Why use plywood

It will absorb moisture and expand in a humid climate and release moisture and shrink in a dry climate. While the movements are small and happen over time, they can eventually contribute enough damage for a crack to form.

It is going to move. At DutchCrafters we recommend protecting a solid wood investment by carefully managing the heat and humidity in the home with the use of air conditioning and humidifiers.

We share best practices for protecting your solid wood furniture in video and on our blog. Plywood is made from thin layers of wood that are pressed together. The wood is layered so the grains of the boards are at right angles to each other. This reinforces the strength of the wood.

Plywood is often made of the same wood species as the piece of furniture it is at part of. For frames in case goods that are susceptible to cupping and warping, plywood is the answer.

It is used where it is the most appropriate choice to create a sound structure. Plywood panels used in drawer bottoms prevent the solid wood frames from cracking apart. Ply is there for protection to keep your solid wood furniture fully functioning and beautiful for generations to come.

Its thickness can be varied from just a few millimetres to several inches. Each additional layer of veneer increases the strength of the plywood proportionally.

It is common to use thin veneers for increased flexibility for use in panelling and ceilings. There are several types of glues used to bind the pieces of veneer together. The right choice of adhesive gives the plywood special properties such as resistance to moisture and humidity. Adding a layer of varnish and paint also increases resistance to water damage. This allows the veneer to be used in sheds, marine construction, and cladding.

Moisture resistance plays an important role in interior applications as well, including floors and walls. While plywood is naturally vulnerable to chemical substances, this can be avoided by treating the veneers with preservatives.

The result is so effective that it can be used in chemical works such as cooling towers. Although plywood and veneer are well-known fire hazards, manufacturers have been able to increase fire resistance by the use of a chemical coating. This is done by combining non-combustible chemicals such as fibrous cement and plasterboard. It can then be used in structures to make them compliant with local regulations. Plywood has naturally high sound and thermal insulation.

It is commonly used to insulate floorings, roofs, wall claddings, and ceilings. The high insulation properties of plywood reduce heating and cooling costs over the years. While plywood is naturally resistant to impact and shock due to high tensile strength, it can be further strengthened via cross lamination of veneers. This is because of the distribution of force over a large surface area, reducing the tensile strength over an isolated area. The result is plywood that can withstand excessive overloading by up to three times or more before crumbling.

This is especially useful during high winds and seismic activity. Plywood with high tensile strength is used in heavy-duty applications such as concrete framework and flooring. The first step is to fell the trees. A high powered chain saw or large hydraulic shears are used to fell large trees.

The fallen tree is then further reduced into smaller pieces with a chainsaw. These tree trunks, or logs, are then dragged to a loading area using heavy vehicles. The logs are transported to the plywood mills where they are arranged in long piles known as log decks. Before the veneers can be cut into desired shapes and sizes, the logs are soaked and heated to soften the wood. This process takes anywhere from 12 to 40 hours depending on the type of wood.

The treated logs are transported to a peeler lathe where they are fed to a full-length knife blade one log at a time. This reduces the diameters of the block to about 3 to 4 inches, any remaining wood is removed from the lathe and a new log is entered in its place. It is common to arrange the veneer according to their grades. This can be done manually or via optical scanners. A waterproof adhesive is then used to assemble appropriate sections of the veneer.

This is usually one manually. Once the glue is properly applied to the sheets, the plywood is sent to a hot press that can handle around 20 to 40 sheets at a time. This establishes good contact between the layers of veneer and allows the glue to achieve its maximum potential. These sheets are then passed through a set of precisions saws to trim them to accurate widths and lengths.

There will be no gaps or uneven ends, and wastage will be very minimal. One of the great disadvantages of working with solid wood is its tendency to split along the grain, especially when you try to drive a nail or screw through it. When was the last time you had it easy creating curved surfaces with solid wood? When you make curved surfaces using solid wood, the edges would probably be rather rough and uneven.

Plywood, on the other hand, can be made to fit any curved surface smoothly and easily. You can rest assured that when you use plywood for any project, there will be very little wastage. You can practically utilise every square inch of a standard plywood sheet.

Best of all, the price of plywood will always be lower than that of solid wood. Plywood is a cost-effective engineered wood product, and that makes it even more popular among home owners and builders these days. Sure, plywood uses wood, but manufacturing a workable sheet requires lesser wood than, well, solid wood products.

That means more timber is conserved, and that makes plywood an eco-friendly product. This is absolutely important, considering the worrisome state of the environment and the world in general today.

With all the benefits of plywood, choosing it for any project that requires wooden materials is the smart way to go. To see which type plywood would best suit your purposes, check out our wide range of plywood products here. I like that you point out that you can use almost every square inch of a standard plywood sheet. I can see why this would be something to consider if you are trying to save money and use everything to its fullest.

Perhaps it would be smart to consult with a professional about what is best for your situation.