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The natural wood itself has many defects,including wormhole, dead knots, distortion, cracking, decay, size limitations and discoloration. There are too many defects in natural wood, It is difficult for nutrual lumber to fully meet the demand for wood materials. Plywood is produced to overcome the various defects of natural wood.
Plywood overcomes the shortcomings of natural wood. However, each type of plywood has its own characteristics and advantages, of course, there are also shortcomings. For example, furniture plywood, its characteristics and advantages are high quality, beautiful and stable in dimension, suitable for making furniture. But its shortcomings is that it can’t be used outdoor. Plywood suitable for outdoor use is another type of plywood called exterior plywood or even WBP plywood.
How many types of plywood are there? According to different classification standards, there are different plywood types .
One way is to classify the types of plywood according to its own properties.For example, according to the waterproof performance of plywood itself, plywood can be divided into moisture-proof plywood, ordinary waterproof plywood and waterproof weatherproof plywood. Common interior plywood is moisture-proof plywood, Like furniture plywood. For ordinary outdoor use, choose ordinary waterproof plywood.However, if the use environment may make the plywood exposed to the sun and rain, in this case, it is best to use waterproof weatherproof plywood which is most durable in a harsh environment.
At this point, you might think that waterproof weatherproof plywood would be the most expensive plywood.But in fact, this is not necessarily the case. For example, some interior furniture plywood with expensive natural veneer are more expensive. Of course, waterproof and weather-resistant plywood is not necessarily used for outdoor use. It may also be used in kitchens, bathrooms and other places where moisture is very heavy.
Moisture and water is the natural enemy of all wood products and natural wood/lumber is no exception. All plywood is moisture-proof plywood.So you don’t have to worry about it. Ordinary moisture will not damage the plywood at all. Waterproof plywood or waterproof and weatherproof plywood should be considered only when the plywood is likely to be exposed to water or in a humid environment for a long time.
According to the formaldehyde emission grade of plywood, plywood can be divided into E2 grade, E1 grade,E0 grade and CARB2 grade. E0 grade and CARB2 grade plywood has the lowest formaldehyde emission level and is also the most environmentally friendly. Formaldehyde actually widely exists in nature and even in the apple we eat. E0 grade and CARB2 plywood is mainly used for interior decoration and furniture manufacturing. Now there is also a marketing concept called board for baby’s room, the formaldehyde emissions of these board are very low.
According to the appearance grade of plywood, plywood can be divided into various types, such as A grade, B grade, C grade, D grade and so on. B/BB grade Plywood means that its face is B grade and its back is BB grade. But actually in the production of B/BB plywood, we will use better B grade for face and lower B grade for back . According to different national and international standards, plywood appearance grades are divided into different grade names. N grade, A grade, B/B, BB/BB, BB/CC, B/C, C/C, C+/C, C/D, D/E, BB/CP are all common plywood grade names. It looks so complicated. How to understand these different grade names? If you study these plywood grade standards, you will feel very painful. But in fact, it is very simple . Most plywood grade standards mainly do the same job that dividing plywood into perfect, beautiful, ordinary and low-grade, though their grade names are different. Usually, N, A and B represent perfect grade . B, BB represents the beautiful grade. CC, CP represents the ordinary grade. D, E represents the low-grade.
According to the size of plywood, plywood can be divided into standard size and special-sized plywood. The standard size is Xmm.In general, buying a standard size is the wisest choice. Because the production of standard size boards is the largest. Producing standard size , it can maximize the use of raw materials, machinery and equipmen. Thus the production costs is low .However, for some special needs, the special size plywood is the best choice. And we can produce all kinds of special sized plywood.
According to the species of surface, Plywood can be divided into birch plywood, Eucalyptus plywood. beach plywood , Okoume plywood, Poplar plywood, pine plywood, Bingtangor plywood, Red oak plywood, etc. It is customary to name plywood according to its species of surface, though the species of core may be different . For example, a plywood with birch face/back poplar core is also called birch plywood; a Red Oad plywood may has a Eucalyptus core . The combination of different species for surface and core will produce a best plywood with beautiful surfaces at low costs . Yes, that’s right, the species used for the surfaces usually looks beautiful but it’s also expensive. If these expensive tree species are used to produce the core of plywood, the cost of a piece of plywood will be very high.
