PLYWOOD INFORMATION

What is Plywood?
The warmth and beauty of wood has been valued throughout the ages. In this century, conservation and construction technologies have stimulated the creation of ingenious hardwood plywood products engineered for both construction and decorative purposes, enhancing the availability and versatility of every kind of hardwood.

Simply put, hardwood plywood is a panel product composed of softwood inner layers—or plys—joined at right angles with adhesive to a hardwood veneer face and back.

The term "hardwood plywood" indicates that the face and back veneers of the panel are 100% hardwood. Hardwood plywoods are used primarily for decorative purposes, while softwood plywoods are generally for construction or structural use.

A traditional veneer core plywood panel is composed of an odd number of plys made from softwood veneers sandwiched at right angles to each other between the outside layers. The inner ply directly beneath the face is called the crossband. Alternating the direction of the grain is what gives plywood its strength and durability. Cores can also be made of particleboard (PBC), fiberboard (MDF) or lumber core.

The outer surfaces are called the "face" or "back" ply. Beautiful and decorative wood veneers 1/30th to 1/40th of an inch thick are cut from deciduous or broad leaf trees such as Oak, Walnut, Elm, Cherry, Hickory, Pecan, Maple, Birch, Gum, Poplar, Teak, Rosewood and Mahogany. Special cutting techniques enhance the beauty and functionality of the wood.