Softwood Plywood
(6 Products)Softwood plywood, otherwise known as roofing plywood, is a rough-grade economical carpentry material, commonly used as a cost-effective alternative to hardwood plywood. Softwood plywood panels are perfectly suited for use in walls or floors where strength is a key requirement. As a general utility plywood, softwood plywood sheets are suitable for a host of construction projects including site hoarding, shuttering, packaging, flooring, stud walling and general joinery.
What Is Softwood Plywood?
Softwood plywood is a rough-grade sheet made by glueing together layers of softwood veneer. Well-suited to roofing, wall construction and general joinery applications, softwood plywood is a highly versatile material that can be worked with both hand and machine tools.
Softwood plywood sheets are screwed easily, glued securely and painted beautifully. Offering many benefits, their main strength lies in their excellent stability and load-bearing properties.
Depending on the project you're working on, different grades of softwood plywood will be more or less useful to you. The finish on these boards can also differ quite a bit, from being sanded down to completely unfinished.
At Materials Market, we sell a range of Elliottis Pine softwood in varying sizes.
Where Is Softwood Plywood Used?
- Furniture
- Construction work
- Flooring
- Walls
- Roof
- Subfloors
- Packaging boxes
If you're considering using softwood plywood for flooring, remember that it must be sealed and finished properly to prevent moisture absorption.
Softwood Plywood Benefits
- Provides an excellent, smooth front side that looks similar to natural wood grain
- Can be stained or painted
- Lighter than hardwood plywood and solid wood - easy to work with
- Inexpensive carpentry material - cost-effective alternative to hardwood plywood
- Excellent nail and screw holding properties due to its cross-grain layered structure
We stock a wide range of high-resistance, high-quality sheet materials on our site. To find the ideal solution for your project (and for further information), check out our sheet materials category.
Plywood Alternatives
Frequently Asked Softwood Plywood Questions
How Is Softwood Plywood Made?
Softwood plywood is a rough-grade sheet made by glueing together layers of softwood veneer. The face and back sides are made from softwoods like cedar, spruce, pine, and fir. Its core is made from slightly thicker layers of softwood veneer.
Phenol resin is used to glue all layers of softwood plywood together under high heat and pressure. Not only does it have excellent resistance to heat and moisture, but phenol resin also provides dimensional stability and electrical resistance.
When manufacturing plywood, each individual adjacent layer is rotated from 45-90 degrees so the wood grain is going in different directions in each layer, which improves strength and prevents warping.
This is otherwise known as cross-graining, which means the growth lines are not adjacent to the long edge of the board. This adds to the strength of the finished product and explains its enduring popularity as a building product.
What Are The Different Types of Plywood Grades?
Plywood is graded into 4 primary groups:
- Class 1 – Strictly internal
- Class 2 – Interior grade of humid conditions but must be sealed
- Class 3 – Exterior grade but must be sealed
- BS10 88 – Marine plywood
Should I Use Hardwood or Softwood Plywood?
Choose hardwood plywood for furniture, cabinetry, or projects needing a durable, attractive finish, as it’s made from sturdy wood variants like oak and birch. Opt for softwood plywood for construction or structural projects, as it’s lighter, affordable, and suited for rough applications like subfloors or wall sheathing.
How Strong is Softwood Plywood?
Softwood plywood is strong enough for structural applications like flooring, roofing, and wall sheathing. Its strength depends on the wood species, thickness, and number of layers, but it’s generally durable, lightweight, and capable of handling moderate loads in construction.
What is The Most Common Softwood Plywood?
Softwood plywood is commonly sourced from species such as spruce, pine, or fir, collectively referred to as SPF. These species are favoured for their strength, workability, and cost-efficiency. Here at Materials Market, we exclusively stock Elliottis Pine softwood.
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