Expert opinion on plywood

Birch veneer is mainly used for the production of plywood, to a lesser extent alder, beech, pine and other veneers. However, special types of plywood are also produced, designed for increased resistance to bending and torsion.

Industrial plywood – is a "special plywood". Special plywood attained peculiar characteristics as a result of any technological processes and it is used in a certain area or several areas. Remotely, large-size plywood (1220x2440; 1525x3050) which has a wide usage in construction in Europe and North America can be considered as special plywood.

Plywood is a multilayer material consisting of at least 3 sheets of coniferous or deciduous veneer. Adhesive compounds based on synthetic resins are used to connect the layers together. These substances increase the water resistance and mechanical strength of the material.
Is plywood environmentally friendly?
Which types can we use for interior decoration, and which are preferable for external works?
In order to answer these questions, we consider the main characteristics of the material.

Building codes require that certain structures shall be made with fire-retardant or flame resistant plywood. The use of this material in walls and partitions prevents the spread of fire from one part of building to the next. Fire-retardant plywood successfully completes vertical through-roof firewalls, simplifying roofs construction and reducing building and reroofing costs.

Fire-Retardant (FR) plywood stands out from standard Exterior (WBP) and Interior (MR) plywood.

The difference becomes evident during the production process, when peeled veneer for FR plywood undergoes special treatment with fire retardants. Thus, the final product acquires its fire-resistant properties.

To obtain its fire-resistant properties, fire-retardant plywood is treated with special flame retardant during the production process.

FR grade plywood is widely used to reduce the risk of fire in public places such as theatres, cinemas, offices, kitchens of restaurants as well as for cladding in residential buildings. Another major application of fireproof plywood is rolling stock construction. Fire rated plywood is also used for furniture production. The structures made of fire-retardant plywood are more expensive but the choice is always evident for those for whom safety is a major concern.

Birch plywood is one of the materials used for the production of parquet and engineering boards. It is one of the most demanding areas of plywood application. Although all the companies have their individual requirements, there are some issues that are equally considered to be very important by all of them. Birch plywood for parquet shall have optimal moisture content and high load bearing capacity.

Exterior birch plywood overlaid with colored phenolic films is light-weight material with highly wear-resistant surface, which is unaffected by detergents and many other common chemical substances. It can be easily processed and combined with other materials. Colored film faced plywood can be used in demanding outdoor conditions as it withstands humidity and temperature drops. Unlike standard laminated plywood, it is UV resistant and can be exposed to sunlight for a continuous period of time.

Plyterra Antislip is birch plywood overlaid with durable phenolic film of high visual quality. Highly wear-resistant slip-proof plywood is an ideal solution for flooring. Thanks to such properties as resistance to slipperiness, rolling wear and abrasion, non-slip plywood for transportation industry is used for flooring of trailers, trucks, buses, vans and trains. Anti-slip plywood for construction is used for flooring of warehouses, loading platforms, pedestrian bridges, playgrounds and scaffolding. One of the latest applications for which anti-slip plywood manufacturers offer their product is decking of ships and flooring of factories. 

Nowadays it is very important that manufacturing companies implement their activities in an environmentally reasonable way. While Finnish birch plywood is mostly certified by PEFС, fireproof plywood produced from birch originating from Russia is FSC certified. Thus forestry operations and sustainability of the supply chain are ensured.

Plyterra Group produces a wide range of plywood for the transport industry, including shipbuilding, commercial vehicles and rolling stock production. Light and strong fire-retardant plywood from manufacturer Plyterra meets the requirement R10 of European standard EN 45545-2. Complying with HL3, the FR plywood is approved for application in all kinds of wagons, including passenger coaches.