Shopfitting challenges met by West Fraser’s panel products

Shopfitting plays a vital role in keeping the retail sector competitive. Achieving fresh, high quality environments, often against a deadline, is of paramount importance, so premium grade products and a precision finish are essential. These are challenges that West Fraser’s CaberWood MDFSterlingOSB Zero and CaberFloor ranges are designed to meet, whether it is building displays, counters, boxing in, flooring or creating wall partitions.

Loss of trade due to disruption, or even the need to close, during refurbishment are major concerns for retailers. For this reason, the panel products offered by West Fraser include a wide diversity of grades to suit commercial applications where timing and quality are primary factors.

CaberWood MDF is engineered with consistent density for multiple uses throughout the shopfitting industry. Offering stability and consistent density, the panels can be sawn, drilled, shaped and routed cleanly and easily. The smooth surface finishes are ideal for painting or the application of foils and veneers.

CaberWood MDF Trade is a versatile, lightweight board, while CaberWood MDF Trade MR has the added advantage of moisture resistance.

Where there is a need for premium quality and detailed working, CaberWood MDF Pro and CaberWood MDF Pro MR provide incredibly consistent density, ensuring cutting and routing need minimal finishing and also offer the option of moisture resistance.

The ultimate product is CaberWood MDF Industrial. Moisture resistant and designed specifically for the production of high-grade fittings, it is ideal for deep routing. Its consistent close-grained texture ensures clean edges and surfaces that will take advanced finishing techniques.

Complementing CaberWood MDF, West Frasers SterlingOSB Zero is ideal for structural applications as it is stronger and tougher than ply, with no knots, voids or de-lamination. The tongue and groove profile of SterlingOSBZero T&G reduces movement between panels. SterlingOSB Zero is the first OSB product to be made in the UK with zero added formaldehyde, so it is a ‘greener’ board that meets all standards with ease.

SterlingOSB Zero has aesthetic applications too. While it can be finished with most popular surface treatments, if left exposed, it has the advantage that it gives spaces a more natural look. Due to its raw visual appeal, designers and architects are increasingly employing the material as a creative showcase.

Where flooring is required, CaberFloor is versatile, stable, durable and easy to lay, suiting all applications. CaberFloor P5 is the most specified moisture-resistant P5 flooring. Providing an excellent surface for subsequent floor laying operations, the high-strength wood particleboard is available in tongue and groove or square-edged profiles. With all the inherent benefits of CaberFloor P5, the range also includes CaberShieldPlus and CaberDek. Respectively, these products offer a permanent waterproof coating on both sides or a tough, waterproof and slip-resistant peelable film that, when removed, leaves a clean, finished floor. They are backed by CaberFix, a specially developed range of powerful sealing and fixing systems.

All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK are net carbon negative and manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation. Responsibly sourced, the panels are FSC certified and created from locally grown timber, cutting embodied carbon from transportation. SterlingOSB Zero is also the first OSB product to be made in the UK with zero added formaldehyde, so it is an even greener board that meets all standards with ease.

Free samples of panel products may be requested from West Fraser while support is available through dedicated advice teams.