Introduction to

Plywood , Boards ,
Laminates & Veneer.
By : Shakeel Ahamed
 • Plywood is probably the most widely available
manufactured board material. It is made by bonding
together(Hot Press) a number of thin veneers of
Plywood softwood or hardwood - or a combination of each.
• There is always an odd number of veneers (Approx
1.8MM of each layer) and the direction of the grain
runs alternately to give the material strength; the
more veneers used, the stronger the plywood.
• Both the type of glue and veneers determine the
suitability of a sheet for a particular application.
• The finish quality of plywood varies enormously,
some have attractive grains while others can have a
large number of knots.
• Plywood available in various sizes and thickness.
• Eg: Sizes(in Feet) - 8*4,7*3,10*4,4*4,2*2,4*2.
• Thickness(in MM) :4,6,9,12,16,18,19,25,30, etc.
• Varieties:
• MR Grade (Moisture Resistant). Economical and fast
moving Sku.
• Marine Grade , BWP (Boiling Water Proof), Borer & Fungus
proof, Anti-Termite, BWR (Boling water Resistant), Fire
Retardant.
• Price Ranges from Rs 2 to 12 per Sft & Per MM.
 • Blockboard is composed of a core of softwood

BLOCKBOARD strips (up to about 25mm wide) placed edge to

edge and sandwiched between veneers of
hardwood, the 'sandwich' is then bonded under
high pressure.
• Available Thickness(MM) : 16,19,24,32.
• Available Sizes (Feet) : 8*4, 7*3
• Varieties : Weather & Fungus Resistant, Exterior
Grade, BWP, Borer & Fungus proof, Anti-Termite
• Price Ranges from Rs 3 to 8 per Sft & Per MM
CHIPBOARD / Particle • Particle board is a wood-based material that is
made by compressing wood chips with the help
Board/Low Density Fibre of glue. The wood chips in the surface layer are
Boards thinner than those in the middle layer, so the
surface of the particle board is denser and
more compact than the middle. The amount of
glue used in particle boards is 10%.
• Available in plain surface, OSL & BSL(one side
laminate & Both Side Laminate)
• Sizes in Feet : 8*4,6*6,6*12
• Thickness (MM) : 9,12,18,24, etc.
• Price Ranges from Rs 1.5 to 3 per Sft & Per MM
MDF – medium density • MDF, the long-form term – medium-density fibreboard
, is a type of engineered wood made using wood fibre.
fibreboard The wood fibres are stuck together using glue and
then put into a hot machine that compresses the
fibres to form a board. It is a great home décor
material that is inexpensive. The smooth finish of the
MDF board makes it an effortless surface to paint and
cut out designs. It’s a strong and dense material that
makes it a great choice in home interior designs.
• Available in plain surface, OSL & BSL(one side laminate
& Both Side Laminate)   
• Available Thickness(MM) : 8,12,16,18,
• Sizes in Feet : 8*4,8*6,
• Price Ranges from Rs 2.5 to 6 per Sft & Per MM.
HDF: High Density • It is a stronger, harder product than LDF &
MDF with a typical density of up to 900kg/m3.
Fibre. HDF is predominantly used in laminate flooring
products where this density is required,
though other uses include door skins and
underlayment.
• Available in plain surface, OSL & BSL(one side
laminate & Both Side Laminate)   
• Thickness: 19 mm, 22 mm, 25 mm
• Sizes in feet: 8x4 feet, 8x6 feet, etc
• Price Ranges from Rs 4 to 8 per Sft & Per MM.
 • Laminates are decorative surface material made by Hot
pressed combination of kraft,Barrier paper impregnating in
Laminates phenol resine & Design,Tissue paper impregnating in
Melamine resin.(Also called as HPL High pressure laminates)
• used on top of a substrate like plywood, MDF or a particle
board as a surface cover
• Sizes in feet : 3’X7’, 4’x8’, 4’x10’, 4.25’x10’, 5’x12’
• Thickness: 0.5mm - 1.5mm
• Finishes: Suede,Glossy, Matt & Textures
• Value ad Products
• Unicore Laminate
• Digital Laminate
• HD Gloss
• ESD Laminate
• Chalk Grade Laminate
• Marker Grade Laminate
• Fire- retartdant Laminate
• Liners
• Price Ranges from Rs 40 to 300per Sft & Per MM.
 • A thin sliced decorative covering of fine wood

Veneers
applied to a coarser wood or other material.
• Types :
• Natural
• Teak
• Engineered
• Shades:
• Plain
• Smoked
• Dyed
• Stained
• Sizes in feet : 4’x8’, 4x10; 3x7
• Thickness in MM: 0.2 to 0.5 backed by Fleece(thin
cloth) or by 3.5mm Ply, MDF, Laminated Veneer.
• Price ranges from Rs 3000 to Rs 25,000/Sheet.
Following are the various methods of
veneer cutting: