What is Plywood?
By:
Mr Handyman of The Woodlands
| Published 06/27/2024
Plywood is a manufactured wood material that uses resin to hold several thin layers of wood together to form one sheet. Plywood provides large sheets of wood at a uniform thickness that would otherwise be impossible, unstable or expensive with traditional lumber.
Plywood is a versatile building material that every DIYer needs to keep on hand. When it comes time to buy a few sheets, which grade or type should you get? Let us help! Mr. Handyman has everything you need to know about plywood below.
Click the links or keep reading to learn more about plywood grades, plywood sizes, and more:
Types of Plywood
Plywood comes in different grades and types that are specific to certain applications. Let us help you pick the best plywood for your next project.
Tips on Working With Plywood
From handsaws to table saws; we’ll help you safely trim your plywood to size with the right tools.
Plywood Sheet Sizes, Core Types, and Veneers
The standard size sheet of plywood is 4' x 8', but there’s a lot more to know.
Painting and Staining Plywood
Some types of plywood are easier to paint or stain than others. If you’re planning on finishing plywood, read this first!
Where Is Plywood Used?
Plywood is used everywhere; from furniture to construction, so you’d be hard-pressed to find a home that doesn’t contain plywood.
There are many reasons it’s so popular, such as:
- Costs less
- Resistant to shrinking and warping
- Standard sizes
Since it’s so versatile, there are many different types and grades of plywood suited for different applications. Plywood is often confused with OSB (oriented strand board), which shares a similar fabrication technique with plywood. However, instead of wood veneer, OSB uses resin to hold together large chips of wood. OSB is less expensive and is mostly used in sheathing applications like home siding or roofing.
PROFESSIONAL HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT
Perhaps you’ve purchased all your plywood for your new project and are feeling a little overwhelmed. If that’s the case, we can help!
We’re happy to take over the project and will ensure it turns out just how you want it. For professional carpentry services, give us a call or request a service online.
