Types of Plywood
Aircraft Plywood
One of the best types of plywood is known as aircraft plywood. This type of material is made using hardwood boards which are ideal for resisting both heat and moisture. By creating aircraft plywood using very thin veneer layers, manufacturers can keep the plywood light and flexible, while increasing the overall strength of the material.
While aircraft plywood isn't commonly used for home renovation or construction jobs, this combination of strength, durability, flexibility, and light weight, makes aircraft plywood ideal for building airplanes, boats, and tough furniture.
Softwood Plywood
Softwood plywood is constructed using high-quality softwoods, including redwood, cedar, and pine. While softwood plywood isn't as tough or durable as hardwood plywood, it can still be used for roof sheathing, home subfloors, or exterior frame sheathing.
Depending on the ply layers, grade, and ratings, some softwood plywood can also be used to make tool sheds, shelves, and other small woodworking job. Softwoods tend to be easier to cut, sand, and shape, so this type of plywood is often a good choice for custom woodworking projects.
Hardwood Plywood
Using hardwoods, like birch, maple, or oak, manufacturers create a strong, reliable hardwood plywood. This type of plywood is tough and durable due to the hardwood construction, which makes it a good choice for any furniture-making projects or even for some structural construction jobs.
Hardwood plywood may be heavier that other types of plywood, but this same density and strength is necessary when using hardwood plywood to support heavy structures or to make lasting load-bearing frames. Just keep in mind that hardwood plywood isn't as malleable as softwood, so it may be more difficult to cut, sand, and shape.
Exterior Plywood
The plywood that is commonly used to help build and finish the outside of a structure is known as exterior plywood. This type of material is designed for long-lasting weather-resistance, mold-resistance, and rot-resistance, ensuring that the building remains in good condition for years to come.
Given that this plywood must hold up in a variety of weather conditions, manufacturers typically use waterproof and weather-resistant adhesive during exterior plywood construction. High quality exterior plywood can be used to make strong wood frames, beams, and flooring.
Structural Plywood
Structural plywood is designed to be both strong and weather-resistant. This type of plywood is also known as sheathing plywood, due to it's common use as a frame sheathing material. Manufacturers use strong, waterproof adhesives to glue the plies together, creating a tough, durable, and long-lasting material.
Structural plywood is not intended for fine woodworking or furniture-making projects. This is because structural plywood typically comes in C or D grades. The unsanded, unfinished wood isn't overly attractive, but it does provide a high level of durability and support for the exterior of the home.
Flexible Plywood
While exterior and structural plywood specialize in strength and durability, flexible plywood is valued for its utility. Flexible plywood is a very thin, flexible material that is often used to make curves or bends in construction frames or furniture. Historically, flexible plywood was even used to make stovepipe hats due to the light weight of the material.
This type of plywood is manufactured with several thin plies, including a cross-grained central ply and two thicker cross-grained plies on either side. Some manufacturers offer flexible plywood with a decorative overlaid wood veneer to create an attractive, glossy surface.
Lumber Core Plywood
Some plywood options, like flexible plywood, may not work well with screws and other fasteners, but lumber core plywood is designed specifically for projects that require these fasteners. Lumber core plywood has two exterior veneers of hardwood to form the outer layers of the material.
The inner core is made from tightly glued-together strips of wood, forming a solid slab that has an easy time grasping screws. Though, it's important to invest in high-quality lumber core, otherwise the core of the material can contain gaps or voids that weaken the plywood.
Marine Plywood
One of the most durable plywood options is marine plywood. It is constructed of a high-grade plywood and glued together with strong, waterproof adhesives. Typically, marine-grade plywood will be listed as grade A, making it an attractive finishing material for plant boxes, benches, decks, or gazebos.
The water-resistant construction will help keep the plywood in good condition, though you should still paint or stain any plywood that you install outdoors. Otherwise, the marine plywood may be damaged by UV radiation, insect infestation, mold growth, or rot.
Markerboard Plywood
Markerboard plywood is a special type of plywood that is valued for utility purposes. It is made using plywood panels that have been coated with a writing surface that can be used with dry erase markers. This design makes it a great choice for markerboard walls, markerboard displays, or even markerboard craft tables.
Art classrooms can benefit from markerboard plywood construction, but this material can also be used in more formal settings, like an office meeting room. Since the writing surface is designed for use with dry erase markers, the user can draw or write directly on the plywood, then simply wipe it away afterward.
Overlaid Plywood
Overlaid plywood is a decorative material that is often used in furniture making, fine woodworking, and finishing projects. The material is constructed in much the same way as other plywood types, using several layers of thin veneers that have been glued together to create a tough, durable plywood sheet.
However, the difference between overlaid plywood and other plywood types is that it is finished with a thin ornamental veneer that enhances the aesthetic appeal of the material. Additionally, the ornamental veneer creates a water-resistance and abrasion-resistant surface that increases the durability of the plywood.
