Plywood

Plywood is wood veneers bonded together to produce a flat sheet. An extremely versatile product, plywood is used for a wide range of structural, interior and exterior applications - from formwork through to internal paneling.

Plywood is an assemblage of wood veneers bonded together to produce a flat sheet. While it can be tailored to suit an extensive range of applications, the normal product consists of at least 3 plies, with the grain in the alternate plies running at right angles.

There are four groupings of plywood products, with each group designed for specific applications:

Structural
Exterior
Interior
Marine.

Plywood offers the following benefits:

Increased stability
Plywood offers all the inherent advantages of the parent wood plus enhanced properties in its laminated structure.

High impact resistance
Being a wood based material, plywood has the ability to accommodate the occasional short-term overload; up to twice the design load. This is useful where seismic activity or cyclonic winds can occur. This property is also effective when used as construction flooring or as concrete formwork. Plywood's laminated structure distributes loads from impact over a larger area on the opposite face, which effectively reduces the tensile stress.

Surface dimensional stability
The cross laminated construction of plywood ensures that plywood sheets remain relatively stable under changes of temperature and moisture. This is especially important in flooring and formwork construction where moisture exposure is very likely.

High strength to weight ratio
With high strength and stiffness to weight ratios, plywood is very cost effective to use in structural applications such as flooring, shearwalls, formwork and webbed beams.

Panel shear
The panel shear of plywood is nearly double that of solid timber due its cross laminated structure. This makes plywood a highly effective material to use in gussets for portal frames, webs of fabricated beams and as bracing panels.

Chemical resistance
Plywood does not corrode and can be used in chemical works and cooling towers as a cost-effective, durable material when preservative treated.

Cladding, External

The natural appeal, versatility and strength of timber makes it the superior choice for external cladding. Through specification, planning, design and finishing processes, timber cladding not only creates a building of superior strength, acoustic and thermal performance but also creates a place of beauty, style and natural appeal.

Doors

Timber is one of the most popular and superior material choices for both internal and external doors.

a room with benches and paintings on the wall

Flooring

The warmth, strength and natural beauty of timber flooring is enduringly popular in a wide variety of domestic, commercial and industrial applications.

Framing

Since people began building simple shelters, wooden framing has played an important role in shaping structures of many kinds. One of the most popular types of wooden framing is known as lightweight timber construction.

a kitchen with wooden cabinets and a countertop

Joinery

Timber joinery offers a classic, stylish touch to any interior or exterior space.

Panelling, Interior

Timber panelling creates interiors as warm as they are stylish. Commonly using an MDF or plywood substrate, internal timber paneling is natural and versatile and comes as either solid natural timber panels or as sheets of engineered wood products

Portal Frames

For buildings that require large spans and column free interiors, timber portal frames provide one of the most aesthetically pleasing solutions. Utilising modern engineering technology, portal frame design transforms timber into a highly effective, efficient and economical structural product.

Rails and Balustrades, Interior

With its natural beauty and inherent strength, timber is a popular material choice for internal balustrades. Commonly built from treated softwoods and durable hardwoods, interior balustrades and handrails are typically finished with a clear lacquer to generate the most natural result.

Shear walls

Lateral loads such as wind or earthquake on framed timber buildings - either post and beam or stud and joist - need to be resisted and shear walls and diaphragms offer an effective and economical solution.

Stairs, Exterior

For outdoor applications, timber is one of the leading material choices. Timber use in external staircase applications creates structures of strength and durability, sheathed in a natural beauty that blends seamlessly with the outdoor environment.