According to the different cores of plywood, it can be divided into blockboard and multi-layer board(i.e. normal plywood). Blockboard is a type of special plywood. The Harmonization System Code for plywood and blockboard are the same. The core of blockboard is made of wood strips. These small strips of wood are glued together tightly under high pressure. Blockboard is mainly used for interior decoration and furniture manufacturing. Blockboard is not as strong as plywood.Therefore, blockboard should not be used in places where high bearing and strength are required. Plywood would be a good choice if you need a strong wood board.
Plywood can be divided into Structural plywood and Non Stuctural plywood. Structural plywood have superior mechanical properties like bonding quality, bending strength and Modulus of elasticity in bending . Structural plywood can be used for building house. Non Stuctural plywood are used for furniture and decoration .
Intelligent human beings will continue to invent better wood materials. Plywood is not only required to be waterproof, it is also required to be wear resistant. At this time, smart humans put a layer of waterproof, wear-resistant,dirt-resistant and chemical-resistant film paper on the surface of plywood which is called melamine faced plywood and film faced plywood. But people are still not satisfied, they require plywood to be fire-resistant.Wood is easy to catch fire, but you read that right, it requires wood to be fire-resistant and people did it. They past a layer of fire-resistant paper on plywood, which called HPL fire-resistant plywood. These film/laminate on the surface have greatly improved the performance of plywood. They are waterproof, corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant,fire-resistant and durable. They are widely used in the manufacture of furniture and decoration.
All types of plywood including commercial plywood, film faced plywood, hardwood plywood, furniture plywood, fancy plywood, packing plywood , melamine plywood/boards are listed on this page:
(1). Face/back : Birch, Pine, Okoume, Meranti, Luan, Bingtangor, Red Canarium, Red Hardwood, hardwood, poplar and so on.
(2). Core: poplar, hardwood, birch
(3). Glue: MR glue, WBP(melamine), WBP(phenolic), E1 glue, E2 glue
(4). Size: Xmm (4′ x 8′), Xmm (5). Thickness: 2.0mm-30mm ( 2.0mm / 2.4mm / 2.7mm / 3.2mm / 3.6mm / 4mm / 5.2mm / 5.5mm / 6mm / 6.5mm / 9mm / 12mm / 15mm / 18mm / 21mm-30mm or 1/4″, 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, 11/16″, 3/4″, 13/16″, 7/8″, 15/16″, 1″ )
(6).Packing: Standard Packing.
Other contents relevant to plywood products :
1. Hardwood Plywood Products Category
1.B/BB grade Plywood
2.BB/CC grade Plywood
3.DBB/CC grade Plywood
4.UTY grade Plywood
5.Pine Plywood
6.Full Hardwood Plywood
7.Full Birch Plywood
8.Other Plywood
9.Packing Plywood
10.Combi (Combination) Plywood/Film Faced Plywood
(1). Film :Local film/imported film; black film/ brown film; anti-slip type
(2). Core: poplar, hardwood, birch
(3). Glue: MR glue, WBP(melamine), WBP(phenolic)
(4). Size: Xmm, Xmm, or 4′ x 8′, standard sizes
(5).Thickness: 4mm-30mm (4mm / 6mm / 9mm / 12mm / 15mm / 18mm / 21mm-30mm )
(6).Packing: Standard Packing.
Other contents relevant to film faced plywood products :
2. Film Faced Plywood Products Category
1.Poplar Film Faced Plywood
2.Hardwood Film Faced Plywood
3.Birch Film Faced Plywood
4.Anti-slip film faced plywood/wire mesh film faced plywood
5.Anti-slip film faced plywood/wire mesh film faced plywood – For Europe
6.Black Film Faced Plywood – For Middle East
7.Imprinted Film Faced Plywood (Formwork Plywood)
8.Combi (Combination) Plywood/Film Faced Plywood
9.Dynea And Stora Enso Film For Film Faced Plywood
(1). Substrate: MDF, Particle Board, Plywood
(2). Colors & Grains:
natural wood grains (like teak, oak, cherry, ash, mahogany…) ;
solid color (like warm white, red, blue, black…) ;
Any other kinds of colors and grains are available .
(3). Glue: E0, E1, E2, CARB 2
(4). Size: Xmm
(5). Thickness: 3.0 / 4.0 / 4.75 / 5.0 / 6.0 / 7.0 / 8.0 / 9.0 / 11 / 12 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / ~ 30mm
(6).Packing: Standard Packing.
Category : Melamine Boards
Blockboard
Fancy Plywood
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Plywood is one of the most widely used materials in modern construction, interior design, packaging, and even marine applications. You’ve probably seen it at home improvement stores, construction sites, or inside furniture—but how much do you really know about what plywood is, how it’s made, and how it differs from other engineered wood like LVL or film-faced panels?
Let’s explore what makes plywood such a valuable material and why it continues to dominate the global wood industry.
Plywood is an engineered wood product made by gluing together thin layers of wood veneer. These layers are arranged with their grain direction alternating at right angles, forming a cross-laminated structure. This construction provides plywood with excellent strength, dimensional stability, and resistance to warping, splitting, and moisture-related deformation.
To ensure structural balance, plywood is typically manufactured with an odd number of layers commonly 3, 5, 7, or more. This design makes it more stable and versatile than solid wood in many scenarios.
Plywood panels come in a variety of thicknesses, core types, sizes, and surface finishes depending on their intended use.
The manufacturing process begins by peeling logs into thin sheets of veneer. These sheets are then dried, graded, and bonded together with adhesives.
The type of glue used is crucial. For example:
MR (Moisture-Resistant) glue is used for interior-grade plywood.
WBP (Weather and Boil-Proof) glue or phenolic resins are used for exterior and marine-grade plywood.
After glue application, the veneers are assembled with alternating grain directions and hot-pressed under heat and pressure to form a single, durable panel. The outer layers, known as face veneers, are selected for appearance, while core layers may vary in quality depending on the plywood grade.
Thanks to its balance of strength and weight, plywood is used across many industries:
No. Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is a different type of engineered wood.
While LVL is made from thin wood veneers like plywood, all layers in LVL are oriented in the same direction. This gives LVL superior strength along its length, making it ideal for beams, headers, and other structural load-bearing applications.
In contrast, plywood’s cross-laminated structure provides stability in multiple directions and is more suitable for panel-based uses.
Let’s say you’re building a bookshelf for your home office, and you plan to store heavy books, files, or even a printer on it. In this case, choosing the right type of plywood is critical. You’ll want something strong, stable, and able to hold screws tightly without warping over time. This is where birch plywood really shines. Made from multiple layers of dense hardwood veneer, birch plywood offers excellent load-bearing capacity and structural integrity. It’s less likely to sag, bend, or split, even under constant weight.
Not only is it strong, but birch plywood also has a clean, smooth surface, making it a great choice if you want your bookshelf to look good without needing a lot of finishing work. Compared to lower-grade plywood or softwood cores, it’s more expensive—but the durability and professional finish are worth it, especially for furniture that needs to last. So when strength and appearance both matter, birch plywood is often the smartest choice.
If you're sourcing plywood internationally, you should also consider:
Suppliers with experience in global exports typically offer consistent quality, custom sizes, and flexible logistics to meet different market needs.
1. How do I choose the right plywood for my business?
It depends on your application, budget, and quality expectations. If you're unsure whether to use commercial plywood, film-faced, or LVL for your target market, read our detailed guide on How to Choose the Right Plywood for Your Business.
2. Is Vietnamese plywood better than Chinese plywood?
Each has pros and cons. Vietnamese plywood is known for consistent quality, better price stability, and flexible production, while Chinese plywood may offer more customization. Discover the full comparison in Vietnam vs China Plywood – Which Offers Better Quality & Value?.
3. Where can I view your plywood products?
We offer a wide range of plywood types including LVL, Birch, Film-Faced, Packing Plywood, and custom-made panels. Visit our full Plywood Product Page to explore specifications, photos, and export details.
Plywood is more than just layers of wood it’s a highly adaptable, cost-effective, and durable material used in countless industries worldwide. Understanding its types, structure, and benefits helps you make smarter, more economical choices for your next project.
Whether you’re building a house, designing a kitchen, or packaging goods for export, choosing the right plywood can save time, cost, and effort in the long run.
Are you interested in learning more about whole core film faced plywood? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!