Plywood is a type of wood product which is made from many sheets of either plies or veneer which are tightly packed together and glued so that the grain on each piece is going in the opposite direction. Plywood is a very strong and durable material. Plywood is, however, not a very attractive material and, therefore, plywood furniture has to be treated in many various ways to make it appear slightly more attractive than it actually is. Plywood is also treated in many different ways depending on what its final function will be.

Why is Plywood Used?

When plywood is well made material it does not crack easily like many types of softwood can. It also does not easily warp or bend because it is made up of so many different layers, making it extra strong. It is also less likely to shrink in various environments providing it is thick enough. You may well be familiar with plywood as it is used in the construction of wallpaper pasting tables.

Is All Plywood The Same?

There are various different types of plywood available including softwood and hardwood plywood. Softwood plywood is usually made from pine, fir or spruce and is usually a very unattractive pale colour which most people would not find acceptable to use as furniture. Decorative plywood can be bought and usually has a veneer made from a more expensive and attractive hardwood such as mahogany or oak.

Plywood Furniture Seems To Be a Bargain. Why Should I Buy Hardwood Furniture?

Plywood is often used in furniture making because it is much cheaper than the equivalent hardwoods such as oak, mango or mahogany. Plywood furniture usually has veneered panels which can fool a lot of people into believing that they are actually a more substantial hardwood such as oak, mango or mahogany. Plywood furniture is, however, a hugely inferior product and every effort should be taken when buying furniture to ensure that you know the type of wood you are buying and whether it is solid or just a plywood veneer. If you are looking for a high quality piece of furniture always look out for something in the description that says 100% solid hardwood.

Plywood furniture may seem an attractive option at first glance because it is usually cheaper as plywood itself is so inferior and inevitably costs less. The labour costs when making plywood furniture are also cheaper as it does not require the same amount of skilled workmanship as, say, making a piece of solid oak furniture. However, because inferior plywood furniture is not able to be joined with high quality dove tailed joints, it can be prone to slipping and, although plywood is very strong as sheets, it’s nowhere near as strong as a high quality piece of solid hardwood, such as oak or mango.

Another reason why choosing hardwood over plywood is essential is the longevity. If you buy a good solid piece of oak furniture, for example, it will easily last you your whole lifetime. It will never go out of fashion and it may even end up gaining value in the long term and becoming a much loved antique. When you take this into consideration you can see that buying plywood furniture is false economy.

Plywood furniture will have little value as soon as it’s left the shop and will inevitably end up in a landfill site before long, as it is difficult to recycle due to the glue used to bond the strips of wood together.

Plywood furniture, In Summary

Stay away from plywood furniture, unless you want a wallpaper pasting table! Solid hardwood furniture is, and always has been, the only choice for those wanting high quality furniture in their home.

Related Articles

As well as this article we also have articles providing information on Oak furniture, Ash furniture, Mahogany furniture, Birch furniture, Pine Furniture,and Indian Furniture. If you like these articles you may also find our article on the characteristics of hardwood furniture article invaluable.

If you already have a range of hardwood furniture in your home, our articles on treating hardwood furniture, repairing hardwood furniture, joinery and specifically dove tailed joints will help you get the most out of your furniture, and spot quality when shopping in furniture.

Other articles on offer at Oak Furniture Land include our rustic furniture, teak furniture, wood and hardwood furniture, classic traditional furniture and contemporary modern furniture will also help you differentiate between the different styles of hardwood furniture available.