Liveblogspot. – Plywood is constructed with three or more thin layers of wood bonded together with an adhesive. For exterior plywood high quality adhesive is used. Every layer of wood is generally oriented with its grain running at right angles to the immediate next layer to reduce the shrinkage and enhance the strength of the finished piece. Layers of solid timber veneer are used to compose Plywood.
Plywood
HARD QUALITY PLYWOOD’S ARE MADE BY INSTALLING DIFFERENT LAYERS OF MATERIALS
As they are made in layers using different materials, they are very strong but are quite light in weight. The interior layers of plywood are usually made from an inexpensive wood and those which are strong but very prone to get affected by temperature changes (in case of exterior plywood) while the outer veneer layers are constructed using expensive timber for availing an attractive wood grain appearance.
Exterior Plywood V/s Interior Plywood
- Glue- The glue used is an important differentiating factor between exterior plywood and interior plywood. For interior plywood, Urea Formaldehyde glue or UF is commonly used type of glue used for joining the plies together, while in the case of exterior plywood, Phenol formaldehyde (known as phenolic resin) is used.
- Strength- exterior grade plywood is stronger compared to interior grade plywood.
- Cost- exterior plywood happens to be more costly than interior grade plywood.
- Waterproof- exterior plywood because of using waterproof glue is water-resistant and hence suitable for outdoor construction but interior plywood is not at all water resistant and is better to be used for indoor applications only. Interior plywood can be made water resistant by laminating it, using decorative laminates available in the market these days.
Advantages of Using Plywood in daily lives and in industrial uses
Plywood has got several advantages that the readers of this article or buyers of plywood need to know. Some positive qualities and benefits of Plywood are as follow-
- Very light in weight as it is made in layers
- Very strong also due to the same reason as above
- Plywood can resist cracking, bending, warping, and shrinkage that is extremely beneficial for the construction works it is used in
- It can be made from most timbers to increase aesthetics
- Good for wood paneling
Plywood
Uses of Plywood
Plywood is made by gluing together layers of wood. They are strong, durable and also light in weight. They have many uses and instead of using wood, the use of plywood can prove to be cost-effective decision. Some uses of plywood are enumerated below like:
- Plywood is an engineered wood product and is used as a quality building material sometimes.
- Plywood is used for framing interior stud walls. For exterior wall sheathing also plywood is used and in construction of common walls also it is used.
- Plywood is popularly used to sheath roofs and as a subfloor on many internal flooring projects.
- As subfloor it is used, especially exterior plywood for being water-resistant.
- Furniture can be built is an affordable manner using plywood instead of wood and other materials. This plywood would give the look and feel of wood, without being as costly as wood furniture pieces are.
- For making cabinet carcasses for kitchens, washrooms and as such etc plywood is used commonly.
- Doghouses are also built using plywood.
Plywood is an economic option, offers versatility and remarkable durability. Plywood is advantageous selection and has several uses. The more veneers used, the stronger the plywood get.