Panel Discussion

Structural panels now come in almost as many flavors as ice cream. In fact, there seems to be a specialty panel system for nearly any situation a multifamily builder might confront. Depending on your location, investing a little more in one of these can save time and money, reduce liability, and even turn down the volume on resident complaints.

Some of these products aim to give residents an oasis of quiet. "As land becomes more expensive and less available, more development is taking place near airports, highways, railroad tracks, and other noisy areas," says Ron Kelly of Knight-Celotex, which makes soundproofing panels for use between apartments as well as on exterior walls. "We're trying to make people aware of the advantage of providing some sound-stopping protection in the initial building phase."

STRETCH PANEL: Windstorm OSB wall sheathing is long enough to reach from the top of the top plate to the bottom of the bottom plate in a single panel. There are no horizontal joints to block or filler strips to cut and install. In hurricane zones, this can reduce the number of metal straps the builder needs to install. And when installed with an engineer-approved nailing pattern, Windstorm satisfies uplift and shear requirements in areas with building codes for up to 140 mph winds.

Some panels are engineered to satisfy stricter building codes by beefing up the shear strength of sheathings in high-wind areas or adding racking strength to interior walls in seismic zones.

As builders look for ways to reduce cooling costs, radiant barrier panels are finally becoming mainstream for wood-framed projects in southern climates. Installed foil-side down over the roof rafters, they can lower attic temperatures by as much as 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Because less heat is transferred into the living space through the ceiling, the mechanical system can keep living spaces cooler with less work while lowering a property's utility bills.

And with skilled framing crews becoming harder to find everywhere, there's even a panel that shows workers where to cut and nail.

—Charles Wardell is a freelance writer in Vineyard Haven, Mass.

HARD CORE: Arboreal panels place a wood surface veneer over a light-gauge, recycled aluminum core. The core allows panels to be custom-manufactured in large sizes and precision-curved at the factory—plus they're lighter weight than wood panels. They can also be perforated in any acoustical pattern, in effect making high-performance wood acoustical panels practical for the first time.

BRACE YOURSELF: Multifamily buildings in seismic and wind zones often require interior shear walls to resist racking, and Sure Board has a higher shear value than plywood or OSB. The product consists of 22-gauge sheet metal laminated onto 1/8-inch-thick MDF. It's thin enough to be placed beneath standard drywall without being noticed and is available for wood or steel framing.

KEEP YOUR COOL: Manufactured with plywood backed by aluminum foil, Plytanium Thermostat Radiant Barrier Roof Sheathing reflects up to 97 percent of the sun's radiant heat. The company says radiant barriers can reduce cooling bills by as much as 20 percent, depending on building design, insulation levels, ventilation, thermostat setting, and geographic location.

MARKED IMPROVEMENT: By using the preprinted cutting and nailing lines on the face of the GRID, construction crews can nail faster and saw a straight or angle cut without measuring and snapping chalk lines. A simple-to-use guide for new laborers, the GRID improves workers' efficiency and accuracy. It's available in OSB and plywood, in a variety of thicknesses and grades.

BETTER NEIGHBORS: Made of 97 percent recycled or recovered wood or sugarcane fibers, SoundStop provides an affordable, earth-friendly solution where sound deadening is a priority. SoundStop panels are installed directly on the framing, then covered with a layer of drywall. They can achieve an STC rating of 42 or better (which means that loud speech in the next room becomes a murmur) at about one-third the cost of other products, the company says.

Hot Product of the Month

DINNER'S READY: The Sharp Insight Pro Microwave Drawer puts food where it's easy to check or stir. It slides open with a touch of the control panel and is especially helpful for seniors or disabled residents who use a microwave as their primary cooking appliance. It comes as a stand-alone or as a range package, which also includes a standard oven, and is available in black, white, or stainless steel finishes. At 30 inches wide, it can be installed in lieu of a standard base cabinet. The stand-alone unit