Melbourne is the second-largest city in Australia and is the state capital of Victoria. Meanwhile, the city is located on the southernmost tip of the Australian continent, making its weather conditions different from other Australian cities. For instance, cold fronts bring about gales and severe thunderstorms even during the summer months.

So, since Melbourne is located on the southern coast of Australia, the construction industry operating within the city will most likely need materials suitable to temperate oceanic climate and changing weather conditions. Fortunately, there are a lot of plywood suppliers in Melbourne that can provide products that meet the demands for high-quality construction materials.

The Benefits of Choosing Plywood as a Construction Material

Plywood is the first commercially manufactured wood veneer made from scraps of wood that bonded together to form larger sheets. And, ever since it became available commercially in the mid-1800s, plywood has been one of the go-to materials for residential and commercial establishments. 

Here are some of the benefits of using plywood for construction:

  • Strength and Durability

The strength and durability of plywood come from the process of creating them. To create a single sheet of plywood, manufacturers will select different veneers coming from either softwoods or hardwoods. Manufacturers will then stack up layers of veneers with grain arrangements at 90 degrees with each other. The veneers are then bonded together with a strong resin under the pressure of a hot press. The crisscross grain arrangement of the plywood veneers creates a sheet of material with high tensile strength and durability.

Plywood manufacturers can control the types of wood they incorporate into their plywood sheets just as long as the process will adhere to the standards set by the Australian/New Zealand Standard Plywood – Structural AS/NZS 2269:1994.

Plywood sheets commonly come with 5 to 7 layers of either softwood or hardwood. However, contractors that will require more durable materials can use sheets with more layers.

  • Ease of Handling

Plywood is lighter than most natural wood materials used for ceiling and wall construction, despite its strength and durability. Plywood’s lightweight characteristic allows installers to handle it easily. Likewise, plywood is more workable than hardwood since you can easily cut a sheet into different shapes and sizes without any specialised tools.

  • Flexibility

Plywood has an advantage over solid wood construction materials. That is, plywood is flexible enough to be installed on curved surfaces, therefore, giving you more leeway for its use on dome-type ceilings or curved walls.

  • Affordability and Cost-Effectiveness

Plywood is a very cost-effective option, especially if you are working on a large construction project. They are less expensive than solid wood but can still give you the same durability and even better strength. Likewise, working with plywood is cost-effective since their sheet sizes can cover large areas.

  • Aesthetics

Wooden elements bring sophistication to residential and commercial spaces. For example, when you use plywood, you can stain it with whatever colour you want and still retain the natural grains on its surfaces. Likewise, you can paint and repaint plywood with any colour and as many times as you want.

  • Acoustics

Plywood is also a good material for soundproofing your ceiling and walls. In addition, the layers within a plywood sheet help soften the noise generated in a room, making plywood an ideal material for studios, music rooms, and theatres.  

  • Environmentally-Friendly

Most plywood suppliers in Melbourne source their products from manufacturers who practice sustainable and environmentally-friendly methods in harvesting timber for making plywood. Likewise, plywood manufacturing does not use formaldehyde in the bonding and heat process and thus prevents undue health concerns.

In short, plywood is a tough, strong, and durable material that will give you a lot of benefits when you use it for your walls and ceilings.