Plywood and OSB product attributes

Structural panels are sold by a nickname and specified by a grade stamp, and the two rarely match. A panel sold as 1/2 in plywood carries a 15/32 Performance Category, and CDX describes veneer grades plus a bond class rather than an exterior-rated product. Catalogs that store only the market name make it hard to confirm that a panel meets the span rating and thickness the plans call for.

The stamp carries the facts that decide a substitution: panel grade, span rating, Performance Category, bond classification, Structural I status and the product standard. Plywood adds face and back veneer grades and species group, while OSB does not have veneers at all. Tongue-and-groove floor panels have a net coverage width slightly under 48 inches, which changes layout and quantity takeoffs.

Specialty panels, including fire-retardant treated, overlaid, radiant-barrier and integrated weather-barrier sheathing, sit under the same product names as commodity panels. Recording treatment, overlay and regulatory status as separate fields keeps a premium panel from being quoted as a commodity sheet, or a commodity sheet from being sold into a rated assembly.

The plywood & osb attribute template

18 candidate fields in 4 groups, ordered the way a record gets built: identify the item, capture its specifications, then record fit and the evidence behind any claim. 9 are marked Core: without them the item cannot be identified or filtered. Example values show the expected format only; they do not describe a real SKU.

Identity

Which exact item, variant and pack this record describes.

Check before use: Preserve leading zeros and punctuation, validate against the manufacturer record, and check the GTIN check digit and packaging level before linking.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Manufacturer Part Number manufacturer_part_number	Identifier	Core	PLY-1532-4896-CDX
GTIN / UPC gtin_upc	Identifier	Core	00614141360093

Technical specifications

Measured or rated values that must travel with their unit and test conditions.

Check before use: Store the number and unit separately. Convert only when the source unit and test conditions are known.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Span Rating span_rating	Controlled list	Core	32/16
Panel Size (Width x Length) panel_size_width_x_length	Text · in	Core	48 x 96
Net Coverage Width net_coverage_width	Number · in	Buyer decision	48

Selection attributes

The type, material and option choices buyers filter and compare on.

Check before use: Map supplier wording to a governed vocabulary only after checking the source text and which variant it applies to.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Panel Composition panel_composition	Controlled list	Core	Plywood
Panel Grade panel_grade	Controlled list	Core	APA Rated Sheathing
Performance Category performance_category	Controlled list	Core	15/32 Performance Category
Bond Classification bond_classification	Controlled list	Core	Exposure 1
Edge Profile edge_profile	Controlled list	Core	Square edge
Face / Back Veneer Grade face_back_veneer_grade	Controlled list	Buyer decision	C-D
Structural I structural_i	Controlled list	Buyer decision	No
Face Species / PS 1 Species Group face_species_ps_1_species_group	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Southern Yellow Pine (Group 1)
Overlay / Integrated Barrier overlay_integrated_barrier	Controlled list	Buyer decision	None

Evidence & compliance

Listings, standards, classifications and origin claims that need a document behind them.

Check before use: Link the manufacturer document or label with its edition or date. Never copy a certification from a neighboring SKU.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Grade Stamp / Product Standard grade_stamp_product_standard	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	PS 1, Exposure 1, Mill 000
Treatment Classification treatment_classification	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	Untreated
Formaldehyde Regulatory Status formaldehyde_regulatory_status	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	TSCA Title VI excluded (structural plywood, PS 1)
Country of Origin country_of_origin	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	United States

Normalize supplier values

The same value arrives in many spellings. Map each raw string to one governed value, and keep the raw text beside it so a reviewer can see what the supplier actually wrote.

Often missing from supplier files

These fields are commonly absent from price lists and basic feeds, even though the information usually exists in a datasheet, label or installation manual. Treat an empty value as a request for evidence, not as permission to fill it from a similar model.

• Net Coverage Width (T&G panels)
• Bond Classification (as its own field)
• Structural I
• Face Species / PS 1 Species Group
• Formaldehyde Regulatory Status

Questions the record must answer

Buyers and counter-sales reps choosing plywood & osb ask questions like these. Each one needs a specific field, sourced for the exact variant.

• Is this panel rated for rafters at 24 inches on center?
• The shear wall calls for Structural I. Is this panel Structural I?
• Can it sit exposed to rain for a few weeks before the roof is dried in?
• Is this the same thickness category as the panels already on the job?

From supplier file to record

1. Resolve identity first. Link the supplier SKU, manufacturer part number and packaging identifiers without merging distinct variants or pack sizes.
2. Extract with the source attached. Pull values from rows, tables and datasheets, keeping the raw text, unit and page or row reference.
3. Map to your classification. Assign the ETIM, ECLASS, UNSPSC or internal class your company licenses, and keep the supplier's original terms.
4. Review, sync and watch. Hold conflicts and safety-related values for a category expert, write approved values to ERP or PIM, and recheck when the supplier sends a new file.

For the full method, see how to build a category attribute template and the category catalog gap audit.

FAQ