If you are constructing your home and looking for plywood for your interior decor like furniture or cabinets, then choosing the best quality plywood can be confusing for a non-professional. There are many plywood manufacturers, but with a lack of knowledge, you can easily end up with poor quality of plywood.
Let us discuss easy ways by which you can check the quality of plywood before buying.
Identify the area for which you are using plywood
Before you set out to purchase plywood, identify the room where you want to utilize it. For instance, if you are buying plywood for interior use like in the drawing or living room, you can simply go for MR plywood since it is moisture resistant.
Likewise, if you are going for a design for your kitchen or bathroom, then going for waterproof or BWP plywood is advisable, which can easily handle the effects of Exposure to water.
BWP grade is best for using in the bathroom and kitchen since they are waterproof , however, they are just as useful for any other furniture application.
Buy from a trusted dealer or manufacturer
A trusted dealer will provide you with quality products and will have stock of all grades of plywood such as MR, BWR and BWP. You can easily judge the quality by comparing one product with another.
Visiting the manufacturer’s company website will guide you better and will help you select the right product.
Check for ISI mark
Good plywood will have an ISI certification, or be manufactured in accordance to IS standards. To check for its authenticity, look for a CML number or an IS authentication mark along with the correct product branding. Since every manufacturer has their own set of unique numbers allotted to them, you can easily crosscheck and identify the manufacturers.
Check a plywoods outer appearance
You can check plywood quality in various ways:
– Check if the surface of the plywood is smooth and does not have any rough patches, oil/water spots on it.
– Make sure the plies or layers are uniformly thick with the help of a Vernier caliper.
– Check the weight of the plywood to check its density. Heavier the plywood, denser it is.
– See if the core layer is visible without any gaps or overlapping.
– By knocking on plywood, see if it makes a similar sound throughout. If it makes a hollow sound then you will know that it is of poor quality.
Ask for a small piece of plywood
Take a sample of plywood and verify whether it is full core full panel or not. Also, check nail-holding strength by hammering to see if it will withstand pressure while designing furniture.
Check for water resistance (BWP)
If you are shopping for best waterproof plywood, you can simple ask the manufacturer or dealer for a lab report on the boing water test. However, you could be assured of the product being genuine, if you are buying the same from a reputed brand like CenturyPly.
Choose the correct brand
Look for brands that have a good reputation and a track record for selling quality products. You can also take a look at customer testimonials to get an idea about the quality of their products. Brands such as CenturyPly have immense respect and the trust of many Indian buyers.
Summing up
Checking and ensuring the quality of plywood you are buying is important. Plywood makes up more than 50% of the interiors of your home or office space. Therefore, keep these tips in mind and you are sure to buy the best plywood for your needs.
