Panel Perspectives: Edge Sealant | 55


ESP GIVES PLYWOOD THE EDGE


WBPI talks to Phil McCormack at Nicks Timber in the UK about the development of ESP, an edge sealant for panel products


WBPI: WHAT IS ESP AND WHAT LED TO ITS DEVELOPMENT? Phil McCormack: If you go back 20 years the UK imported very little sheet material from China, with nearly all plywood imports coming from Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil to a grade and standard that had been established over many years. Exterior plywoods were sold to a WBP grade that worked, with sheets being able to be put out in the weather without protection that would not delaminate and still give a longevity of service.


When China entered the market, as with many products from that part of the world, the plywood may look the same, but the manufacturing methodology and the controls put on that process to maintain an acceptable constant standard of end product just didn’t exist. Now, with more than 2,000 factories, China produces the majority of the world’s needs for this product sector.


Suppliers, mainly the merchant sector,


started to have problems of delamination due to the failure of the glue line and


core gaps – small air pockets, which allows water to get into the board and cause delamination. Market forces, (some Chinese plywood is a lot cheaper), committed the industry to find a solution and for over a decade the advice has been “you must now seal the edges to get performance on exterior grades”. The problem was, there wasn’t a product on the market that could be recommended to achieve this, so when asked “with what?”, the usual retort is old paint, varnish, PVA glue – none of which offer a very satisfactory solution.


Above: ESP offers edge sealant protection for panels www.wbpionline.com | April/May 2023 | WBPI


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