood to produce wood products bearing the FSC eco label. Today, Columbia has the largest certified panel manufacturing and sales organization in North America with eight manufacturing facilities and one international brokerage group certified under SmartWood group SW-COC-065. These plant locations give customers a redundant, reliable supply of certified products in most circumstances. However, Columbia's green product offering can be limited in certain locations. Columbia sales representatives can help determine the best plants to you're your sourcing needs.
Certified Plywood
Certified Wood panels Columbia manufactures percentage-based claim (70% minimum) hardwood plywood to ANSI HP-1-2000 standards using FSC-certified veneer, particleboard or MDF substrates. Aspen, poplar or western softwood cores (core species differs by plant location as each mill draws from a different wood basket.) FSC-certified core can be combined with a non-certified face and qualify as an assembled product with a required minimum 70% FSC content. In most cases a certified core assembled with non-certified faces will have a certified content in excess of 80% wood volume. A FSC-certified decorative face and back can be used for a 100% FSC certified panel. Also available: FSC-certified MDF and particleboard core hardwood plywood in finished thickness of ¼", ½" and ¾." Imported FSC certified plywood is also available from Columbia's international division.
Certified Decorative Veneers
Columbia manufactures and inventories rotary FSC-certified birch and maple hardwood veneers out of Presque Isle, ME in B, C, 1 and 2 face grades with natural and sap appearance options. These veneers can be internally sourced by any of our plywood mills. These plywood grades are excellent for fixtures, institutional furniture and case goods that are being specified in today's LEED™ projects.
Columbia can also source from certified third party vendors a selection of high-grade plain sliced Appalachian species for lamination to FSC-certified blanks including PS oak, maple and cherry. In addition a number of attractive, lesser-known tropical species from FSC certified forests in the Amazon. Certified and Post-Industrial Recycled (PIR) Raw Particleboard
Columbia manufactures two lines of FSC-certified particleboard. The first FSC product is M3 grade particleboard sold under the process claim with 17.5% FSC-certified fiber (17.5%FSC/50%PIR/32.5%PIR or virgin.) The second line of certified particleboard is M3 grade manufactured with 80% FSC wood content (80% FSC/20% PIR) for use in assembly of FSC-certified plywood under FSC assembled product guidelines.
No Added Formaldehyde Adhesive (NAF)
LEED compliant, FSC-certified plywood with NAF adhesive technology is available.
Low VOC UV Cured Finish Options
To compliment FSC certified and NAF construction, an extremely durable clear topcoat of low emission, UV-cured finish can be applied at our factory prior to shipping to improve wear characteristics, mitigate downstream finishing costs and reduce the introduction of VOCs to building interiors when compared with other traditional finishing techniques.
Specification Support
Columbia assists architects, designers, distributors fabricators and contractors with green product specification, sourcing and application. Columbia's national, primary contact for LEED is Paul Davis, SmartWood group certification manager in Portland, OR, 1-800-547-4261.
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Columbia FSC-Certified panels.
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