This is an extract from the book “Smart Plywood Buying Guide” written by Mr. Akhilesh Chitlangia, Director, Duroply Industries Ltd
He considers Blockboards as complementary products to Plywood and not a substitute. You can use Blockboards along with Plywood, but Blockboards cannot completely replace Plywood.
A significant difference between Plywood and Blockboards: Blockboards, as the name suggests, are made of solid blocks of wooden battens sandwiched between thick wood veneer layers. In Plywood, layers or veneers of wood are glued together. Both are combined using high pressure and temperature.
Why does he say that you should use Blockboards as complementary material to Plywood? The wooden battens inside a Blockboard may have gaps between them. Hence, Blockboards are not suitable for horizontal construction works. For example, if you are building a cupboard or a shelf, do not use a Blockboard to make the shelves where you plan to store stuff. The board may break. Since Plywood does not have such gaps, it is stronger than a Blockboard when it comes to bearing weight horizontally.
On the other hand, Blockboards are perfect for vertical construction works. They are suitable for panelling or cupboard shutters. If you are constructing a wooden structure that is 7 feet or higher, it is better to use Blockboard for its greater vertical load-bearing strength.
Are there high-quality Blockboards available?
It depends on what you want to do with them. Highquality Blockboards in India are made from kiln-seasoned pine timber. It means the moisture is drawn out of the wood artificially to make it hard and durable. The absence of moisture also makes it resistant to insect attacks. It also endures climatic changes better.
Most of the good quality pine used for manufacturing Blockboards is imported from New Zealand, Canada, or the USA because this Pine has the least number of dead knots. In India, too good quality pine is available, especially from Meghalaya, but these days, there are some restrictions in the northeast, and hence, the availability is poor.
Low-quality Blockboards are unseasoned, which means moisture is not drawn from them artificially. These low-quality Blockboards can be made of Pine, mixed hardwood, or Poplar.These boards deteriorate fast. They are prone to being infested by insects and termites. They also lose shape when the season changes.
The table listed below gives you a summary of the comparison between good-quality and poor-quality Blockboards.
Similar to Plywood, Blockboards come in the same grades – Boiling Water Proof and Moisture Resistant with similar properties and applications.