Home construction is a massive industry, with many avenues and options to explore for materials. Constructing your own home is a difficult task, and choosing the right materials is important. Making sure the material is functional, can fit in the budget, and looks aesthetically pleasing are the primary concerns when choosing the materials to include in your construction projects.
With the vast number of choices available, there is one material that gets overlooked rather easily, and it should not be. It is plywood, and its uses and benefits are many.
What is Plywood?
Plywood is a timber product that is made of layers of thin wooden sheets, which are glued together at extreme pressures. The outcome of this is a thick, strong, and more flexible sheet of wood. The logs used to make plywood are steamed or dipped in hot water and fed into a lathe, which peels off the log in plies of 1mm-4mm, which are used to make the many layers that can be seen in a plywood piece.
While its use is popular, it is rarely considered a good material, with many shying away from it and having the perception that it’s economical and cheap cost also means that the material is somehow low quality, which is very untrue.
The reality is that Plywood can play many roles in the Home Construction process, and its applications are many:
1. Exterior Wall
Plywood can be a great aesthetic and functional choice for your exterior wall. Good quality plywood can be very resistant to the elements such as water, heat making it a good choice for anyone who may want to invest in something such as an exterior wall being covered with plywood panels. It can provide structural support to the home. Plywood is flexible, so it can also be great for areas that see consistent earthquakes and similar issues. Plywood sheets are a good option for such uses.
The wood-like texture and aesthetic can elevate the external design of the house, and with proper maintenance, it can keep looking very beautiful to look at.
2. Interior Wall
Plywood sheets can also be used to modify the interior walls. Facing inwards, they can provide a beautiful natural aesthetic to the home, once installed. They are not only long-lasting, but also difficult to damage. Furthermore, they add an articulate texture to your home that is quite transformative.
3. Roofing and Flooring
It can be included on the roof of the home. Given its resistance to rain, it can be great for homes. It can work as a base upon which some tile roofing can be done. Its water resistance makes it great for avoiding leaks and similar issues from cropping up and becoming a problem. With these elements, the plywood sheets act as an additional layer of protection for your roof. Furthermore, it allows easy flow of any rainwater that accumulates on your roof. Isn’t that great?
Wooden flooring on its own can be expensive, but many consider it to be better than tiles due to the feel and warmth that can be contained by it. Plywood can function similarly, with its ability to absorb and maintain a certain amount of warmth within it, making heating systems more efficient.
Other projects
There are various home adjacent projects where plywood can be the perfect choice for it. Garages, detached sheds, and workshops that are a little away from home can also be created using plywood only, which makes them cheap to do and incredibly sturdy as well. Plywood is a great option for areas that are designed to store things and can be very beneficial to anyone. Some small-scale home projects such as dog houses and tree houses can also be constructed using plywood and making them very convenient and durable as well. Plywood for the wardrobe is another good project, to make your own wardrobe.
While plywood is a material that does not witness much renown, it is certainly one of the most accessible and affordable materials available today for the purpose of home construction and a very true underdog in the industry. For good quality plywood, you can check out CenturyPly, one of the leading manufacturer of High grade quality plywood.