Stockists of Norbord’s popular Caberdek particleboard flooring boards can now offer the product as part of a complete flooring system incorporating a specially-formulated adhesive called Sealfast.

Caberdek P5 is a moisture-resistant tongue-and-groove flooring board faced with a non-slip protective plastic film to provide a safe working surface and protect the board from moisture and marking during construction. The film is simply peeled off when the following trades have been completed, leaving a clean surface ready to accept the floor finish.

Last year, Norbord launched Sealfast, a special high-strength polyurethane (PU) adhesive developed specifically for use with Caberdek. The gun-applied adhesive is used both for jointing the boards and for fixing them to the supporting joists, replacing the current common practice of jointing the boards with PVA glue and fixing them to the joists with nails or screws.

Because Sealfast is waterproof, there is no need to apply a protective tape to prevent moisture penetrating the joint. And, because is it strong and cures in just 45 minutes, each board needs only three nails or screws (compared with the traditional 12) to hold it against the joist while the adhesive sets.

Caberdek Sealfast was developed in collaboration with companies specialising in off-site timber frame manufacture and was launched last year to the off-site sector.

Now, the adhesive has been improved and re-packaged and is being made available to contractors and housebuilders for on-site use.

Norbord has reformulated Sealfast with the addition of a natural rubber compound to give the cured adhesive flexibility to accommodate moderate structural movements. Most PU adhesives are brittle when set and can crack under stress. The addition of the rubber compound gives Sealfast excellent resistance to movement and creep and also enhances its sound-absorbing properties.

Originally supplied in 600 ml ‘sausages’, Sealfast is now supplied in 310 ml cartridges designed to fit any standard skeleton gun. This makes the material convenient and easy for on-site usage.

Sealfast’s rapid cure and moisture resistance massively reduces the inconvenience of on-site use, says Mike Buick, national brand manager for Norbord: “Sealfast takes up atmospheric moisture when it cures and is completely waterproof – you can even use it in the pouring rain. Once the floor has been installed, it can be left exposed to the elements for up to 42 days without risk of damage or deterioration” says Mike.

“Judging by the response from users so far, Caberdek Sealfast will prove a great success with contractors and housebuilders” continues Mike. “It has significant advantages for merchants too because instead of individual products, they can now offer a complete system comprising two boxes of Sealfast, with 12 tubes per box, for every pack of 22 mm Caberdek boards. It gives them two complementary products and adds value to their bottom line”

Norbord is embarking on a major campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of Caberdek Sealfast among contractors. “Timber frame manufacturers have been reaping the benefits of Caberdek Sealfast for almost a year, and now we’re getting the message out to contractors and housebuilders that they can enjoy the same benefits too” adds Mike.