Page 134 - CFA_SG25

other allied products have acknowledged and General commercial plywood - Most panels do not
welcomed this addition to BS 8203 standard. carry third party verification.
Plywood which is BS 8203 compliant is naturally Floor fitting training schools
demonstrated at most floor-fitting training schools SP101 - Most UK training schools use SP101® in
throughout the UK. their classes in order to promote best practice to
students.
SP101 in comparison to General Commercial General commercial plywood - Training schools
Plywood BS 8203:2017 and CFA Guidance are reluctant to use any panels that do not meet
SP101 - SP101® is certified compliant with both industry requirements and are not guaranteed fit
General commercial plywood - Most panels are for purpose.
not manufactured with any regard to this standard.
Veneer Glue bond SP101 Flooring Plywood® - Environment and
SP101 – BS EN 314 Class 3 Exterior fully tested sustainability
and reliable The UK timber industry has comprehensive
General commercial plywood - Supposedly BS systems in place to ensure legality and
EN 314 Class 2 minimum, but not always tested. sustainability of timber products. Products have to
Glue lines are known to consistently fail in flooring be technically sound and fit-for-purpose and have
applications. to comply with all relevant environmental criteria.
Moisture content The timber in SP101 Flooring Plywood is
SP101 - Very accurate and precise drying in sourced from Indonesia a country comprised
HANSON PLYWOOD manufacture resulting in a fully stable and of well over 13,000 islands with over 91 million
hectares of forest cover.
SP101 conditioned panel. Indonesia is the first country in the world to
General commercial plywood – Can vary in some
SP101 Flooring Plywood was developed and panels resulting in distortion. Poor drying can complete the process of a voluntary partnership
agreement (VPA) with the European Union (EU),
presented specifically for the flooring industry cause mould growth on the surface of boards legally obligating the country to implement a
back in 2012 to solve the many issues arising from Thickness of face and back veneers licensing scheme to regulate trade in timber and
the use of general commercial plywood. SP101 - Minimum 0.75mm for maximum timber products.
The product has now been around for 13 years performance. Works well with all glues and resins Currently, this means all timber exported from
and continues to offer unrivalled technical and and has been tested and approved by most Indonesia has to be fully traceable and certified
environmental assurances. It has revolutionised manufacturers. under Indonesia’s countrywide timber legality
the industry’s understanding of plywood and General commercial plywood - Can be as low as assurance scheme, SVLK. SVLK (Sistem Verifi
it provides the benchmark for fit-for-purpose 0.12mm and are readily permeable to moisture kasi Legalitas Kayu) was developed through
plywood in built-up subfloors. and glue. These thin veneers also telegraph the multi-stakeholder consultations and, by process
The introduction of SP101 led to the inclusion inferior core quality onto the faces. of further modification, became a nation-wide
of a plywood specification which is now an annex Core veneer quality scheme which now offers market incentives for
of BS 8203. This pioneering work now provides SP101 - No core overlap or gaps therefore creating legal compliance (timber cannot be exported
the clarity that was missing for plywood being a high-quality surface finish. without supplying evidence that it complies with
134 used in flooring applications. General commercial plywood - Core overlaps and SVLK).
The ever-expanding use of resilient floor gaps are common in most plywoods and result in Alongside this, the Indonesian Ministry of
coverings such as LVT has emphasised the poor surface quality and thickness variation. Environment & Forestry has developed an online
need for a much higher quality plywood than the Flatness and stability system (SIPUHH Online) which tracks logs all the
general-purpose panels which have commonly SP101 - Superior construction ensures SP101® is way back to the concession using a QR barcode-
been used in flooring applications. much more reliable and stable. scanning system.
To achieve a fully compliant and reliable General commercial plywood - Boards can be SVLK is now the first timber legality assurance
installation, a plywood panel needs to be carefully distorted due to manufacturing processes. scheme to be recognised by the UK Timber
engineered to meet the specific demands Regulation (UKTR) as a framework that assures
required. Thickness and dimensional tolerances the legality of timber sourced in Indonesia.
Following extensive technical consultation with SP101 - Very tightly controlled to ensure optimum All timber products certified under SVLK
relevant bodies, Hanson Plywood have developed performance. and exported from Indonesia are now FLEGT
a product which provides the industry with a fit- General commercial plywood - Can vary licenced as of November 2016. A FLEGT licence
for-purpose and guaranteed plywood panel. considerably in some panels creating further is currently the only licence that ensures full,
Manufactured to flooring industry standards surface preparation attention. verifiable compliance with the EU Timber
as defined by BS 8203:2017- Plywood Annex Ease of working Regulation.
A, SP101 flooring plywood is a fully reliable SP101 - Can be worked very easily, and will usually SP101 Flooring Plywood was the first flooring
component for use in the subfloor base cut with a fitters knife. plywood to be imported into the UK with a FLEGT
construction for all floorcoverings. General commercial plywood - Can be difficult to licence. SP101 Flooring Plywood is constructed
The supply and quality of general commercial work and may be unstable. with environmental sustainability at its core. Every
hardwood plywood continues to be compromised TFT Woodexperts Diamond Mark Certified sheet is comprised of legally verifiable timber from
by the acute short supply of legal and sustainable SP101 - Every technical detail is tested and well-managed forests.
high-quality hardwood logs. Plywood is an integral certified by TFT Woodexperts to guarantee
component of the subfloor and its ability to performance. www.hanson-plywood.co.uk
perform is of paramount importance.
SP101 flooring plywood is developed
specifically for the flooring industry and is
manufactured with an acute attention to detail
which underpins its performance and reliability.
Strictly controlled and monitored production
processes guarantee that SP101 provides the
ultimate assurance for flooring applications.
Hanson Plywood were pleased to be involved
in the technical consultation process initiated by
the CFA which enabled the inclusion of a plywood
specification reference within this standard.
This has been welcomed as a significant
development for the industry, as it now gives
manufacturers and installers a clear reference on
the specification of plywood that should be used
for a successful and reliable installation. Trained
fitters that are working to BS 8203 now need to
ensure they’re using the correct specification of
plywood. Sustainable design in interiors
Manufacturers of LVT, adhesives and all

CFA Guide to Sustainability 2025/26