Plywood is used to build furniture, cabinets, concrete forms or any other construction project that requires large, flat pieces of wood.
Plywood is created by placing thin layers of wood with glue under extreme pressure in hydraulic presses to create a single sheet of wood.
Softwood plywood is typically used for structural building and construction applications. Hardwood plywood is used for furniture and cabinets.
Hardwood plywood
Almost all cabinets utilize plywood manufactured using several different species of hardwood.
Traditionally, red oak and birch are two of the most widely used of all the hardwood plywoods due to availability and cost, with birch costing slightly less than oak.
Other hardwood plywoods used in cabinetry are mahogany, ash, maple and cherry.
Hardwood plywood is available in 48-by-96-inch sheets and can be purchased in either 3/4-,1/2-, or 1/4-inch thicknesses.
Hardwood plywood is usually more expensive than other types of plywood because of its beauty and lack of defects.
Softwood plywood
Softwood plywood is manufactured using fir lumber.
It has a distinctive look to it with large defects that are typically not suited for cabinets or furniture.
Softwood plywood is strong and is often used as a structural building material that is painted or plastered over.
Softwood plywood is also used as a sub-floor in almost all residential homes.
Softwood plywood is also used for concrete and building forms and for this reason, is manufactured in a special 1-inch thickness.
Softwood plywood is manufactured in standard 48-by-96-inch sheets and is also available in 3/4-, 5/8-, 1/2-, 3/8- and 1/4-inch thicknesses.
Exterior plywood
Exterior plywood is made with waterproof glue and used anytime there is the possibility of water or weather exposure.
It comes in all the sizes of softwood plywood and is typically made from fir plywood.
Exterior plywood is used in the construction industry in roofing, in flooring where water is present such as a bathroom or kitchen,
as sheathing on the exterior of the home, in the construction of transoms and dormers and as a support for masonry.
Composites plywood
Composite plywood is exclusively used by furniture and cabinetmakers.
It has the traditional layers of wood on the inside, but the two outside layers are made from high-density fiberboard covered with a thin veneer of hardwood.
This gives the plywood a flat working surface with a very dense core. This premium-grade plywood is prized by woodworkers for its uniformity and workability.
It never warps or separates and it finishes like natural hardwood. Composite plywood is available in the same sizes as traditional hardwood plywood.
Post time: Oct-18-2021