Plywood is not perfect. On one hand, it is favored for its affordability, versatility, and ease of use. On the other, it comes up short compared to solid wood and other alternatives when it comes to water resistance, variable quality, and manufacturing emissions.
Advantages of Plywood
The plywood market reached 48 billion in 2023 and is expected to exceed 72 billion within the next 8 years, thanks to the benefits plywood has to offer.
Durability
Plywood consists of multiple layers of wood veneer bonded with a strong adhesive.
Each layer’s grain pattern runs in opposite directions, making the plywood strong and stable enough to support heavy weight. It also makes the plywood more resistant to warping, cracking, and twisting than solid wood.
Read More: What is Plywood?
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that plywood can handle pressure. Thanks to its layered construction, this woodworking material absorbs and spreads impact.
Plywood doesn’t need much TLC. With minimal maintenance, it can take on moisture, extreme weather, insect damage, and decay. Properly cared-for plywood can last for decades.
Lightweight
Weight plays a huge role in construction costs and logistics. When materials are too heavy, they’re more difficult and expensive to transport and use.
Even though plywood is strong enough to carry heavy weight, it is also light enough for first-time DIYers to easily manipulate.
The strength of plywood comes from the multidirectional grain patterns in its layers. Softwood sliced thinly and layered in reinforcing patterns is stronger and cheaper to produce than a single sheet of the same weight, thickness, and material.
This makes plywood ideal for furniture, construction, shipping crates, and even light aircraft, where a high strength-to-weight ratio is important.
Affordability
Compared to solid wood, plywood is a better choice if you’re on a tight budget.
Plywood is affordable because its production process is efficient and is aimed at reducing waste. You can use more of each tree when you cut thinner sheets, which reduces the overall cost.
One thing to note is that despite its affordability, plywood is effective, nonetheless. If you need a cheaper alternative to solid wood without skimping on quality, plywood is a good choice.
Plywood comes in various thicknesses and grades, making it easy to find plywood that fits into your budget. If you want to get plywood even cheaper, read our article on how to buy plywood as cheaply as possible.
Easy to Use
Another factor that makes plywood a popular material is its ease of application. Plywood is easy to cut and shape. It also doesn’t require any specialized tools or expertise.
The flat and stable panels reduce warping and bending while you cut them into your desired shapes. Alternative materials like MDF or particle board may splinter or crumble under stress, not plywood.
Plywood is easy to nail into and it holds screws securely due to the alternating grain patterns in each layer. Joints in plywood stay more stable under stress than the particleboards found in most flat-pack furniture.
The external layers of plywood are usually made from single sheets of wood, meaning you can paint or stain them for a similar finish to solid wood.
Read More: 5 Types of Plywood for DIY Projects
Versatility
Plywood comes in a variety of thicknesses and grades. Whether you’re working on a project as small as a picture frame or as large as kitchen cabinets, there’s an appropriate plywood type or grade.
Furthermore, plywood is easy to cut, shape, and join into any custom shape or size you want. It can also be finished like solid wood, including staining, painting, and laminating.
Read More: What is Plywood Used For?
Resistance
People love plywood for its resilient nature. This woodworking material is durable enough to withstand the elements for as long as possible.
Depending on the type, plywood is moisture-resistant and can withstand water exposure. Its rot resistance also means it can prevent decay and fungal growth.
Beyond that, plywood is pest-resistant and can also withstand extreme weather temperatures. This extends the lifespan, makes it safer, and reduces expenses since you don’t have to replace the material frequently or spend a lot on maintenance.
Finally, plywood’s resistance makes it suitable for outdoor projects where environmental factors can be a challenge.
Sustainability
Plywood is a sustainable material for both indoor and outdoor projects. It is sourced from fast-growing and replenishable softwood. This means that there’s little danger of running out of raw materials. An eco-friendly product, plywood can be reused or repurposed.
The production process uses more of each tree than comparable sheets of solid wood, producing less waste. Waste wood from this process is often used by the same manufacturers to make particleboard and other materials, significantly reducing their total carbon footprint.
Disadvantages of Plywood
Although plywood shines in certain areas, it also has some less appealing traits. Let’s look at its disadvantages.
Lack of Water Resistance
Regular plywood does not handle moisture well. If wet, it can swell, warp, and even start to delaminate, which can spell disaster for your project.
Some plywood types have moisture-resistant properties (like marine or exterior plywood), but they’re usually costly and not ideal for all projects. To prevent moisture-related damage, make sure you’re using the right plywood for the right purposes.
You can use special plywood like marine for outdoor projects that will be at the mercy of the elements. And for indoor, dry environments, you can use regular plywood.
Emissions
The adhesives used in making plywood (Urea and Phenol Formaldehyde) release gases into the air. Prolonged exposure to these gases has the potential to cause cancer.
If air quality is a concern, you should consider higher-quality plywoods that are formaldehyde-free. These might be more expensive but are safer, especially for indoor projects.
Width Issues
The standard plywood sheets measure a maximum of 4 feet in width. This can be a problem for applications requiring wider surfaces. For these kinds of projects, you’ll need to combine different plywood pieces—a process requiring joints and seams.
This increases the complexity of these kinds of projects and can create weak points since joints can compromise structural integrity.
| Quick Tip: To combat these problems, you can use special, albeit more expensive plywood. They can be as wide as 5 or 6 feet. |
Varying Quality
Plywood comes in varying thicknesses and grades. This makes it difficult for you to know the exact composition of your plywood.
| For Instance: Plywood’s exterior may be created from top-grade veneers, while the interior is made from poorer-quality veneers. |
Requires Enhancements
Regular plywood is not resistant to moisture, rot, or insect damage. Moreover, common-grade softwood plywood has knots and defects that make it difficult to achieve a smooth finish even if you stain or paint it.
To enhance these properties, the plywood requires special processes like treatment or laminating.
Tip: If aesthetics are your priority, you might need to check out more expensive, higher-quality hardwood options.
Comparison with Other Materials
Before you choose plywood, you need to know how it compares to other materials. For example, While plywood is notably stronger, less expensive materials like medium-density fiberboard and particleboard can handle many of the same functions for a fraction of the cost.
For more information on the other materials available, check out our article, “Plywood Alternatives for DIY Projects.”
When to Call a Pro
Although plywood is often the first choice of DIYers, not every project can or should be handled by an amateur. For larger construction projects, like putting in a new wall, Home Gnome can help.
Home Gnome delivers the best home service experience at the click of a button. Book reliable, skilled handymen and handywomen in seconds and leave the rest to us.
Main Photo Credit: zilvergolf / Adobe Stock Free / License
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