About Us
The Hodges Wood Products Lab is your source for testing services of solid and engineered wood flooring, high pressure decorative laminates (HPDL), laminate flooring, dimensional lumber, plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, thermally-fused laminate (TFL) and many others. We were created to support the wood products industry. We are located in the College of Natural Resources, Department of Forest Biomaterials at NC State University.
Available Resources
- Wood Products Technical Service Center – Companies can rely on NC State to perform private (confidential) testing for their products, avoiding spending valuable dollars on expensive facilities and training technicians. We will help you by providing testing results to assure your products are performing adequately. Please contact wp_techservices@ncsu.edu for more information.
- Kiln Drying – Our 1000-board-foot Masonry kiln was refitted in 2011 with new steam heat exchange loops and new variable frequency drive fan deck by SPI dry kilns. The kiln can accommodate up to 12′ lumber for conventional or high-temperature drying. We also offer Dry Kiln courses instructed by Wood Products Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Dr. Frederik Laleicke. Please contact pflaleic@ncsu.edu for more information.
- Wood Machining & Tooling Research Program – An applied multidisciplinary research program aimed at increasing machining efficiency and improving wood utilization in a sustainable manner. Please contact desaloni@ncsu.edu for more information.
- Biomass-Energy & Pellet Characterization – We offer an additional service center that provides in evaluation of wood biomass materials and complete assessment of solid fuels. Please contact desaloni@ncsu.edu for more information.
- Sustainable Design Lab – A Testing Service Center that aids companies in creating and testing new sustainable product development. Please contact rbruffin@ncsu.edu for more information.
For more information about the people in our department please visit: