The Benefits of Using Phenolic Sandwich Panels

24 Mar.,2025

 

The Major Benefits of Phenolic Panels in Exterior Applications

A building's exterior makes a lasting impression from the very first moment someone sees it. 

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With phenolic panels, not only can you ensure that impression is a good one, but you can be confident knowing it will last for years.

Phenolic panels, also known as high-pressure laminate (HPL) panels, are durable, exterior-grade compact laminates consisting of tight layers of kraft paper impregnated with thermosetting resins and bonded together by high-pressure and heat.

This makes them the perfect application for your next exterior project.

How Do Phenolic Panels Benefit Exterior Applications?

Phenolic panels offer many advantages to exterior applications including durability, ease of installation and maintenance, appearance, sustainability, and value.

Durability

When it comes to phenolic panels, according to the Green Building Council, 'their greatest asset is their strength and durability' [It] allows them to maintain their performance and appearance over a long lifespan. They can withstand climate extremes, filter out 99% of UV rays, and are Class A or B fire rated.'

Whether used in the interior, exterior, or lab settings, phenolic panels are built to last. The high-pressure process offers protection from the climate, ultraviolet rays, and fire spreading, as well as impact and stain resistance.  

Ease of Installation & Maintenance

Phenolic panels are easy to install, low maintenance, and durable. Their fastening system and ability to combine cladding material contribute to the product's design flexibility, making retrofitting the panels over existing facades possible.

HPL panels can be mounted horizontally or vertically, with wood, steel, or aluminum substructures, using exposed or concealed fasteners to deliver the desired aesthetic while meeting the need for functionality.

Compared to timber and stone, phenolic panels are also more lightweight, which can facilitate construction (and cut material transportation costs).

At the same time, the durability of these panels also lends itself to easier maintenance. The material's non-porosity makes it easy to clean, allowing the application of several types of cleaning products and chemicals. This also makes the panels more graffiti-resistant.

Aesthetics

Buildings using phenolic panels have maximum design freedom, allowing architects to select from a multitude of colors and finishes available.

Alongside durability and low maintenance, architects can have the opportunity to make bold and creative choices to emphasize architectural features with the high-quality aesthetics of HPL panels.

For example, this private residential house located in Canada shows how adaptable Fundermax panels are as the white exterior of the building blends in with the cold environment.

Fundermax panels are easily able to endure extreme temperatures, providing the high durability that a building needs no matter the location.

Digitally printed phenolic panels are available as well to customize panels to the unique needs of a project or begin brand promotion from the first sight of the building, as you can see in this example at Barnstable High School with Fundermax's Individualdécor.

The image above features the Roseland Toth Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada. Design and art by Christian Toth and owned by MacGillivray Law. 

Sustainability

Phenolic panels can help a building satisfy green building requirements as the panels do not off-gas and are:

  • Forest Stewardship Council® certified

  • Listed in the mindful MATERIALS library

  • GREENGUARD certified

  • Long-lasting

  • Low waste when replaced

Sustainability matters and Fundermax prioritizes it in all that we do. We believe it's the right thing to do and offer closed-loop production cycles to remain sustainable.

Value

Each of the advantages above lends to the overall value of phenolic panels. These high-quality, long-lasting, and aesthetically appealing options provide better performance overall in exterior applications. Supporting building insulation and airflow, the panels can help to reduce utility bills too.

Using phenolic exterior wall cladding to make a statement with your building can also benefit curb appeal.

What Kind of Exterior Applications Should Phenolic Panels Be Used For?

With all the benefits phenolic panels offer, it should come as no surprise that these can be used in a variety of exterior applications.

Building Façades

Building facades and rainscreen systems must be well-suited to control and manage the:

  • Water and air filtration

  • Heat transfer

  • UV radiation

  • Negative wind pressure

  • Vapor transmission

  • Hold up to rain and moisture

  • Fend off mold, mildew, and rot

  • Resist rust and corrosion

  • Remain in shape without warping

  • Endure extreme weather conditions (wind, sun, temperature changes)

  • Not fade or crack

Air entry and escape are critical, and exterior phenolic paneling systems are constructed for code compliance. Rainscreen facades protect the insulation and manage moisture through a drainage and ventilation plane, which contributes significantly to overall building health.

