What is Plywood?
Plywood is a sheet made from thin wooden layers. These thin wooden layers are then glued and machine pressed together to form a sheet. After gluing, these sheets are baked at 140 °C to form a Plywood. It is engineered wood. These wooden layers are processed from Oak, Mahogany, Teak, Maple Bark.
Sizes of Plywood
8’0″ x 4’0″
8’0″ x 3’0″
7’0″ x 4’0″
7’0″ x 3’0″
There are 5 types of Plywood.
Softwood plywood
Hardwood plywood
Tropical plywood
Flexible plywood
Marine plywood
In INDIA, softwood, flexible & marine Plywood is used on large-scale. Plywood comes not only in different thicknesses but also in different grades.
Grades of Plywood
| GRADE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| A | Face and back veneers practically free from all defects. |
| A/B | Face veneers practically free from all defects. Reverse veneers with only a few small knots or discolorations. |
| A/BB | Face as A but reverse side permitting jointed veneers, large knots, plugs, etc. |
| B | Both side veneers with only a few small knots or discolorations. |
| B/BB | Face veneers with only a few small knots or discolorations. Reverse side permitting jointed veneers, large knots, plugs, etc. |
| BB | Both sides permitting jointed veneers, large knots, plugs, etc. |
| C/D | For structural plywood, this grade means that the face has knots and defects filled in and the reverse may have some that are not filled. Neither face is an appearance grade, nor are they sanded smooth. This grade is often used for sheathing the surfaces of a building prior to being covered with another product like flooring, siding, concrete, or roofing materials. |
| WG | Guaranteed well glued only. All broken knots plugged. |
| X | Knots, knotholes, cracks, and all other defects permitted. |
| WBP | Weather and Boil Proof used in Marine Ply. Designation replaced by EN 314-3. |
Applications of plywood
Plywood is used in many applications depending upon the nature of work.
Softwood Plywood
Floors, walls, and roofs in home constructions
Wind bracing panels
Vehicle internal bodywork
Packages and boxes
Fencing
Concrete shuttering panels
Ready-to-paint surfaces for constructions
Hardwood Plywood
Panels in concrete formwork systems
Floors, walls, and roofs in transport vehicles
Container floors
Floors subjected to heavy wear in various buildings and factories
Scaffolding materials
Furniture
Sports equipment
Musical instruments
Tropical Plywood
Common plywood
Concrete panel
Floor base
Structure panel
Container flooring
Lamin board
Flexible Plywood
Flexible plywood is used in furniture where a single sheet is used in continuity.
Marine Plywood
Marine plywood is used in Kitchens and wet areas. These are also used in Boats.
