Types of Plywood - Specifications and Prices
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Types of Plywood Specifications and Prices
If you have just started planning and budgeting for your flat's interiors one of your biggest worries will be the brand of plywood to go for. These days there are various different brands (national and local) and various different standards as well. In this post I will try to explain what are the various specifications and what is the use of each.
But first you must know why this is important. Plywood accounts for about 30% of the cost involved in doing interiors. Almost 70% of life expectancy
of your furniture is determined by the quality of plywood. So if you are investing anywhere around Rs. 3-10 lakhs for the woodwork of your flat it makes sense to
do some researching.
Grades of Plywood
Plywood is classified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to ensure trust within the consumer when buying from any manufacturer.
To get a certification a manufacturer will have to adhere to the policies laid down by BIS and accordingly manufacture plywood. Strength of the core material, glues used,
resistance to moisture, termite proof, etc are all part of the standards.
Lets have a look at the most used grades in detail.
MR Plywood
Also known as commercial plywood, MR plywood means Moisture Resistant plywood. It is given the IS 303 grade.
MR ply is recommended to be used on surfaces that don't have any water exposure like Wardrobes, lofts, etc. These are available at a price range of Rs. 50-100/sqft. Higher prices are charged
by premium brands like Greenply, Century, etc. Various local plywood manufacturers also sell this kind of plywood which are branded in various different names like Appl, Alpine, Rolex Gold, Euro, etc.
One can go for any brand that has a valid IS license. However if you are looking for a warranty/guarantee on the plywood you can opt for the premium range of plywood manufactured
by some of the national brands.
BWP Plywood
Also known as marine plywood, BWP plywood means Boiling Water Proof plywood. It is given the IS 710 grade.
BWP ply is recommended to be used on surfaces which can have reasonable amount of water exposure like your Kitchen's units below the granite or your bathroom units.
Typically BWP ply should not get damaged even if put in a pressure cooker and boiled in water till 7 whistles. These are much costlier than MR at a price range of Rs. 80-180/sqft.
Again, you pay a higher prices for premium brands. Greenply Gold is the most used BWP plywood in Bangalore.
BWR Plywood
Often gimmicked as Boiling Water Proof BWR which stands for Boiling Water Resistant plywood is inferior to BWP but superior to MR. It is given the IS 303
grade but some of its specifications would exceed that of MR plywood making it slightly superior. Prices of BWR ply are about about 20% higher than MR ply.
However note that the sqft rates charged by interior firms are different from plywood rates. Do checkout my other post to learn more about sqft pricing in interiors.
A brief guide to woodwork costing in bangalore
Hope I was able to address your doubts in this article. In case I have missed something do let me know in the comments below.
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