Soffits

Exterior soffits need to withstand even the harshest environments without sacrificing a finished, attractive appearance. Take advantage of the durability of phenolic panels while enjoying the look of the soffits that are helping your building's insulation needs.

Sunshades and Louvers

Constructed with high UV and weather resistance, phenolic panels are particularly well suited to sunshades and louvers.

For more Phenolic Sandwich Panelsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

This exterior cladding provides style and sustainability while offering the comfort of shade and heat protection. Available in a wide range of colorfast finishes, these panels can add a real pop to a building's design.

At a Sprint shop in Denver, Colorado, for instance, well-spaced, colorful sunshades allowed light in during winter and protected the interior from intense summer rays.

Balconies

Balconies must be reliable and durable. Often, they are also used to add an extra element of design to a building's exterior.

Phenolic panel balcony panels fit the bill perfectly. Colorfast and code compliant, these panels offer effective weather protection and aesthetic appeal, as you can see in this example of a residential building located in Austria.

Outdoor Furniture

Exterior furniture has to meet different demands. You need to select a product material that will withstand the weather conditions, remain colorfast, and still be easy to clean.

Building patio and outdoor furniture out of phenolic panels give you dependability from an attractive, high-quality product.

This furniture choice will:

  • Hold up to rain and moisture

  • Fend off mold, mildew, and rot

  • Resist rust and corrosion

  • Remain in shape without warping

  • Endure extreme weather conditions (wind, sun, temperature changes)

  • Not fade or crack

For truly creative use of phenolic panels, check out the Pergola Haus Z observation deck in Austria. This private observation deck featured a futuristic design making walls, stairs, furniture, and floor all part of one unique look.

Conclusion

With phenolic panels offering benefits such as durability, ease of installation and maintenance, beautiful aesthetics, sustainability, and value, it makes sense that so many designers and architects select this material for their exterior applications.

Fundermax manufactures high-pressure compact laminate panels for exterior, interior, and lab applications. Our durable panels are used in commercial buildings, labs, university buildings, public facilities, and more.

Phenolic Panels: What They Are & Why You Need Them | Fundermax

Phenolic panels are currently on a trajectory path to rising within the market. Industries such as construction, education, transportation, laboratory, and defense are turning to high-pressure laminate panels for sustainability, durability, and high quality.

To make the right decision for your project, you need to understand what are phenolic panels and why they're needed.

Fundermax has been an industry-leading, global leader in the building products industry for over 130 years. With our headquarters in Europe and North America architects, designers, and builders are revamping the benefits of phenolic panels.

What Are Phenolic Panels?

Phenolic panels (also called high-pressure or HPL panels) are highly resistant architectural panels made of natural core material layers and thermosetting resins, manufactured under high pressure and temperature. 

Crafted specifically for durability with unlimited design freedom, phenolic wall panel systems provide both versatile and sustainable options for architects and designers globally. 

How Are Phenolic Panels Made?

1. Kraft Paper

This specially selected core paper with precise parameters for color, weight, and tear strength is sourced from raw materials from vendors certified according to Forest Stewardship Council standards (FSC) or PEFC'. The foundation of its strength comes from long fibers within kraft paper that allow the paper to be impregnated by the resin in step two. 

2. Phenolic Resin

The core papers are impregnated with two of the most important resin types in HPL panel creation; melamine, and phenol. These resins allow the layers to be joined together long-term with bound strength. Most high-pressure laminates basis is a phenolic resin. Phenolic resin can mix with flame retardant additives which keeps the panel core flexible. This is essential when it comes to the bending strength of phenolic cladding panels.

3. Layers

After the impregnation of core papers with phenolic resin, they are dried, cut, and placed on steel plates. The specified panel thickness determines the number of core paper layers needed. 

