The Best Sheet Material?

Lanlee Guide

Which is the Best Sheet Material for Your Project?

Currently there is a huge selection of different plywoods available to buy on the commercial market, and the list just seems to keep increasing. In response to this, the team at Lanlee Supplies has decided to create this article in which we will discuss what Plywood is and its benefits to you as the consumers, as well as the difference between the five types of Plywood that we stock at Lanlee and their varying uses. Hopefully this post will answer any question you may have!

Birch Plywood

Birch Plywood is one of the most popular and versatile Plywoods. It is very safe to use due to its smooth finish, and its lack of knots and jagged edges. The benefits of using Birch Plywood include:

-Attractive look and finish

-Multitude of uses

-Can be easily painted/treated/stained

-Strong and durable

Birch Plywood can be used to make anything from home furniture to boats. Birch Plywood is suitable for almost anything that requires an attractive, versatile and strong material to make it.

MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard)

MDF is an engineered wood-based sheet material. It is made by bonding together wood fibres with a synthetic resin adhesive and can be used for both interior and exterior applications. Some of the beneficial features of MDF include:

-Cheap to buy

-Strong

-Can be easily machined

-Very easy to paint

MDF is used to make many different types of indoor furniture such as display cabinets, wall panels, storage units and many other things

OSB (Oriented Strand Board)

OSB is made with high quality veneers which are cross laminated for extra strength, especially in high moisture areas. OSB is

-Extremely strong

-Highly durable

-Versatile

-Contains no knotholes, voids or points of weakness

Some of the many uses for OSB include shelving, garages, sheds, packing cases and any general joinery.

Chinese Plywood

Chinese Plywood is lighter and more flexible than other plywoods, and can be bought cheaply. However, as a consequence of this, Chinese Plywood tends not to have the strength or smooth finish that most other plywoods have. Chinese Plywood has the following properties:

-Often much cheaper than other alternatives

-Lighter in weight

-Flexible

Due to its features Chinese Plywood is more suitable to be used in projects where it’s appearance or strength are not relied upon heavily, such as in projects where it won’t be seen or for things such as packaging.

Hardwood Far EasternPlywood

“Far Eastern” Plywood is a rigid Plywood which can be utilised for both internal and external joinery effectively. Features of Hardwood Far Eastern Plywood include:

-High weight to strength ratio

-Designed to resist warping and bending

-Smooth sanded surface

Far Eastern Hardwood Plywood can be used for benches, walkways, garages and shelving. “Far Eastern” Plywood is not suitable for structural building.

Marine Plywood

Marine Plywood is constructed to deal with damp conditions and, due to its special construction, Marine Plywood has the following properties:

-Resistant to bending/warping

-Extremely resistant to rot and decay

-Very durable

-Has great structural strength

Marine Plywood is most recommended for use on ships, at docks or even within bathrooms, en-suites, kitchens or any other places prone to damp. 

Anti-slip Plywood

Anti-slip Plywood is designed to ensure extra safety for its users, whilst still maintaining the strength and durability of a ‘normal’ plywood. Some of the beneficial features of Anti-Slip Plywood include:

-Extremely Durable

-Easy to Clean

-Resistant to Chemicals

-Can be easily machined and fastened using conventional wood-working tools and fasteners

Due to its highly slip-resistant wire mesh surface, using Anti-Slip Plywood ensures excellent loading safety. Anti-slip Plywood is also recommended for use in any places that are prone to slipperiness or that are exposed to weathering.

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