Plyco Blog

The Plyco plywood and veneer blog provides product information, practical tips, and project inspiration for completing DIY, architectural & professional projects. Expert plywood product tutorials and catalogue updates will have you completing your project in no time.

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What is the Best Plywood?

A simple, yet incredibly deep question; what is the best plywood? If you ask 100 people, you’re most likely going to get 100 different answers (unless you’ve got a few Bamboo fans in the house!). Even here at Plyco, you’re unlikely to get a unanimous answer from our team of Plywood experts! However, here on the Plyco blog, we’re going to undertake the important task of at least laying out all the facts so that all of you can decide which Plywood is best, for you.

The most important place for us to start when trying to determine what is the best Plywood for you is to figure out what you’re going to be using the Plywood for. Some varieties of Plywood are far better for very specific purposes. For example, if you were wanting to build a boat or any project that is going to have a strong chance of being exposed to moisture, a Marine Plywood is going to be the best Plywood for you. However, if you wanted to build a cabinet, that exact same Marine Plywood might not necessarily be the best fit.

 

Structural Plywood

Plyco's CD Structural Plywood

Looking for something that needs to be tough, hard, and guaranteed to get the job done no matter what? Well, Plyco’s Structural Plywood range might be the best Plywood for you. Structural Plywood is classified as any plywood with a given structural rating. This rating means it has been tested and can be relied upon for jobs that need to do some heavy lifting. Structural Plywood is a very handy range, so it’s a good thing that Plyco has plenty of it! Where it be our CD Structural Plywood, Tongue & Groove Plywood Flooring sheets (which are great for flooring, as the name suggests), or our Hardwood Braceply, if your project needs strength then Plyco’s Structural Plywood is your best bet.

Exterior/Marine Plywood

Plyco's Hoop Pine AA Marine Plywood

What’s the best type of plywood if I’m making something that’s going to be outdoors? The answer to that nine times out of ten is going to be either Exterior Plywood or Marine Plywood – depending on the exact purpose of your project. An Exterior Plywood like our Hardwood Exterior sheets or Hoop Pine Exterior Plywood is the number one choice for when you need something durable that can also withstand being outside most of the time. Things like storage crates and containers and walls are perfect uses for this type of Plywood. But while Hardwood Exterior is designed to be used outdoors, if your project is going to be often exposed to moisture the best Plywood for you is a Marine Ply. Marine Plywood is specifically designed for handling moisture – many people even build boats with it! We have Hoop Pine, Pacific Maple, and Gaboon variations of Marine Plywood, and depending on the aesthetic finish and pricing the best plywood for you would be somewhere in there if you’re building something near water or in moisture-prone areas like bathrooms or laundries.

Plywood with Architectural and Aesthetic Finishes

Plyco's Spotless Black & White Laminate Plywood

While the first two types of Plywood we’ve mentioned here have been focused mainly on strength and weather-withstanding capabilities, this section is all about Plywood that really catches your eye! Plyco has a mindboggling amount of Plywood that falls into this category, so we’re going to do our best to try and detail each one. First up is our Decoply. This product is manufactured right here at Plyco’s Fairfield manufacturing plant and features a high-pressure laminate pressed onto a Birch Plywood cored. These panels are made to order and come in 10 different solid colours, as well as three unique woodgrain colours for those that want an earthy and natural look. Next up we have our Laminato range. Here we have some of the most beautiful natural timber veneers that are able to be pressed onto MDF, Particle Board, and of course our signature Plywood! We have stock veneers like American Oak and Eucalypt, but we are able to source any commercially available veneer should you desire so.

Plyco's Decoply Laminated Plywood

Our next option gets a little high-tech. The Spotless Laminate range has jampacked so many incredible qualities that increase the aesthetics and durability of the product that it still blows us away. Whether it’s the ability to withstand extreme heat, or it’s resistance to fingerprints and discolouration, Spotless Laminate is a top of the line option for things like cabinetry and kitchen counters/benchtops. Finally, we have our Strataply. Once again manufactured right here at Plyco, this product is stunning and is also available in our Quadro Panels, meaning if your job is smaller you won’t have to pay for a full-size sheet!

Each of these products has unique benefits, but if you’re after the highest quality look for your project then one of these is going to be the best plywood for you.

Bamboo

Plyco's Strand Woven Bamboo

Last, but certainly not least, is our range of Bamboo Plywood products. Coming in three different varieties (Strand Woven, Wide Grain, and Narrow Grain), Bamboo is very similar to Hardwood Plywood and is extremely versatile. However, what really makes Bamboo a star is its beautiful finish and how ridiculously sustainable it is as a resource. Environmental impact is becoming more and more of a concern, so knowing your materials have come from a sustainable background is a big plus in today’s age. Whether it’s for wall cladding, joinery, or shopfitting, if you want to look good while saving the environment, Bamboo is the best plywood for you.

Plyco's Narrow Grain Bamboo Plywood

Hopefully, this has been an enlightening experience and helps you make your future decision about which is the best plywood for you much easier. If it’s helped already, why not move over to our online store? You can view our entire range of products from the comfort of your own home, and almost all of our products are available for purchase too! To top it all off, not only do we ship all over Melbourne and Victoria, but we also ship our plywood to every single corner of Australia!

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