Huber Engineered Woods, the company behind Advantech Subfloor Assemblies and ZIP System Building Enclosures, has recently expanded its range of EXACOR Magnesium Oxide (MgO) panels to include wall sheathing, a significant addition to the firm’s fire-rated assembly1 products.
The MgO structural panels, which are now available for subfloor, subfloor underlayment, and wall applications, are intended for commercial and multifamily builders.
EXACOR wall sheathing panels are cementitious panels made mostly of inorganic elements and reinforced with layers of glass fiber mesh.
To ensure consistent product performance, they are manufactured under a quality control regime that includes ICC-ES and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) inspections.
The panels have the structural properties of wood sheathing and the fire resistance of gypsum panels.
Panels can be easily installed by framing teams who are familiar with installing OSB or plywood sheathing.
Furthermore, the panels provide a fire-resistant solution that may aid in reducing the number of layers required in Type III 2-hour fire-rated external wall assemblies.
Most typical gypsum-based exterior wall assemblies require two layers of Type X gypsum panels on either side of the wall assembly, or the addition of specified exterior siding materials, to achieve two hours of fire resistance.
The published 2-hour EXACOR MgO external wall assembly2 has a single layer of MgO on the outer side, reducing material and labor costs while maintaining fire protection and structural performance.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen how EXACOR panels in underlayment and subflooring assemblies are helping to meet the sound attenuation and fire-resistance rated needs of builders around the country, and we continue to learn from our trusted builder and architectural partners who align with the Huber philosophy of better building,” said Kate Land, General Manager, MgO Products at Huber Engineered Woods.
“As Huber’s first major offering in fire-rated exterior wall assemblies, EXACOR opens the door to industry-wide innovation for multifamily and light commercial builds to help save our partners time and money.”
