Thermo-ply offers much more than plywood, OSB board or waferboard sheathing without sacrificing strength or cost.
Because it nails tighter and may be lapped, Thermo-ply controls air infiltration better than plywood, cutting heating and cooling costs.
Thermo-ply has no toxicity and is not prone to termites.
Thermo-ply has a low (Class C) flame spread.
Thermo-ply offers supreme racking and shear strength to meet or exceed tough building codes even in seismic and high wind areas.
Thermo-ply is tough! Resists puncture, breakage and vandalism.
Thermo-ply has been tested extesively in all areas of installed performance by independent laboratories. Here are some of the findings.
Racking and Shear Strength
The strength of a sheathing material is commonly measured by racking resistance, which can be converted to shear strength. The chart shown below gives the allowable shear strength of Thermo-ply and plywood on 16" and 24" o.c. frame walls. These values show clearly why Thermo-ply is recognized for its super strength characteristics.
Allowable Shear Values
THERMO-PLY
PLYWOOD CC-CD STRUCTURAL
Grade¹
Allowable Shear² (lbs./lin.ft.)
Thickness
Allowable Shear³ (lbs./lin.ft.)
Sheathing Applied to Outside of Wood Frame Wall Alone
Structural (red) 16" o.c. studs
175-200
3/8"
220
Super Strength (red) 24" o.c. studs
190
15/32"
310
Sheathing on Outside with 1/2" Gypsum on Inside of Wood Frame Wall
Structural (red) 16" o.c. studs
285-300
3/8"
220
Super Strength (red) 24" o.c. studs
300
15/32"
310
NOTES: 1. Thermo-ply installed as recommended - Structural Grad (red) fastened 3" o.c. perimeter / 6" o.c. intermediate studs; Super Strenght Grade (blue) fastened 3" o.c. all studs. 2. From ICBO Research Report 1439. 3. From ICBO Uniform Building Code, 1985, Table 25 K-1; panels fastened 6" o.c. on edges.
