The History of Plywood

Plywood is one of mankind’s oldest building materials. Archaeologists have found evidence of rudimentary plywood in the tombs of the Pharaohs.

It is believed they created a form of plywood to overcome a timber shortage as logs were required to move the large stone blocks used to build the pyramids.

Plywood as we know it today has been in continuous production since the late 18th century.

Plywood is manufactured by peeling thin veneers from logs, applying adhesive to the dried veneer and heating in a press at a high temperature.

As wood is weak in one direction, but strong in the other, plywood obtains its strength by placing the veneers at alternate angles to each other.

Technical Specification

Resource: Plywood can be manufactured from many timber species including pine and tropical hardwood. Almost all plywood produced in Australia and New Zealand is sourced from sustainable plantation resource and the AWP/Brewster group endeavour to ensure that stocks are sourced from renewable plantation resource wherever possible.

Application

In the 21st century, plywood can be found in many areas of the building and construction industry. From flooring, bracing, Formply and decorative applications, plywood is one of the most diverse building materials available.

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