Magnesium oxide (MgO) panels are cement sheathing panels made from MgO-based cement, reinforcing materials like glass fiber, and other natural mineral additives, including perlite. MgO panels are used in residential and commercial building projects to replace traditional sheathing materials like gypsum, wood, and Portland cement. MgO panels often outperform these materials in fire resistance, water resistance, strength, durability, and fungal resistance.
Key characteristics of MgO panels include:
- Durability: MgO panels are hard and dense and can withstand bumps, scratches, and other damages that can occur during transportation or on a job site.
- Dimensional Stability: Compared to wood and gypsum-based panels, MgO panels better resist warping, swelling, delamination, and other forms of degradation when they encounter water, moisture, heat, and other weather and environmental elements.
- Non-Toxic Material: MgO panels do not contain toxic materials such as formaldehyde and contain only trace amounts of silica.
Key benefits of MgO panels include:
- Fire Resistance: MgO panels are naturally fire-resistant, making them an excellent option for Type I and II buildings requiring noncombustible or limited combustible materials. They also offer improved fire resistance compared to traditional materials for Type III, IV, and V homes and buildings.
- Water Resistance: MgO panels are water-resistant, enabling them to be fully exposed to wet/dry and freeze/thaw conditions during construction for up to six months before covering with an approved water-resistive barrier (WRB). This benefit provides project teams with added insurance against weather delays during construction.
- Structural Strength: MgO panels provide comparable structural strength to OSB and plywood panels while exceeding the structural strength of gypsum-based panels. For exterior walls, many light and mid-weight claddings can be directly attached to the structural MgO panel, saving time and reducing labor costs by avoiding direct attachment back to studs. For subfloors, a single Innovation MgO 3/4″ Subfloor Panel replaces multiple layers of other materials and provides similar performance at a reduced cost compared to Portland cement-based panels.
- Fungal Resistance: Unlike common drywall, MgO panels are fully resistant to fungal growth such as mold and mildew, making them a preferred option as a sheathing material for homes and buildings in humid, coastal, and wet environments. MgO panels are approved for use in many wet applications including bathrooms, kitchens, basements, breezeways, and stairwells.
- Safe and Easy to Use: MgO panels are safe to store, cut, and incorporate into interior applications. Despite their hard cementitious nature, MgO panels are not much heavier than traditional wood and gypsum panels and are cut, drilled, and fastened easily with standard tools.
US MgO provides Innovation MgOTM sheathing panels in 48” x 96” sheets with thicknesses including 1/4″ (6mm), 1/2″ (12mm), and 3/4″ (19mm). Panels are shipped via trucks and trailers on pallets weighing roughly 3,000 pounds each.
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