4. Pressure + Heat

After stacking, the panel is pressed between two heated press plates. The thermosetting with symmetric pressure and consistent heat guarantees an appropriate joining of resin-impregnated paper layers and creates irreversible bonds that contribute to the phenolic panel's durability.

What Are The Benefits Of Phenolic Panels?

The primary benefit of multi-material compatibility is design versatility. No matter the creative thinking and motivation towards combining material, you can expand visual aesthetics rather than being limited.

Design Flexibility

Fundermax has been creating high-pressure laminates for more than a century as one of the industry-leading manufacturers globally. Fundermax is committed to providing the highest quality phenolic panels that allow free range in flexibility while maintaining design-focused. Check out our case study, Ash Street + Studio 84, on wall and roof panels.

Versatility

In a humid weather environment, they are a good architectural choice for rainscreen facades and cladding. They are also a good option for interior applications where they are exposed to high humidity levels, such as in washrooms.

The panels are also ideal where they are in permanent contact with any solvents or chemicals, such as lab worktops or other lab surfaces.

Another good reason for using them in a laboratory setting? The panels are also anti-microbial.

Sustainability

Fundermax phenolic panels do not contain organic halogen (or chlorine, fluorine, bromine, etc.) compounds, which are found in greenhouse gases, or PVC. They contain neither asbestos nor wood protection agents (fungicides, pesticides, etc.), and are free from sulfur, mercury, and cadmium.

Because they are non-porous, the HPL phenolic panels are moisture resistant and well suited for any applications where they are in contact with water or steam.

Longevity and Durability

Phenolic panel non-porosity also makes them graffiti resistant, very easy to clean, and resistant to UV rays, preventing the panels from fading in color. They are suitable in extreme weather conditions and can tolerate a temperature range from -112F to +356F.

Ease of Installation

The reinforced strength of the phenolic panels makes them very easy to fabricate and easy to install, by using different fastening types. It also makes them resistant to scratches and impacts.

Code Compliance

Fundermax also has created HPL phenolic panels that are fire resistant and flame-retardant, in compliance with NFPA 285, with a noncombustible panel option for higher demands. When it comes to code compliance for HPL, we strive to go above and beyond.

What Type Of Applications Should You Use Phenolic Panels For?

Durable, high-quality HPL phenolic panels are well suited for several interior and exterior applications.

Exterior

The panels are an excellent option for rainscreen façades, where they help create a durable and energy-saving envelope for the building with an aesthetically pleasing design. Phenolic panels can also be used for soffits, balconies, signage, deck flooring, furniture, and many other exterior applications. With an 11-month timeline from design to completion, Lockhart Stadium + Perez & Perez Architects used Fundermax panels to achieve their ambitious stadium project for inter-Miami CF. Read more at our case study!

Interior

For interior use, they are an excellent choice for wall lining, bathrooms, lockers, lab work surfaces, furniture, and other interior applications.

Meeting such a broad range of application needs, phenolic panels are gaining ground in various industries such as education, healthcare, residential and mixed-use, office, transportation, lab, government, and many more. The many benefits are clear.

Identified by Markets and Research as one of the industry's key players, Fundermax has an extensive history of providing creative and technical components offering a positive change in the way exterior and interior structures are designed and built.

Laboratory

With a wide range of thickness options, our lab work surfaces are perfectly suited for fume hood decks, casework, and more because of our phenolic resin panels. Fundermax offers three options for interior laboratory materials from the base level to superior lab grade.

Why Choose Fundermax Phenolic Panels?

The rise of phenolic panel system use in the United States is an exciting development for architects and designers. According to Research and Markets, 'The global phenolic panel market size is projected to grow from USD 1.7 billion in to USD 2.4 billion by , at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period,'

The research firm also found:

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  • Construction is the fastest-growing end-use industry of phenolic panels in terms of value
  • Interior application is the largest segment of the market in terms of value
  • Sandwich type is the fastest-growing application segment of phenolic panels in terms of value
  • Class A phenolic panel is the fastest-growing segment of the phenolic panel market in terms of value
  • North America is the fastest-growing phenolic panel market