Workability and Other Facts about Thermax

Thermax non-combustible boards are flat and rectangular with a smooth and even surface. They contain no cement or other aggregates which could significantly affect the service life of tools and wood working machinery. Download PDF Thermax Handbook brochure (note file size is 25mg and will take several minutes to download.)

Thermax marine board products can be processed by normal joiner tools and woodworking machines (e.g., sawing, drilling, milling, sanding).

Cutting

Normal woodworking tools are sufficient. Jig saws should have hardened blades and circular saws tungsten carbide tipped blades. Vertical panel saws are unsuited for laminated boards.

Before processing finished boards, the "resting period" after bonding raw boards is 2-3 days.

Holes and cutouts in laminated panels should be cut with a radius of at least 5 mm.

Drilling

Normal power drills should be used. Screw holes should be over drilled in the laminate by at least 0.5 mm to allow movements due to changes in humidity and temperature. This avoids cracks originating from the drill hole. For quick installation a stepped drill bit is recommended. (see www.nema.org NEMA Publication ANSI/NEMA LD 3-2005 entitled Performance, Application, Fabrication, and Installation of High Pressure Decorative Laminates)

Fixing

Screws with a continuous thread are recommended. Screws should be of maximum length possible without penetrating the opposite face of the board. To prevent stripping, the thread screws should not be over-tightened. Other furniture fittings and architectural hardware are available from leading brand names such as Häfele.

Bonding

Thermax boards can be easily faced with decorative plastic laminates to give durable and maintenance free surfaces in a wide choice of colors, patterns and textures; other surface materials such as wood veneers, metal foils, tiles, etc. may be bonded to the boards as well. (pdf file Hand21_2.doc)

Thermax boards are sanded to close tolerances which make gluing easy.

Experience has shown that there are a few general rules concerning the use of adhesives. It is best to allow as little moisture as possible into the panel. Because Thermax boards are chemically neutral, in principle, no special adhesives are necessary. However, some authorities require glue with low flame spread characteristic. If it complies with the regulations, PVAc or Urea glues are acceptable for moderate climatic conditions. High quality gluing with Polyurethane, Epoxy or Resorcinol glues are recommended especially for more extreme conditions such as tropical or arctic climates.

Unlike many other marine boards, priming of the Thermax boards prior to bonding is not necessary.

Acoustic Performance

Thermax Marine Systems offer a range of solutions from 30 dB partitions to 43dB.

Durability

Thermax joiner panels provide a stable substrate for plastic laminate surfaces not affected by changes of temperature and humidity under normally accepted living conditions. High Pressure Laminates (HPL) have a high resistance against scratching and impact and accommodates all cleaning agents.

DO NOT - HPL surfaces, in general, should not be used in areas with a relative humidity below 30% or above 85%. The glue line integrity can fail, and/or cracks may result in the laminate because of shrinking stress in very dry conditions or expanding stress in high humidity conditions.

FACT - In case of a fire, Thermax and HPL’s generate no hydrochloric or similar corrosive gases which can cause severe damage, especially to electric systems and electronic equipment.

For further information on Thermax, use our online form or contact a sales specialist.