1. High Strength

• Plywood possesses the structural strength of the wood it is derived from.
• Each ply is usually orientated at a right angle to the adjacent layer in order to enhance strength and stability.
• Its higher strength to weight ratio compared to wood makes it ideal for flooring, webbed beams, and shear walls.

2. High panel shear

• Plywood is made with an odd number of layers, making it tough to bend.
• This cross lamination increases the panel shear of plywood, important in bracing panels and web fabricated beams.

3. Flexibility

• Thinner veneers are employed to improve flexibility for use in ceiling sand paneling.

4. Chemical resistance

• Plywood treated with preservatives does not corrode when subjected to chemicals.
• This makes it ideal for use in chemical works as well as cooling towers.

5. Impact resistance

• Cross lamination of panels ensures the high tensile strength of plywood.
• This is especially vital against short term seismic activity or strong winds.

6. Fire resistance

• Plywood can be treated with a fire resistant chemical coating.
• More commonly, it is combined with non combustible materials such as plaster board or fibrous cement.
• This makes it ideal for use in fire resistant structures.

7. Insulation

• Plywood has high thermal and sound insulation.
• Heating and cooling costs are greatly reduced by plywood’s insulating properties.

1. Structural

• To make formwork, or moulds for wet concrete.
• In the construction of portal frames, shear walls, packaging, and roof trusses.

Structural form work of plywood

2. Interior work

• To make floorings, roofs, etc.
• To make furniture, especially cupboards, kitchen cabinets, and office tables.
• To make partitions or paneling.

Cupboards made out of plywood

3. Exterior work

• External cladding
• Fencing
• Decking

• Rails and Balustrades
• Landscaping elements
• Stairs

Exterior cladding

4. Miscellaneous works

• In the shipping industry.
• In the manufacture of space and aircraft parts.

Boat made out of plywood

1. 3-Ply

• Composition: This type has three layers of veneer.
• Application: It is has a better appearance than plywood with more plies,making it useful for indoor use.

 3 Ply Plywood

2. 5-Ply

• Composition: This type has five layers of veneers.
• Application: It is used for projects that require less durability and strength.

5 Ply Plywood

3. Multi-Ply

• Composition: It can comprise several veneers; usually seven or more, to create an strong, unyielding frame for a building that can resist winds and external forces.
• Application: It is mostly for exterior use and roofing.

Multi-Ply Plywood

1. Softwood Plywood

Softwood plywood

Softwood roof decking

2. Hardwood Plywood

Hardwood plywood

Hardwood Cupboard

1. Aircraft Plywood

Aircraft plywood

Aircraft plywood used to make plane model

2. Lumber Core

Lumber core plywood

Lumber core plywood used in floating shelves

3. Structural Plywood: (Indian standards specified in IS: 303)

Structural plywood

Structural plywood

1. Moisture Resistant (MR) Grade or Commercial Plywood:

(Indian standards specified in IS: 303)

Property: It is capable of resisting moisture.

(Note : Moisture resistant does not mean water proof. It only means that the plywood can resist a certain amount of humidity or dampness)

MR grade plywood
Application: It is most commonly used in interiors like furnitures, panelling,partitions, etc.

 BWR grade plywood

 BWP grade plywood

Flexible grade plywood
Application: It is used to create curved or round shapes in furniture.

FR grade plywood

FR grade plywood panel in theatre

Sizes

Thickness

1. According to ply

2. According to grades

Price range of plywood

Note : As shown in the above table, the lowest price depicts the price of minimum thickness of ply whereas the highest price depicts the price of the maximum thickness of ply available in the same type.

a. Laminates:

• Decorative laminates or others (which are basically a blend of paper and plastic) are glued over the plywood surfaces.

Paint applied over plywood

b. Paints:

• To paint almost any plywood, a primer is first used, which will make the wood surface smooth and allow the paint to adhere to it.
• It is a low-cost alternative to laminates or veneers and offers a wide range of colours.

Paint applied over plywood

c. Polish:

• Wood polish is usually used on wooden furniture.
• Wood polish (of darker colours) is used on some furniture parts (such as the underside of tables or the inner planks of single and double beds).

Polish applied over plywood

d. Veneer:

• Wood veneers are thin slices/sheets of quality woods, which can be glued over the plywood surface to enhance its beauty.
• Veneers are usually the costliest way of decorating plywood.

Veneer applied over plywood

• Check for IS: 303 mark on:

• Commercial plywood or MR grade (Moisture Resistant)
• Exterior plywood or BWR grade (Boiling Water Resistant)

ISI 303 mark on MR grade plywood

• Check for IS: 710 mark in the case of

a. Marine plywood or BWP grade (Boiling Water Proof)

ISI 710 mark on BWP grde plywood

• Check for 100% hardwood plywood marked on the plywood sheets.
• 100% indicates that all the veneers (plies) comprising the core and surface of the plywood are made of hardwood.

100% mark on BWP grade plywood

1. Good uniform strength

• In plywood manufacture, the grains of adjoining piles are laid at right angles, providing strength to the plywood sheets.

2. Available in large sizes compared to solid wood

• Uniformly thick 18 mm plywood sheet of size 8×4 is easily available,but it is difficult to get solid flat wood of such a size.

3. Economical use of wood by mixing various woods together

• The veneers of such woods can be used to form the surface layer of the plywood, while the inner layers may comprise other strong but cheaper woods.

4. Versatile material that has many applications

• Besides home decor and furniture, plywood has several industrial and structural applications. e.g. Marine plywood for boat-making etc.

5. Durable material

• Plywood furniture made from good quality hardwood (such as teak, gurjan or eucalyptus wood) is quite durable and lasts several years.

1. Water can damage MR grade plywood

• The layers of plywood can come apart on prolonged exposure to water.
• This drawback can be overcome by choosing BWR Waterproof grade for plywood furniture that is likely to get wet.

2. Can bend or sag when longer pieces are used

• Plywood is unsuitable for applications that require longer pieces of wood such as front doors, benches, wardrobe doors or any other place where long panels are required.
• To overcome this disadvantage, block boards can be used, which are technically better-suited in such cases as also cheaper than plywood.

3. Plywood usually needs additional enhancements

• Most commercial grade plywood on the other hand, needs to be covered by laminates or other finishes so as to enhance its beauty and durability.

4. Costlier compared to block boards or particle boards

• Plywood is costlier compared to particle boards or block boards.
• Carpentry costs in addition to material cost make it relatively expensive.

5. Prone to termite effects

• Plywood is prone to termite attack and may get damaged once infested.