Laminators Incorporated has received a Notice of Acceptance from Miami-Dade County Product Control Section for Omega-Lite ACM panels installed with four of the company’s installation systems under NOA #15-04901.11, expiring on August 20, 2020. The NOA certifies that Omega-Lite ACM, installed with Laminators 1-Piece, Tight-Fit Molding, Clip & Caulk, Rout & Return and Dry Seal installation systems, was designed and tested to the strict protocols required in Miami-Dade County.

Miami-Dade NOA certification, the most stringent for hurricane-prone regions in the country, is also compliant with the requirements of the Florida Building Code’s High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ). Miami-Dade County protocols for hurricane product testing stand as a model to other hurricane-risk communities in Florida and coastal regions throughout the USA. The performance of products and installation systems during severe weather could be the factor that saves property and lives.

Laminators Inc.’s Omega-Lite ACM panels and installation systems (specified above) are approved for use in all HVHZs with a design wind pressure of +/- 120 pounds per square foot. Each installation system met the requirements of the small and large missile impact testing using Omega-Lite ACM panel over a plywood substrate.

Laminators’ Omega-Lite ACM tested in the Dry Seal installation system over exterior gypsum also met both the small and large missile impact requirements, meaning exterior gypsum sheathing can be installed on the first two floors of the structure behind Laminators’ Omega-Lite ACM in the Dry Seal installation system. The test results are noteworthy since the cost savings to using exterior gypsum versus plywood behind a Dry Seal system can be significant.

“Typically, designers and installers are limited to using ½-inch thick or thicker plywood behind ACM installations on the first two stories of a building in the HVHZ because of the large missile impact requirements,” states Christopher Bucci, PE, Lead Technical Sales Engineer for Laminators Inc. “Most ACM panels just cannot handle the stresses applied from a large missile impact. The Dry Seal system passing large and small missile impact requirements allows for a type of ACM installation not typically done in Florida that will make Omega-Lite more attractive to use as a veneer. ACM over exterior gypsum is now possible.”

Omega-Lite ACM panels offer a highly decorative, strong, and durable surface finish for exterior wall surfaces. Composed of a polypropylene, corrugated core between two finished aluminum sheets, the panels are non-absorbent, water-resistant, and easy to maintain.