LEMARK HPL panels

LEMARK HPL panels: one material, several jobs

HPL (high-pressure laminate) is a dense board made of many layers of kraft paper impregnated with phenolic resin, topped with a decorative layer and a protective surface, then pressed at high temperature and pressure. The result is a rigid, homogeneous sheet that does not absorb water through its core, resists impact and can be cut, drilled and routed with ordinary woodworking tools. The LEMARK range collected in this section covers exterior facade grades, interior wall grades, antibacterial panels for medical buildings, general-purpose sheets and boards for sanitary partitions.

VENTFASAD 24 LLC is an international team of ventilated facade designers that also supplies the materials it specifies. In Tbilisi and across Georgia we use HPL where architects want a warm, wood-like or stone-like finish without the weight and wet trades of real wood or natural stone.

How the LEMARK sub-sections are organised

• Facade panels: exterior-grade boards with a UV-stable surface for ventilated rainscreen cladding, soffits, balcony fronts and canopies.
• Interior panels: wall and ceiling cladding for lobbies, offices, shops, schools and hotels where abrasion resistance and easy cleaning matter.
• Healthcare panels: hygienic surfaces for clinics and hospitals that tolerate frequent disinfection.
• General-purpose panels: standard decors for furniture, fit-out and joinery.
• Toilet partition panels: moisture-proof boards for cubicles and washroom walls.

Choosing the right grade

The first question is exposure. Interior grades are not built to withstand sunlight, rain and freeze-thaw cycles, and exterior grades carry a surface that stays colour-stable outdoors. Mixing them up is the most common specification mistake. The second question is thickness: thin boards are normally used on interior walls with continuous backing or on light rails, while facade boards are specified thicker and fixed to an aluminium subframe with visible rivets or screws, or with concealed fixings and adhesive.

Decor is the third factor. HPL is available in plain colours, wood grains, stone and concrete patterns and abstract designs. Dark and saturated shades absorb more heat, so expansion allowances matter more on a sunny south-facing elevation in Georgia than on a shaded north wall.

Design points for facades

HPL is an organic-resin composite, so it is not treated as a non-combustible cladding. On buildings taller than 12 m in Georgia the facade is reviewed under Chapter 14 of the Building Safety Rules (Resolution No. 41 of 2016, based on the IBC), and walls containing combustible components may need to demonstrate performance under NFPA 285. This affects cavity barriers, insulation choice and the layout of the subframe, so it is far better settled at concept stage than after tender.

Other points we check in every project:

• Thermal movement: boards expand and contract with temperature and humidity, so fixing points are split into fixed and sliding ones and joints are sized accordingly.
• Ventilation gap: an open, drained cavity behind the cladding keeps the panels dry on the back face.
• Subframe: aluminium brackets and rails with thermal breaks, chosen for the wind load of the site, whether that is a Tbilisi hillside or the Batumi coast.
• Edges: cut edges of exterior grades are sealed by the core itself, but sharp edges and drilled holes still need correct hole diameters and clearances.

Why order panels together with the facade design

Panel format, joint pattern and fixing method decide how many sheets you need and how much offcut you throw away. When the same team draws the elevations, nests the sheets and supplies the subframe, the bill of materials matches the drawings and there are fewer site corrections. Cost is quoted on request once we know the area, decors and fixing system.

Send us your drawings or a specification and we will prepare a calculation and a recommendation for the right LEMARK grade.

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