Using Plywood And Hardwood For Your Building Needs

By Author: Albert Jakeman
Total Articles: 9
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When it comes to building supplies, there is a veritable maze of different materials and equipment that you can utilise. Between hardwood, softwood and the various types of engineered wood, it can be extremely hard to determine what the best building material for you and your project is.

Plywood is an engineered wood, which is made by multiple layers of thin slices of wood being stacked on top of each other, glued together by a resin adhesive, then finished off with a laminated surface, which is usually created to look like wood. The layers of wood veneers are stacked so that the wood grains are at right angles to each other. This reinforces the plywood and prevents it from splitting when it is screwed. It comes in various grades, which tell you the quality of the plywood and helps to tell you what its best use is and can be made from either soft wood or hard wood.

As it is stronger and more rigid, yet lighter than timber, it can be more suitable than hardwood for some tasks such as wardrobes and other furniture. It can also be easier to construct items like furniture from plywood as you are cutting shapes out ...
... of a sheet of material instead of individually shaping pieces of wood.

Plywood tends to be cheaper than hardwood and is more water-resistant due to its varnished exterior. As this happens to the plywood during the manufacturing process, this saves time, as you do not have to apply any waterproofing treatments to your material.

Plywood tends to be lighter than solid wood, so this can make it more suitable for items that need to be moved, such as chairs and tables.

Hardwood is timber that comes mainly from deciduous trees. Its wood is generally harder than softwood, as the name suggests and is used for construction, boat building and furniture making. It comes from matured trees, as opposed to softwood, which comes from much younger trees that are easily replaced to create a sustainable source of materials. One of the appeals of hardwood, as opposed to engineered wood is that it is a natural product and thus looks and feels more authentic. A lot of people choose to use hardwood for furniture making, especially bespoke and designer furniture as it gives more of a feel of quality and looks more attractive.

When you are using hardwood for construction, especially furniture construction, you need to allow for contraction and expansion with changes in humidity. Plywood does not contract or expand from humidity as the layers of veneered panels counteract each other and remain flat.

Plywood can show wear and tear easier as it is softer, thus more prone to denting. This means that even though it is more resistant to damp and humidity, it is not always as durable as solid wood.

All construction materials have their different advantages and disadvantages and the ultimate decision will be down to personal choice. You can use either or a combination of both depending on the properties that you require and the look that you are after to create the perfect item for you.

Albert Jakeman is an engineer who discovered various tricks to help her purchase cheap Plywood and hardwood, as she worked for a large Scottish building firm. For more information to visit http://www.mcmahons.ie/timber-supplies/sheet-materials/plywood.html