Types of Plywood and their Uses
Do you see plywood everywhere? Have you noticed people preferring plywood over solid wood for furniture, home interior, and other construction purposes? What is plywood and why do people like it? What’s so special about it? Is it affordable, durable and can be used anywhere? How do I choose one myself?
It is just a common thing to wonder as anyone can see the
usage of plywood booming. It is because of its multiple beneficial factors. Let
us discuss what is plywood, what are its types and where it can be used in this
blog.
What is Plywood?
Plywood is
an engineered wood that is made up of thin sheets of wood veneer. Each grain is
placed 90 degrees to each other to be combined with a suitable resin and
pressed under high pressure to produce a flat sheet. The thickness varies from
3 layers to multiple wood veneers which makes them durable and resistant.
With cross-graining
technology, plywood is able to resist and withstand with minimum expansion,
shrinkage and reduced tendency to split when a nail drives in. This family
includes the Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) and Medium Density Particleboard
(Chipboard).
Plywood is eco-friendly as
they make use of wood veneer and sawdust. Though they are cheaper than wood,
plywood has become the best choice for interior and mostly for outdoor use.
Plywood’s quality is decided with three factors.
- Wood used
- Number of layers used
- Type of resin used to bind
Types of Plywood:
Also, you can visit: Plywood Products
Softwood plywood is made from lumbers of evergreen and
hardwood plywood is from deciduous trees veneer. Different types of timbers of
the tropical zone are used to make tropical plywood. Aircraft plywood is known
for its high strength and resistance to heat. Decorative plywood or overlaid
plywood is usually made of hardwoods for decorative purposes.
Flexible plywood is
engineered to design curved structures, flexible furniture, and structures.
Marine plywood is a type of plywood designed to withstand extreme moisture,
humid and wet environments. Film face densified shuttering plywood is used in
high-end building construction for centering purposes as it can withstand the
corrosions created by water, cement, and sunlight.
Types of Resin
used:
Plywood products can be
categorized based on the quality of the resin used. They are graded from A to D
and as structural and non-structural plywood. Resin with A and B bonds are
considered structural plywood that can withstand extreme conditions and can be
exposed to different elements. The bond with C and D type is called Non-structural/
Interior plywood can be used to design the interiors of a place.
A Bond- Phenol formaldehyde adhesive, ideal for furniture, beam
hoardings, cabinets, walls, and roof bracing.
B Bond- Melamine-urea-formaldehyde is ideal to make exterior
door skins and can act as exterior shielding. They are less durable than
A-grade plywood.
Both C and B bonds are
adhesives from urea-formaldehyde.
C Bond- This type of resin creates minor knots in its sheets of
about 1.5 inches in diameter, unsanded and are ideal for structures more than
its appearance.
D Bond- D-grade plywood is also unsanded and is regarded as the
lowest quality plywood. It has knots in its plywood that are up to 2.5 inches
in diameter.
Marine Grade plywood is made
from weather and boil proof (WBP) resin to remain delaminated
in extreme boiling conditions.
Plywood
is in demand as it can be used in various places under various conditions and
in various styles. Their fluid nature is what makes them the material of the
modern world. Some of the advantages of using plywood are
- Plywood is durable, strong, and can be designed according to the need.
- More timber is conserved and is eco-friendly.
- It is lightweight and comes in a large size that fits a place or makes furniture perfectly.
- When nailed, they do not split or crack like solid woods.
- They are great for curved surfaces with a smooth and easy finish.
- Plywood not only looks like real wood but also value for money.
- The panel shear, chemical resistance, strength to weight ratio, surface dimensional stability, and high impact endurance are some alluring qualities of plywood.
- Plywood can be painted in different colors to accommodate a particular colour palette.
- They are more convenient and easier to use and maintain.
Hanuman
Wood Industries, Bangalore:
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