5 Advantages of Using Birch Plywood

Sheet of plywood

Birch plywood is a popular fine-grained wood. It is commonly used for home improvement projects, particularly cabinet making, desks, and shelves. It is also popularly used in making children’s toys (especially dollhouses), playground fixtures, and sports and musical equipment.

About Birch Plywood

Birch plywood does not have an intricate grain pattern, so it is often considered to be plain or even dull. However, birch does come with a nice smooth and pale finish, and this adds a touch of elegance to the wood and the finished product.

There are several different grades of birch plywood available in the market; they are distinguished according to their thicknesses: 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 inch thicknesses. Additionally, birch plywood is a durable and well-priced plywood, and this makes it a popular choice. When purchasing birch plywood, it is important to note that birch plywood is not one solid piece of wood; it has several layers of birch veneer that are glued together using resin. Usually, there are three or more layers.

Advantages of Using Birch Plywood

If you are in the process of choosing plywood for home improvement projects, consider the following advantages of using birch plywood.

1. Aesthetic Advantage

Birch plywood is perfect for home furnishings as it has a nice, rich sheen, and it gives the end product a nice, elegant finish. Additionally, birch plywood allows you to customize the end product. You can leave it untreated or have it stained. It can also be worked and smoothed over, or it can be left as it is. Either way, you can rest assure that the finished product will still look good.

2. Strength Advantage

Birch plywood is known for its durability. The process of forming the birch plywood reinforces the strength of the original piece of wood. Birch plywood is formed by layering up three or more layers of birch. This adds a great amount of stability and strength to the plywood.

3. Safety Advantage

Birch plywood does not have many knots or jagged edges. It is smooth and is not known to splinter or crack. This makes it the wood of choice for cabinet (and other furniture) makers as well as toy makers. In fact, it is ideal for any child-friendly construction.

4. Price Advantage

Another factor that gives birch plywood an edge over other plywood is that it is good to look at, safe, and strong, without being too heavy on the wallet. In fact, it is easily available at cost-effective prices. As a result, it is popularly used in combination with more expensive hardwoods. Birch wood cabinets work well with fancy hardwood floors. Moreover, since hardwood is not too expensive to assemble, you have the option of choosing the hardwood of your choice.

5. Environmental Advantage

Birch trees are native to northern Europe (mainly Finland and the Baltic) and Russia. It is an abundant, fast-growing species. This means that there is no destruction or disruption of biodiversity when birch is felled. It is better to opt for this renewable source than other options that might have a negative impact on the environment.