Frequently Asked Questions

Per 2021 International Building Code (IBC) nearly every type of cladding used on commercial and multifamily buildings needs to be attached through any form of sheathing and back to the studs directly. This includes fire-retardant-treated wood (FRTW) sheets, gypsum panels, and other forms of sheathing. While Innovation MgO panels provide structural strength to exterior walls and light claddings attach well to the sheathing itself, code requires attachment through the panels and directly to the studs. Claddings may be attached directly to Innovation MgO according to test reports provided by manufacturers that demonstrate code compliance.

Portland Cement Panels:

• Innovation MgO provides similar fire resistance to Portland cement panels.
• Innovation MgO offers greater flexural strength and higher resistance to fastener withdrawal.
• Innovation MgO panels exceed Portland cement panels in key areas including compressive strength, tensile strength, and high resistance to shear, impact, and bending forces.
• The manufacturing process for Portland cement panels requires high energy usage, whereas Innovation MgO requires much lower energy usage.

Exterior Gypsum: 

• Innovation MgO provides similar fire resistance to exterior 1/2″ gypsum panels.
• Innovation MgO provides greater impact and water resistance.
• Innovation MgO absorbs water in a similar capacity to gypsum-based panels at around 10% (M%).
• Installing exterior gypsum panels requires specialized tools and methods, whereas installing Innovation MgO panels does not. Installation uses the same tools and methods as the installation of wood-based panels.

Fiberglass Mat Gypsum:

• Innovation MgO 1/2″ Wall Panels provide structural support to exterior walls where fiberglass mat gypsum does not.
• Fiberglass mat gypsum panels will deteriorate in normal weather conditions and freeze/thaw cycles during construction.
• Innovation MgO 1/2″ Wall Panels offer independent 1 & 2-hour fire ratings in a single panel with no additional treatment provided – such as joint tapes or sealants. Fiberglass mat gypsum products may require multiple panels, tapes, sealants, and other treatments to obtain these fire ratings. Innovation MgO panels save time, labor, and material costs on the jobsite by not requiring additional labor and materials to meet these fire ratings.

Fire-Retardant-Treated Wood (FRTW) Sheets:

• Unlike combustible FRTW sheets, Innovation MgO panels will char, not burn, and will absorb large amounts of heat, contributing to a delay in fire and smoke spread.
• Fire performance is superior to FRTW sheets. Innovation MgO panels achieved no flame spread and very low smoke development in ASTM E84 testing at 1,200°C in 10- and 30-minute extended testing.
• Wood-based products are prone to fungal growth when exposed to moisture and water. Innovation MgO panels are inherently resistant to fungal growth.
• Wood-based products are prone to damage from insects and termites. Innovation MgO panels are inherently resistant to insects and termites.
• Innovation MgO is dimensionally stable when exposed to moisture, unlike wood-based products that will swell, warp, and deteriorate in the presence of various types of water.
• FRTW sheets are also combustible, whereas Innovation MgO panels are classified as class A1 noncombustible per ASTM E136 and 2021 International Building Code (IBC).
• Innovation MgO panels provide a similar structural strength – such as fastener pull out strength – to OSB, but are less structurally strong than plywood.
• Wood-based panels generally absorb water in excess of 20% (M%), which can lead them to need up to 25 days to fully dry out on a jobsite. In contrast, Innovation MgO panels and gypsum panels dry in about 4 days.
• Wood-based products can show up to a job site with waves and imperfections and swell and bend due to moisture. Innovation MgO panels will not swell, delaminate, warp, or bend in the presence of moisture or water in normal use conditions. Installers can rest easy knowing that panels will remain dimensionally stable and mechanically strong during wetting-drying and freeze-thaw cycles.

Poured Gypsum Underlayment:

• Poured gypsum underlayment installation is messy, cannot be installed in wet weather, and takes valuable time to cure before laborers can get back to work walking on it. In stark contrast, Innovation MgO Subfloor Panels can be installed in all weather conditions with laborers walking directly on panels as soon as they’re installed, saving valuable time on the project.

Wetting-Drying Performance:

• Unlike wood and gypsum-based products, Innovation MgO panels hold up very well in cycles of wetting/drying and cold/hot until the time that they need to be covered by a WRB or cladding (~90 days).
• In 25 cycles of wetting-drying testing, Innovation MgO panels experienced a negligible change in their flexural strength compared to OSB (40%), plywood (9%), and gypsum (36 – 52%) panels.

Innovation MgO uses a magnesium oxychloride (MOC) formula, which is the most widely evaluated, tested, and used type of magnesia cement panel product in the U.S. Of the two primary types of MgO panels used in today’s construction industry, MOC-based panels like Innovation MgO outperform magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) panels in most, but not all, performance criteria.

Other Magnesium Oxychloride (MOC) MgO Panels

• Innovation MgO uses a magnesium oxychloride (MOC) formula, which is the most widely evaluated, tested, and used type of magnesia cement panel product in the U.S. Of the two primary types of MgO panels used in today’s construction industry, MOC-based panels like Innovation MgO outperform MOS panels in most, but not all, performance criteria. One that matters the most is how the panels hold up during, and after, the construction process. MOC panels are more durable than MOS panels well they maintain their shape and form when in contact with moisture and water), which has been observed to be less than fiber cement, plywood, and OSB panels.
• Innovation MgO panels are comprised of a proprietary high-density MOC cement formula that provides stronger structural strength and fire-resistance than other MOC panels, enabling Innovation MgO panels to meet code requirements for use in Type I, II, and III commercial and multifamily buildings.

Magnesium Oxysulfate (MOS) MgO Panels

• Innovation MgO panels offer comparable fire resistance and higher structural strength and durability than MOS panels.
• A performance factor that matters the most is how the panels hold up during, and after, the construction process. MOC panels are more durable than MOS panels and will maintain their shape and form better and longer when in contact with moisture and water.

For the highest performance in structural strength, an 8” fastening pattern on 16” on-center studs is used. However, for projects that do not require that level of structural support, Innovation MgO panels can be used on 24” on-center studs and with a reduced fastening pattern of 12”, 18”, or even 24”.

Innovation MgO panels are primarily made of inorganic materials and contain only trace silicas, no formaldehyde, and off gas no VOCs, making them safe to cut and work with in a factory or on a job site. No specialized PPE is required for cutting or installing Innovation MgO panels. Consult our Installation Manual for more information.

Corrosion of metal fasteners caused by MgO panels is an old issue that continues to receive attention despite overwhelming evidence and testing of it being a very low risk in most projects and applications. Despite that, US MgO Company and our partners have spent years working with the industry to establish corrosion testing standards for all manufacturers to follow worldwide.

US MgO Company and Innovation MgO have never experienced corrosion issues like the ones that have occurred with competitor panels in the past. In those situations, poor quality product was used in improper building applications using poor installation practices. Most building products will fail given those conditions.