Choose the best for your décor!

Ever tapped a plywood surface only to hear trapped air inside? Or a top surface peeled off to give that shabby look? Well, these were low-quality commercial plywood that was used. 

Plywood

Thin, long slices of wood are obtained by cutting and trimming the edges of tree trunks. These slices are called ply. They are then pasted together with an adhesive and pressed to form an integral piece. Hence the name plywood. 

The grain orientation of the alternate layers of ply is at right angles. This arrangement gives strength to the product. Therefore, the quantity of layers of ply is always an odd number.

Finally, thin wood slices called veneers are stuck on both sides. This gives a protective covering. The type of the veneer wood and the adhesive decide the finish and functionality as desired.

Commercial grade Plywood

This falls under the category as defined in Indian standards IS 303: 1989. There are two grades:

● Boiling water-resistant or BWR grade.

● Moisture resistant or MR grade

There are about 87 types of wood that can be used in making a ply. None of these have any exceptional qualities. Only the top and bottom treated veneers with the adhesives decide the grade. 

The standard is quite flexible when it comes to joints, knots, and patches on the ply and veneers. Only a minimum specification for strength and dimension is incorporated in this standard. However, certain mandatory tests on the finished product are included.

Overall it gives the impression that a minimum level of quality has been ensured at a competitive cost.

Marine Grade Plywood  

Marine-grade plywood, or Marine Plywood, is far superior to the commercial-grade plywood described above. The requirements are more stringent and are governed by Indian Standards IS 710: 2010. 

Only 29 types of high-quality, naturally water-resistant wood can be used for making the base ply sheets. For veneers, only 21 types of special wood are permitted. This is in stark contrast to the commercial-grade plywood described above.

The adhesives used are to be of a special quality. The allowed defects on veneers are far less. So is the case with ply.

The finished product is subject to more tests like adhesion, water resistance, mycological (tests for shielding against microorganisms), bending, strength, shear, etc. Further, there is a lot of emphasis on workmanship and finish.

As the name suggests, this product is used for making parts of boats that are subject to climates prevalent on the seas. It has to survive in the harsh conditions of humidity, temperature, etc. Its superiority over commercial-grade plywood is obvious.

This product is more expensive than commercial plywood. Its advantages are far higher. Everyone would like a décor that gives an outstanding appearance with high in-built quality. With a range of choices, the answer is Marine-grade plywood! Archidply is one plywood supplier in Bangalore whose quality is impeccable. Their product will meet your level of satisfaction.