Curtis Lumber & Plywood, a Northern Virginia wholesale lumber dealer, recently released a blog answering the question, how plywood is made? This type of wood has a long history in construction dating back to 1500 B.C.

Plywood consists of wood planks made of three or more thin layers of hardwood or softwood bonded together with an adhesive. Each layer, or ply, is placed with the grain running at right angles to the adjacent layer to reduce shrinkage and improve the strength of the board. The type of wood and adhesives used vary depending on the intended purpose of the wood. Plywood can be pressed into large, flat sheets and used in construction, or formed into curved pieces for use in furniture, boat, and aircraft construction. This type of wood is generally cost efficient and readily available in hardware stores, making it a popular choice for contractors and consumers on a budget.

Plywood is made from trees that are smaller in diameter than those used for lumber. After the trees are cut down, the branches are trimmed off and the trunks are cut to the appropriate length. These logs are then transferred to the mill, where they are debarked and cut into sections suitable for making eight-foot-long sheets. The blocks are heated and soaked for 12 to 40 hours to soften the wood, then fed into a lathe, which peels thin sheets of veneer from the block. The sheets are cut into standard sizes while being graded and scanned for imperfections. Each acceptable sheet is dried in a mechanical drier before being stacked by grade and glued together either by hand or by machine. Glued sheets are pressed in a heated chamber that applies pressure to ensure a strong bond. Saws trim the sheets to their final dimensions, sanded, and stamped to tell the buyer about the exposure rating, grade, mill number, and other relevant information. The planks can then be bundled for shipment.

Speak to Curtis Lumber & Plywood for more information about plywood and to get expert advice on sourcing materials for your next project. The wholesale lumber dealers have six decades of experience in providing contractors with various treated products and types of plywood to support their businesses. Curtis Lumber & Plywood can be contacted at 703-972-1947 or online at https://www.clp-inc.com. The firm is located at 7351 Highland Street, Springfield, VA 22150.

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