Plywood is an engineered product which is made up of three or more plies or thin sheets of wood. The sheets are fastened together with glue to form a thicker and flat sheet. Plywood has a chunk of benefits over wood.
· it minimizes the tendency of wood to riven or split when attached at the edges
· it lessens both expansion and shrinkage and thereby, provides better dimensional stability
· it encourages the strength of the panel consistent in every direction.
Plywood (for the same thickness) that are made of a greater number of plies are stronger than that plywood which is made of a smaller number of plies.
Types of plywood
The market is flooded with different types of plywood.
Based on Grade
· MR Grade
· BWR Grade
· BWP Grade
Based on Wood used
· Gurjan Plywood
· Redwood Plywood
· Poplar Plywood
· Eucalyptus Plywood
Based on Application
· Commercial Plywood
· Waterproof Plywood
· Flexible Plywood
· WPC Plywood
· Shuttering Plywood
Based on thickness
· 4mm
· 6mm
· 8/9 mm
· 12mm
· 15 mm
· 18/19 mm
Based on size
· 6 x 3, 6 x 4
· 7 x 3, 7 x 4
· 8 x 3, 8 x 4
MR Grade Plywood:
MR or moisture-resistant plywood is one of the common types of plywood. It conforms to IS 303 standards. From furniture to cabinets, it has good resistance to moisture in damp and humid conditions. This plywood is ideal for living room furniture or a wardrobe where there is a little chance of water exposure. Urea-formaldehyde is used as glue in between the layers of the plywood.
BWR Grade:
BWR stands for boiling water-resistant plywood which is used for both interior and exterior. It conforms to IS 303 standards. Since it is water-resistant, hence it is suitable for all weather conditions. It is also used in the bathrooms and kitchens where exposure to water is high. The glue that is used between the layers of the plywood is phenol-formaldehyde.
BWP Grade:
This is boiling waterproof grade plywood. It conforms to IS 710 standards. It can be used in the exterior application or wet areas where water directly comes in contact with the plywood. The glue that is used between the layers of the plywood is a resorcinol phenol formaldehyde
Gurjan Plywood:
Gurjan plywood is made up of the layers of Gurjan ply. Gurjan is hardwood and comes in red colour. That’s why all the layers of plywood look red. This plywood is robust and strong as compared to other types of plywood but it is also costlier than others.
Redwood Plywood:
Redwood plywood is made up of Redwood ply. Redwood is hardwood and generally, comes in red colour only. So, all the layers of plywood will look red.
Eucalyptus plywood:
Eucalyptus plywood is manufactured from plantation plywood. Phenolic glue is used in different layers of the plywood. This plywood is used in furniture, soffits, and cladding.
Poplar plywood:
Poplar ply is kind of softwood and is white in colour. Poplar plywood is made up of poplar ply. Since all layers are softwood, hence the strength of plywood is lesser as compared to others. It is also less costly than other plywood.
Commercial plywood:
This is standard plywood which is quite cheaper as compared to others. This type of plywood is commonly used in office spaces, modular furniture, partitions, panelling, indoor spaces etc.
Waterproof plywood:
As the name implies this type of plywood comes with astonishing waterproofing qualities. It conforms to IS 710 standards. This is ideal for places where water comes directly in contact with the plywood.
Flexible plywood:
This special plywood can be bent comfortably without breaking it into pieces. It is ideal for furniture which needs to have curved surfaces.
Shuttering plywood:
This is highly dense plywood which comes with a smooth film coating on both sides of the faces. This plywood is mainly used for cement formworks during construction. A mould is prepared for shuttering and then, cement is poured in between. When the cement dries, it takes up the form of the mould. Now, the mould can be is removed and reused. You may find a thin red coloured film on the top of the shuttering plywood.
WPC plywood:
This is a composite material which comprises of waste wood fibres and thermoplastics. These two are mixed to form a thick consistency base material. Now, it is further squeezed out and moulded to different required shapes and sizes. This type of plywood is primarily used for railing, fences, windows, doors, flooring, outdoor and other indoor requirements.
The Indian market is crammed with various types of plywood brands. You should be very careful while purchasing the plywood from a store. Plymart is one of the established plywood suppliers in Ahmedabad which offers different types of plywood to the customers. The company is operating its business for more than 175+ years and has a robust customer database. To know more, please visit the website of the company.