The panel includes a water resistant barrier layer secured atop its outward facing surface. The water resistant barrier layer includes a skid resistant surface. The panels are made of lignocellulosic material. The water resistant and skid resistant surface may include indicia for aligning strips of tape or for aligning fasteners. A method for manufacturing the water resistant building panels is also disclosed and includes the steps of feeding paper onto a forming belt, depositing lignocellulosic material and the binding agent onto the forming belt so as to form a lignocellulosic mat, applying heat and pressure so as to impart the skid resistant surface on the paper, and cutting panels to predetermined sizes.

The panel includes a water resistant barrier layer secured atop its outward facing surface. The water resistant barrier layer includes a skid resistant surface. The panels are made of lignocellulosic material. The water resistant and skid resistant surface may include indicia for aligning strips of tape or for aligning fasteners. A method for manufacturing the water resistant building panels is also disclosed and includes the steps of feeding paper onto a forming belt, depositing lignocellulosic material and the binding agent onto the forming belt so as to form a lignocellulosic mat, applying heat and pressure so as to impart the skid resistant surface on the paper, and cutting panels to predetermined sizes.

Disclosed is a stone or ceramic plate stabilized with the aid of fiber-coated stabilizing strips, which are mounted below the edges of the stone slat or incorporated below the edges in the stone slat. The strips are characterized in that, for reasons of optimizing the material, they have an arrangement of the fiber direction at the top and bottom for the respective load case as a tension belt and are therefore designed with unidirectional fiber layers and these fibers are as close as possible to the respective surface of the top and bottom lie to be stabilized stone plate. The tension belt preferably has a height or thickness which is greater than half the thickness of the stone slab to be stabilized and a width which is appropriate to the total load at the respectively occurring bending load.

A fire retardant article has a wood-based material with a polyisocyanurate foam article attached thereto, where the polyisocyanurate foam article covers 90% or more of the exposed portion of the wood-based material, has a thickness greater than 1.8 centimeters, a foam core having a density of 28-128 kg/m.sup.3, a trimer concentration characterized by at least one of (i) a trimer level in a range of 12-25 weight-percent and (ii) a molar ratio of trimer to sum of urethane and urea in a range of 1-8, a phosphorous concentration of at least 0.3 wt %, a combined concentration of phosphorous and bromine of at least 0.5 wt %, and a vapor permeable and non-combustible facer on at least one primary surface of the foam core.

There is disclosed: a wood adhesive composition comprising a protein and a poly(glycidyl ether); a method for using the wood adhesive composition to make a composite wood product; and composite wood products made using the wood adhesive composition.

There is disclosed: a wood adhesive composition comprising a protein and a poly(glycidyl ether); a method for using the wood adhesive composition to make a composite wood product; and composite wood products made using the wood adhesive composition.

The invention includes a method for preparing and top coating an item made of powder coated MDF (or other substrate containing wood) with the end result of improved visual and tactile smoothness; the invention includes the steps of cutting and machining the part, pre-powder preparation and sanding of the part, powder coating the part, post-powder preparation and sanding, and applying the liquid top coat to the part, resulting in a smoother finish than is currently available in any other powder coated MDF finish while requiring less coats than similar liquid paint finishes.

A crane mat is disclosed having a plurality of panels of lumber positioned in alternating transverse directions with respect to one another, where the top and bottom panels are oriented parallel to the direction of vehicular traffic. The top and bottom panels may include a plurality of spaced apart grooves extending longitudinally from a first longitudinal end of the crane mat to a second longitudinal end of the crane mat for enhancing traction of a vehicle when traversing across the crane mat by transporting rain or moisture off the mat, or for receiving mud or other debris. The crane mat may include a plurality of edge protectors positioned on respective sides of the crane mat to protect the crane mat from handling damage. In various embodiments, the crane mat may be manufactured using either softwood, hardwood, or any combination of softwood and hardwood.

Cards made in accordance with the invention include a specially treated thin decorative layer attached to a thick core layer of metal or ceramic material, where the thin decorative layer is designed to provide selected color(s) and/or selected texture(s) to a surface of the metal cards. Decorative layers for use in practicing the invention include: (a) an anodized metal layer; or (b) a layer of material derived from plant or animal matter (e.g., wood, leather); or (c) an assortment of aggregate binder material (e.g., cement, mortar, epoxies) mixed with laser reactive materials (e.g., finely divided carbon); or (d) a ceramic layer; and (e) a layer of crystal fabric material. The cards may be dual interface smart cards which can be read in a contactless manner and/or via contacts.

Cards made in accordance with the invention include a specially treated thin decorative layer attached to a thick core layer of metal or ceramic material, where the thin decorative layer is designed to provide selected color(s) and/or selected texture(s) to a surface of the metal cards. Decorative layers for use in practicing the invention include: (a) an anodized metal layer; or (b) a layer of material derived from plant or animal matter (e.g., wood, leather); or (c) an assortment of aggregate binder material (e.g., cement, mortar, epoxies) mixed with laser reactive materials (e.g., finely divided carbon); or (d) a ceramic layer; and (e) a layer of crystal fabric material. The cards may be dual interface smart cards which can be read in a contactless manner and/or via contacts.