Question: What is APA Series [or APA Custom Product]?

Answer: APA no longer uses the term "APA Series." The term is replaced with "APA Custom Product."

The purpose of APA’s Custom Product program is to provide trademark options for products that may fall outside of existing product standards. To gain an APA Custom Product trademark, a technical evaluation is performed on a product for its intended end use. This program is an efficient way to recognize customized products intended for specific customers.

APA Custom Product trademarks are issued for products meeting one of the following conditions:

1) Products that conform to a standard, such as PS 1-95 or PRP-108, but for marketing purposes, the manufacturer wishes to promote the product under a specific trade name or identification.

2) Products that would conform to a standard upon final promulgation of proposed revisions to that standard.

3) Products that are not necessarily manufactured to a recognized standard, but are designated for use in specific applications.

In addition to unique proprietary custom products produced by individual APA members, other custom products are produced to APA specifications and fall into general commodity classes. Examples are manufactured housing panels, stair tread panels, plywood panels suitable for pressure-preservative treating and plywood panels intended for marine applications.

MANUFACTURED HOUSING PANELS

Custom Product panels intended for use as roof sheathing for manufactured homes are identified V- or N-216-R and V- or N-224-R. The letters “V” and “N” identify panel composition. “V” identifies panels produced entirely from veneers (plywood), while “N” designates mat-formed (OSB) panels and “R” indicates that the panel is primarily intended for roof sheathing applications. The numbers 216 and 224 infer the maximum rated span for manufactured housing roof applications. Other ratings could be 220, 232 and even 248 (e.g., the maximum span of a 220 panel would be 20 inches). Other APA Custom Products for manufactured homes are V- or N-216-F, and V-or N-C224-F. These panels may be used as single-layer floor sheathing. As with roof sheathing panels, 216 and 224 infer the maximum rated span for manufactured housing floor applications.

For additional details on manufactured housing applications, refer to APA Technical Note: APA Rated Sturd-I-Floor in Manufactured Housing, Form F415, and Technical Note: APA Rated Sheathing Panels in Manufactured Housing, Form J405. For recommended specifications for manufactured homes, reference Specification Guide - Recommended Specifications for Manufactured Home Walls, Form W630; Specification Guide - Recommended Specifications for Manufactured Home Floors, Form W631; and Specification Guide - Recommended Specifications for Manufactured Home Roofs, Form W632.

PRESERVATIVE TREATED PLYWOOD

Custom Product panels intended for pressure preservative treating are identified V600 or V611. These may be used for ground contact or other applications subject to decay or insect predation when pressure-preservative-treated to relevant standards, such as those of the American Wood Preservers Association (AWPA). V600 panels meet Exposure 1 glue bond classification. V611 panels meet the Exterior classification. For detailed information on pressure-preservative-treated plywood, refer to Preservative-Treated Plywood, Form Q220.

MARINER PLYWOOD

Another APA Custom Product, V-281, is Mariner Plywood. Mariner Plywood is a high-grade, high-performance, hybrid Exterior grade plywood panel manufactured in accordance with an APA developed Custom Product Specification. Mariner Plywood meets the same face and back grade, and Exterior bond durability requirements of Marine grade plywood under U.S. Product Standard PS 1; however, Mariner Plywood may be manufactured to slightly less stringent inner ply requirements and may be manufactured with Douglas-fir, western larch or Group 1 southern pine.

Mariner Plywood is not a PS 1 designated grade; however, it meets all of the requirements of PS 1 for one of the following: A-A, A-B, B-B, Medium Density Overlay (MDO) or High Density Overlay (HDO).

Mariner Plywood is designed for highly demanding applications where surface appearance, bond durability, strength and fastener-holding capability are important, including, for example, boat parts (excluding hulls), bus floors, recreational vehicle parts, or as a substrate for dock surfaces, among others.

As with Marine grade and other PS 1 plywood grades, Mariner Plywood is not decay resistant, but can be preservative-treated as a secondary process.

STAIR TREAD PANELS

APA Custom Product stair tread panels may be produced as plywood or OSB. The APA Custom Product trademark for stair tread panels is unique to each company, including individual Custom Product numbers such as N-1xx or V-1xx.

APA Custom Product stair tread panels must meet concentrated and uniform load criteria at a clear span of 45 inches. Load criteria are based on minimum requirements of building codes and ASCE 7.

APA Rated Sturd-I-Floor panels may additionally qualify as APA Custom Product stair tread as an add-on after meeting additional stair tread requirements; however, stair-tread trademarks are not required for APA Rated Sturd-I-Floor panels used as stair tread for clear spans up to 42 inches.