FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Plywood can be broadly classified on the basis of the raw material and grade. While the grade/ISI Classification can be irrespective of the raw material used, the main raw material or core veneers of a plywood are unclassified hardwood, poplar wood, red core (mostly eucalyptus), Alternate (Red and Poplar) neem wood, Macai and Gurjan. Core Veneers are the multiple layers of a plywood sheet. All plywood sheets are covered with a face veneer at the top and bottom most layers. These are generally Okume face and Gurjan Face, the latter being more popular.
All of the above are graded based on technical specifications as per the ISI standards. The three main classifications are: MR(Moisture Resistant), BWR(Boiling Water Resistant), BWP(Boiling Water Proof). The feature mainly comes from the Glue used to bond the multiple core veneers of the plywood.
Moisture Resistant: Like the name, this grade is mildly resistant to water. Falling under the ISI:303 classification, its also called commercial plywood. This kind of plywood, will delaminate in hot water in a very short span.
Boiling Water Resistant: This variant is mildly resistant to boiling water. Falling under ISI:303 classification. This variant qualifies for 8hours of boiling water immersion tests with minimum delamination and blister formation.
Boiling Water Proof: With high quality core veneers and glue, this variant qualifies for 72 hours of boiling water tests without any issues. Falling under, ISI:710, this variant has the best nail holding strength, lowest/zero core gaps.
Plywood sheets are mainly available in 19mm, 16mm, 12mm, 9mm, 6mm and 4mm. Other thicknesses (25mm) may also be available varying from brand to brand. The standard sizes of plywood are 8’x4’ and 7’x4’. The requirement of the size varies depending upon the design.
PRO TIP: Apartments in Bangalore have lifts that can accommodate 7feet height plywood sheets, making unloading convenient.
While plywood is multiple layers presses together, Blockboard is batons of wood assembled together between 2 layers of core veneers. Majorly used for doors, Blockboards tend to have better resistance against bending due to the way its made.
Plywood is the heart of most of the furniture in your interiors. With a vast application in wardrobes, cabinets, kitchens, TV Units, Wall Panelling, bathroom cabinets, beds and many more. However, its important to know which variant to use where. Various factors come into place for selecting the right plywood for a specific application.
Selecting the right plywood for your dream home/office can be a daunting task. But, keeping a few aspects in mind, this can be made a simple task:
- Life of furniture: If you want to make furniture with the intention to use it not more than 5 years, going for the top graded variants would not be advised, as the investment you make wont be proportionate to the life.
- Application: Kitchens are prone to moisture and thus, BWP variants would be the apt variant for kitchens and water-prone regions, while a TV Unit will have least exposure to water and MR/BWR variants would suffice for such areas.
- Budget: While it is recommended to use the same variant throughout your furniture, budget constraints may not make it possible. Without compromising on the quality, smarter decisions like a combination of MR, BWR and BWP depending on the application, you can get better life for your furniture within your budget.
- Geographical Location: Coastal Regions demand BWR/BWP ply due to high moisture levels in such regions, while MR grades can be used for dryer places.
After understanding the right plywood type for your project or a combination of the different grades, there are thousands of brands and qualities on offer in the market. To understand the various aspects revolving around this, the budget plays an important role in this process. Plywood constitutes 30%-40% of your total furniture material on an average. There
Check whether the plywood has a Gurjan wood face veneer a laminate gets easily attached on wood face veneer in comparison to recon face veneer
Check whether the surface of the ply is smooth or not, it should not have any undulations or waviness
Check all 4 corner of plywood & ensure that there is no variation in its thickness. You can use a calliper to check accurately mirror variation is however not an issue
By lifting the ply from one side you can check its weight heawy weight plywood is generally high m density & screw holding capcity
Check the sides and ensure that the core layes and visible as straight lines without huge gaps and much overly
Knock in the center of the plywood sheet as this will help to understand whether is hollow or not. See to it that the sound is similar on all parts.
You can also enqure for a small cut piece of plywood from this you can check whether it is fullcore full parud or not . it will also help to determines as to which wood core is used in making this ply nails holdingabbiltycan also be conform.
- What are decorative laminates?
Decorative laminates are surfacing materials that can be used to enhance the aesthetic appeal of furniture and walls. Along with aesthetic appeal, the best decorative laminates feature properties that make them durable, sturdy, and easy-to-maintain. Greenlam offers a wide range of decorative laminates that are designed to blend seamlessly with the theme of any commercial or residential space.
- How are decorative laminates manufactured?
Decorative laminates are manufactured in two ways; by binding the sheets of paper under high or low pressure. The resulting decorative laminates are called High Pressure Laminates and Low Pressure Laminates, respectively. The best decorative laminates, such as what you would find in Greenlam’s laminate collection, are manufactured under high pressure, using multiple layers of laminate sheets and kraft paper impregnated with resins to enhance durability.
- Are there different types of decorative laminates?
Yes. From manufacturing process to finishes, decorative laminates are available in different types that give you a wide range of options to choose from, when selecting the best decorative laminate design for your residential or commercial space. Some of the bestselling decorative laminates offered by Greenlam include HD gloss laminates, digital laminates, unicore and chalk & marker grade laminates.http://blog.positiveindians.in/laminates/laminates-industry-india.html