Lead Lined Plywood Specifications
Our lead-lined plywood is manufactured in planks or sheets depending on your require lead thickness. These panels can be customized according to your specifications and reduced in size to facilitate installation. Since lead lined plywood at these thicknesses becomes very heavy to handle in full sheet form, we will cut to widths that equal your on-center stud spacing (e.g. 12” or 16”). This will make the lead lined plywood much more manageable for the installation crew.
We offer lead plywood lined to 7’ as well as 4’ x 8’ sheets with full lead lining. Our range of lead lined plywood meets and exceeds government specifications regardless of the size and configuration that you order. Materials meet Federal Specification QQ-L-201 F and ASTM B 749-03 for lead-laminated fire-resistant plywood.
Standard Plywood Thicknesses: 1/2”, 5/8”, 3/4” and 1”
Standard Lead Lining Thicknesses: 1/16”, 1/8”, 3/16”, 1/4”, 3/8” and 1/2"
Maximum Sizes and Weights. Lead plate is very heavy and thus we have maximum sizes we will laminate and ship to ensure the integrity of the product and manufacturing safety. When large sheets are ordered, we typically manufacture in pieces that are easier to handle. As an example, a plywood sheet with a lead lining of 3/8"x 48"x 96" would typically be supplied as 3 pieces with dimensions of 16"x 48"x 96".
Please ask your sales liaison for more details. You may also consider purchase of lead plate which is more cost effective and does not have the same handling limitations as lead lined plywood.
Installation of Lead Lined Plywood
While installation of lead plywood is not difficult, it is always best to use an experienced crew which will install in accordance with local and state codes and standards.
Hanging Lead Plywood
The preferred method to hang the lead lined plywood is to fasten the plywood to heavy gauge metal studs in order to provide sufficient support and structural integrity. Erect all panels in a vertical position where possible. Only install horizontally if required by local codes. Screw or fasten lead-lined panels every 8” on center at panel edges and 12” on center to intermediate framing members.
When Lead lined plywood is used in the ceiling, additional fasteners are required to secure the panels to the ceiling.
Selecting Optimal Panel Sizes
Lead lined plywood can become very heavy to handle in full sheet form (4’ x 8’). We can reduce the panel size to facilitate installation. We recommend cutting the lead lined plywood into widths that equal your on-center stud dimensions (e.g. 16”). This will make the lead lined plywood much more manageable for the installer.
For example:
A sheet of 3/4”x 16”x 8’ plywood with 1/4” lead lining weighs approximately 200 lbs.
While these small panels will require more batten strips, the ease of handling these lighter panels will more than offset the additional cost of batten strips due to reduced installation labor.
Seaming the Joints
Two-inch wide lead batten strips are often used to shield all joints. However, we also offer Lead Angles for higher lead thicknesses as a convenient alternative which allows for an easier and more seamless installation. For thinner lead requirements, flat sheet is easily bent to fit on site. Installation of the lead angles on vertical metal studs behind each seam to block any radiation which may penetrate the seam.
Shielding Cutouts & Penetrations
All penetrations and cutouts in the lead plywood must also be shielded.
If lead batten strips and lead angles are used at all seams and studs, there should be no need for lead buttons for the screw penetrations.
Standard Production Leadtime
Lead Lined Plywood- 1 week
Lead Lined Plywood (CNC Machined)- 3 weeks after approval of drawings
Need Help ?
We can recommend installation teams to help you in the construction project for in installing the lead drywall. Please contact us if you require assistance or recommendations.
If you don't see what you need or have questions, you can reach us by email, phone +1 (832) 764-7870, or use our contact form.
