Plywood is a material that is considered to be the best alternative to wood. It is because they are aesthetically appealing as wood but cost much less than wood and the cost required to convert the wood into a wardrobe or furniture of your choice. While working on solid wood is labor intensive, working with plywood which is readily available in sheet form in standard sizes makes it possible for the woodworkers to convert it into furniture and wardrobes quite easily. As there is scope for beautifying the plywood by polishing or gluing decorative veneer or laminate sheets, it is an ideal material for making wardrobes. While a wooden almirah design with sun mica is quite a possibility, you can also make trendy and stylish inbuilt wardrobes using the best plywood for sale in the market.
What is Plywood?
Plywood refers to thin sheets or slices of wood or veneers that are arranged in a particular way and glued and bonded together under high pressure. The bonding under high pressure ensures that it is easy to work on. The quality of glue used would determine whether the plywood is meant for use in the interior or exterior or both. Before we go into the details of which plywood is good for a wardrobe, it is important to consider the qualities of the plywood that would make it ideal for use in the making of furniture and wardrobes that would be subjected to considerable wear and tear regularly.
Quality Markers for the Best Plywood
Since plywood is essentially a result of some thin layers of plies that are bonded together, the quality of the plywood would vary largely depending on the types of veneers that are used in the ply. The other quality markers you should be careful about when you are thinking of choosing the best plywood for your wardrobe include;
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Core gaps:
This refers to the gap that occurs between the layers of plies that are bonded together, you would be able to make a note of it if you view the side profile of the plywood. The layers of ply must be parallel without many gaps. Sometimes, gaps do occur. But, gaps of more than 2mm-3mm are indicative of the poor quality of the plywood.
Overlappings:
This is again a feature that can be found by viewing the side profile. The lines of each ply that is used in the making of the plywood have to run straight. If it overlaps and the occurrence of overlap is over 2-3%, it might affect the overall quality of the plywood.
Holding nails:
This feature has to do with the workability of the plywood. This is probably one of the tests that would indicate whether the plywood is of high quality or not. If the plywood layers split when nailed, it means poor-quality ply is not at all suitable for furniture-making or wardrobe-making purposes.
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Thickness:
The plywood should be of the thickness that it claims to be. It is indeed common to find low-quality manufacturers who might sell plywood with under thickness. You may find plywood that is sold as 12mm thick being just 10mm thick.
Appearance:
The best plywood brands for wardrobes like green ply, century ply, etc use high-grade veneer on the face of the sheet. This ensures that the wardrobe or furniture that is made using this features an attractive look after finishing.
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Weight:
It is possible to have plywood of the same range of thickness of different weights. That is 12mm plywood sheet of a standard size of one brand could be lighter than a 12mm plywood sheet of another brand. The heavier one is of better quality. The reason for the difference is the type of wood that is used for making the veneers. The Eucalyptus veneer is of better quality and is heavier than the veneer of the poplar tree.
Tested and Certified Plywood
Your search for which is the best plywood for a wardrobe in India would be easy if you have knowledge and understanding of the certifications and what each of them would mean.
The quality plywood is usually those that are ISI certified. You have to look for the CM/L number as well as the grade number on the top of the ISI mark.
- IS: 303- stands for commercial ply
- IS: 710- stands for Marine Ply
- IS: 1659 stands for blackboard
- IS: 2002 stands for flush door
- IS: 4900 stands for Shuttering plywood
Quality plywood are those that are certified after testing and when conform to the strict testing standards set by the government.
When you buy plywood of high quality manufactured by some of the leading manufacturers of branded plywood in India like Green ply, Century ply, Superior Club Prime, Western India, Anchor ply, Kenwood, etc., and hand it to a skilled and creative wood workman, you can be assured of having a classy, durable and trendy in-built wardrobe that you would be proud of.
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