As increasingly more building products are imported into the New Zealand market, it becomes critical to know where a specified product comes from, what it consists of, and that it is fit for purpose. In New Zealand, BRANZ appraisals provide peace of mind for specifiers, builders and end users alike.

BRANZ is an independent and impartial research, testing, consulting and information company providing services and resources for the building industry. With BRANZ appraisals, specifiers can be certain that a product has performed against rigorous testing and has been appraised for use in situations particular to the New Zealand environment. Trade Essentials Strandfloor, from Laminex New Zealand, is a BRANZ appraised product for residential and commercial interior floor platforms.

Made up of strands of pinus radiata layered to form a high density reconstituted wood panel, the strands of Trade Essentials Strandfloor are bonded with moisture resistant resin and wax into a 20mm thick panel either with a square edge profile, or a tongue and groove profile with a polypropylene tongue providing the required shear strength to eliminate the need for solid timber nogs on the long edge. Both Strandfloor profiles are available H3.1 treated for use in wet areas. Each individual strand of Strandfloor is treated prior to bonding, resulting in a full penetration treatment, removing the requirement for retreating cut edges during the installation process.

Declared as 'Red List Free' in the Declare database, Strandfloor is suitable for Living Building Challenge projects and others where product ingredient transparency is important. Made from renewable pine forests and manufactured using pMDi resin, Strandfloor produces exceptionally low formaldehyde emissions (E0) and contributes to both Green Star (MAT-3, MAT-4, MAT-6) and Homestar (MAT-1, MAT-2) credits.

Laminex New Zealand has achieved Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody (CoC) certification for all local manufacturing plants, along with the entire supply chain.

This means that all certified wood products from these certified plants, as well as some other certified CoC manufacturers, can be traced, from processing to distribution, and are produced using ethically sourced wood fibres.

Manufactured in New Zealand, Strandfloor comes with the reassurance of a 50 year limited warranty. It meets the requirements of Clause B1 — Structure of the NZ Building Code (NZBC) for sheet flooring. Supported by an expert technical team, when stored, handled, installed and maintained in accordance with the Strandfloor Technical Manual that is current at the time of installation, Strandfloor will meet the durability requirements of the New Zealand Building Code (NZBC) B2.3.1(a) and has a serviceable life of at least 50 years.

Strandfloor is suitable for the following applications:

• Pre-laid or post-laid flooring over timber and engineered beams or steel joists in single or double layer applications
• Overlay to concrete or wooden floors
• Floor diaphragms for wind and earthquake loads
• General staircase construction
• Industrial shelving and packaging