Furniture is an important aspect of any space, commercial or residential, as they define the ‘look’ that you intend to go for. This makes choosing the wood to fill in… the space crucial, whether you are a homeowner or someone who is looking to set up their office space.

Generally, people use 2 types of wood for their furniture: plywood and solid wood. Plywood is a better furniture material than solid wood for a variety of reasons, including durability, strength, and cost-effectiveness. But the challenge here is to choose the right type of plywood based on wood quality.

Let’s have a look at the way plywood is graded based on quality, and further at the different types of plywood.

Grading of Plywood

Plywood is graded based on many factors such as texture, structure, and dimensions. Based on this grading, the cost of the plywood is fixed.

Plywood is graded using alphabets from A to D, considering all these factors.

Grade A Plywood: This is the most expensive type of plywood, thanks to its supreme quality. The veneers in this plywood sheet are flawless, with a smooth texture, making it easier to paint.

Grade B Plywood: This type of plywood is not as smooth as grade A plywood. It has a solid foundation with minor flaws that subject it to many repairs.

Grade C Plywood: This type of plywood is slightly lower quality than the grade B variant and has few knots in the sheets. These knots have a diameter of up to 1.5 inches.

Grade D Plywood: This is the cheapest grade of plywood veneers because of the lack of repairs made to it. This grade of plywood has larger flaws, and the knots have a diameter of up to 2.5 inches.

Having seen the different grades of plywood, we will have a look at the different types of plywood available in the market.

Types of plywood

Plywood can be classified based on structure and the material used for the plywood sheets. We will be having a detailed look at these types of plywood.

Types of plywood based on structure:

Based on the structure of the plywood sheets, we can classify plywood into the following types.

1. CDX Grade: CDX Grade plywood is an inexpensive material made up of the C and D grade plywood, making it a low-quality material. But the CDX Grade plywood can withstand some amount of moisture. It is great for making worktables and storage units.
2. Sanded Pine: Sanded pine plywood is a versatile material that boasts a clean and smooth surface. This material can hold nails and screws tight, thereby making it the best material to make cabinets.
3. Baltic Birch: Baltic Birch plywood is the most versatile material with the cleanest and smoothest surface. This makes the material very expensive.
4. Oriented Strand Boards: This type is known as a “wafer board”. It is made of wood chips resulting in a flaky look. The design consists of different types, colours, shapes and sizes of wood chips glued together into a single sheet of plywood.

Types of plywood based on the material used:

Did you know that the term ”ply” in plywood stands for the number of layers and the resultant thickness of the material?

Plywood is generally three-ply, five-ply or multi-ply, with three-ply being the most common variant and the strongest.

Based on the material used for the layers of veneers in the plywood, we can classify plywood into the following categories.

1. Soft plywood: Soft plywood is made from pine, redwood or cedar, among other softwoods. This type of wood is not typically recommended for exterior usage because, though strong, this type of plywood is not weather-resistant enough to serve outdoor purposes.
2. Hardwood: Hardwood plywood is made of anything between three to thirteen layers of different hardwood species. These layers are glued together perpendicularly to ensure a strong finish that will make the plywood used for furniture, packing cases, sporting equipment, musical instruments, and other items that require strong frames.
3. Aircraft: The aircraft variant is the most durable type of plywood available in the market. Aircraft plywood boards are made with hardwood to ensure that it resists heat and moisture. The aircraft plywood is made with very thin veneers that keep it light and flexible while providing immense strength. It is mainly used for furniture that is used to hold heavyweights.
4. Overlaid: Overlaid plywood contains the same plies as the other variants. It is finished with a thin veneer of ornamental wood on top. Besides looking beautiful, this veneer makes the plywood waterproof and scratch-resistant.

These were the different gradings that convey the quality of plywood and the different types of plywood available in the market. So, while choosing plywood, you now know what you should look for. Visit <link> to know more about plywood and buy the best ones for your needs.