Plywood: Structure, advantages and disadvantages, applications, prices, types 2026

Plywood (plywood, plywood) is a material made from many thin layers of wood 1 - 5mm stacked and bonded with specialized glue, pressed at a temperature of 140 - 150°C. The structure consists of 3 main parts: the core of 3 - 5 thin layers of veneer, the surface is natural wood and the glue is UF or PF, with raw materials mainly from pine, birch, canarium, acacia, eucalyptus.

Plywood stands out for its good resistance to warping and twisting, hardness 2-3 times that of MDF, low expansion ratio, high screw holding force of 400-500kg and lifespan of 10-30 years. However, the price is 20-30% higher than other types of boards and the water resistance is not good if not specially treated.

With a common size of 1220x2440mm and a thickness of 3 - 25mm, the price of Plywood ranges from 100.000 - 800.000 VND/sheet depending on quality and thickness. Plywood is widely used in flooring, wall cladding, ceiling cladding and making furniture such as beds, cabinets, tables and chairs.

“The global plywood market will grow from USD 90,66 billion (2024) to USD 162,66 billion (2034), at a CAGR of 6,02%,” forecasts the latest research in August 8 by Precedence Research (a market research firm based in Canada and India).

This growth shows that Plywood is increasingly popular and widely used in many fields.

What is Plywood?

Plywood is made from many thin layers of wood with a thickness of 1mm to 5mm, of the same size, stacked on top of each other and bonded with specialized glue layers in between. All these layers of wood have the same size and thickness. The pressing process at high temperatures, usually from 140°C - 150°C, helps increase the adhesion and strength of the finished board.

What is the structure of plywood?

The structure of Plywood is divided into 3 main components:

1. Core: Consists of many thin layers of veneer with a thickness of about 1mm - 5mm, always an odd number (3, 5, 7 layers, ...) usually from 3 - 5 layers
2. Surface part: Is natural wood
3. Glue part: The glues commonly used for plywood are Urea Formaldehyde (UF) glue and Phenol Formaldehyde (PF) glue.

Raw materials for plywood production are usually wood types such as pine, birch, poplar, acacia, eucalyptus, etc.

What are the advantages of plywood?

Plywood panels were formed a long time ago and developed strongly in the 20th century. They are considered a reliable material because of the following 6 advantages:

1. Thanks to being made from natural wood panels, Plywood has the ability to maintain long-term stability, less swelling than industrial wood pressed from wood chips, with a low swelling rate.
2. Has good resistance to warping, cracking and twisting during use. It is undeniable that Plywood is 2-3 times harder than MDF, thanks to its multi-layer structure, advanced pressing technology and special glue.
3. Plywood has excellent screw holding ability during construction, with screw pulling force up to 400 - 500kg.
4. Plywood can be used with many different types of surface coatings such as Plywood coated with Melamine, Laminate, Acrylic, or other types of paint. They are easy to produce and highly versatile. In addition, the surface of Plywood is already smooth, so the speed of sanding or painting is quite fast, reducing 30 - 50% of the time compared to other types of wood.
5. Plywood is a type of board that is safe for human health and environmentally friendly because it does not use plastic or harmful additives during the production process.
6. Plywood panels are highly durable, lasting from 10 to 30 years under normal conditions.

What are the disadvantages of plywood?

Besides the outstanding advantages, Plywood also has 2 disadvantages that customers need to note.

• Has a higher price than other types of industrial wood boards: The cost of Plywood is 20-30% higher than industrial wood panels such as HDF, MDF or MFC due to the complex production process and use of quality materials.
• Poor water resistance: Because they are made from thin layers of natural wood, plywood is still susceptible to water damage. They become heavier when wet and require additional protection when used in wet areas.

What are the applications of plywood?

Plywood panels bring a breath of modern style to interior spaces and construction architecture in general. Suitable for common spaces such as living rooms, offices, bedrooms, etc. Specifically:

Used for floor, wall and ceiling cladding

Plywood has a high durability of 10 - 30 years, good bearing capacity and is less prone to warping and shrinkage due to weather changes. It is an ideal material for making floors, wall and ceiling panels, partitions, attics, etc.

Used as home furnishings

Popular furniture made from plywood such as beds, wardrobes, table tops, chairs, etc. Or other decorative shelves in the house are very delicate and aesthetic. Scientific arrangements and shapes create a more modern and eye-catching space.

How much is plywood?

Popular plywood size is 1220 x 2440mm with thickness ranging from 3mm - 25mm, priced at about 100.000 - 800.000 VND/sheet.

Related question

What are the popular types of plywood today?

Based on surface quality, plywood includes the following 4 types:

1. Type A: Smooth surface, no or very few defects. Often used for applications requiring high aesthetics.
2. Type B: There may be some small eyes or blemishes.
3. Type C: Has more disadvantages, often used for applications that do not require high aesthetics.
4. Type D: Has many major disadvantages, generally only used for temporary construction applications.

How is Plywood Made?

Plywood production process is a complex industrial process, requiring high precision and strict quality control through the following 12 steps, from raw material processing to final product:

• Step 1: Collect logs.
• Step 2: Remove the rough bark of the wood.
• Step 3: Cut the wood into pieces.
• Step 4: Peel the wood into layers (chipboard) by machine.
• Step 5: Cut wood panels to the appropriate size and remove damaged panels.
• Step 6: Dry the veneer.
• Step 7: Repair defects in wood panels.
• Step 8: Apply glue and glue the panels together.
• Step 9: Cold pressing (squeezing the boards with a compressor).
• Step 10: Hot pressing (pressing wooden boards under high pressure).
• Step 11: Trim and sand the plywood sheet.
• Step 12: Testing, quality control output.

Comparison of Plywood and MDF?

MDF is a line of industrial wood panels with medium density (680 - 840 kg/m³) commonly used in the field of interior design (cabinets, shelves, tables and chairs), partitions, etc. Below is a comparison table of Plywood and MDF:

>>> You may be interested in: MDF wood: Structure, classification, advantages and disadvantages, price, applications.

Where to buy quality plywood?

Kosmos is one of the suppliers of quality interior and exterior materials in the market with more than 500 agents nationwide. At more than Kosmos agents, users can find many types of quality Plywood.

Kosmos warehouse distributes a variety of quality materials

Beautiful interior space completed by Kosmos dealer

Kosmos also stands out with its diverse material lines of HDF core, green core HDF, etc., helping customers easily choose products that suit their needs. If you need to buy Plywood or other types of wood core products, please consider Kosmos dealers to ensure the best quality and service.

Although more expensive than some other types of industrial boards, Plywood is still a popular choice for interior and construction thanks to its versatility, along with many outstanding advantages such as good resistance to warping, high durability and environmental friendliness.