For designers, architects, and DIY enthusiasts, decorative hardwood plywood stands as a versatile, robust, and cost-efficient alternative to solid wood. Whether you’re embarking on a new woodworking project or guiding inquisitive clients through design choices, grasping the various types and advantages of hardwood plywood elevates your work with both value and credibility.
Getting to Know Hardwood Plywood
Plywood, at its core, is a manufactured panel composed of multiple layers of wood, meticulously glued together. In versions referred to as “Veneer Core,” each layer, aptly named a “ply,” exhibits a grain direction perpendicular to its neighboring layers.
Unveiling the Core and Faces
The layers situated between the front (often called the “face”) and back layers of the panel collectively constitute the “core.” This core veneer wields a considerable influence over the panel’s properties, including weight, cost, screw-holding capacity, water resistance, and stability. Generally, the decorative face veneers in a plywood panel boast a higher quality or “grade” compared to the core material.
Veneer face grades are defined by the Decorative Hardwoods Association (DHA), formerly known as the Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association. These face grades are labeled as AA, B, C, D, or E, with A representing the highest quality (virtually devoid of defect characteristics), and E signifying the lowest grade (involving knots and defects). Back veneers are graded on a scale from 1 (highest quality) to 4 (lowest).
“Before instinctively opting for the premium grade (AA), consider a lower grade panel like B or C,” advises the DHA. “You might discover significant value in a panel that performs just as admirably, all while being more budget-friendly.”
Advantages of Incorporating Decorative Plywood
The selection of hardwood plywood for your design projects brings forth numerous advantages. Apart from its resilience against the trials of time and the extensive array of options available for both interior and exterior applications, decorative plywood offers several other notable benefits:
Unparalleled Strength
As per the Decorative Plywood Association, hardwood plywood can rival steel in static bending strength. Veneer Core plywood derives its strength from the interlocking layers, offering a cost-effective choice for designs destined to endure the test of time.
Efficiency Meets Sustainability
Decorative hardwood plywood is crafted from layers of wood veneer, a process that maximizes log utilization compared to other lumber manufacturing methods. This efficient approach empowers designers to harness the strength and beauty of real wood while conserving natural resources responsibly.
Aesthetic Excellence
Wood, an age-old building material, offers an unmatched variety of textures and patterns. Plywood extends this beauty to designers, enabling them to make a significant impact through natural design in their projects.
Remarkable Versatility
Plywood grants designers a broader spectrum of construction possibilities, be it crafting kitchen cabinets, designing restaurant interiors, or creating furniture masterpieces. The distinct grades and types of plywood dictate its ideal application in a given project.
Moreover, wood exhibits impressive resistance to conditions that often corrode materials like steel and concrete, such as coastal climates, mild acids, and corrosive salts.
Plywood can also be surfaced with laminates or engineered veneers, depending on the desired finish. Explore our project gallery for additional project inspiration!
Exploring Types of Plywood
Now, let’s delve into the diverse plywood options available for your creative endeavors.
Hardwood Plywood
Hardwood plywood is a composite plywood panel comprising three or more layers, boasting a hardwood face species like red oak, birch, walnut, maple, and many more.
The typical hardwood log yields a substantial quantity of B- and C-grade material. Only a small fraction of hardwood veneers emerges flawless (A-grade material), which often translates to a higher cost but exceptional quality.