• Marine Plywood
• Structural Plywood
• Overlaid Formply
• Exterior Plywood
• Interior Plywood
• DURAPLY Preservative Treated Plywood
• Tongued & Grooved Plywood Flooring

As a member of the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australia (EWPAA), we conform to both Australian and New Zealand Plywood standards and are monitored and audited regularly by independent, third party, EWPAA approved auditors.

Marine Plywood

Marine plywood is a purpose built structural plywood, manufactured and quality controlled to Australian/New Zealand Standard, AS/NZS 2272-Marine Plywood. It has been designed specifically for use in a marine environment particularly in boat hulls and other marine applications as well as in aircraft construction and kitchen and other joinery.

Marine plywood possesses the following features and benefits:

• BOND: Type A (Phenol Formaldehyde) which is dark in colour. The A bond is completely durable under a marine environment, has a 40 year warranty and is heat, cold and waterproof.
• Lowest available formaldehyde emission class level, E0.
• Manufactured to a minimum stress grade F14 (Higher stress grades are available upon request)
• FACE GRADES: Marine plywood is manufactured with A grade veneer (mainly Hoop Pine) on both the face and the back. The natural wood characteristics are ideal for decorative applications that also require structural integrity.
• Lightweight and easy to work with. Solid core with no internal core gaps.
• Can be nailed up to 10mm from the edge and will still hold nail or screw fixings.
• STANDARD TOLERANCES: EWPAA quality controlled marine plywood has standard tolerances on dimensions of length, width, thickness and squareness.

Marine plywood has known structural performance. It is manufactured from EWPAA approved, selected group of species chosen because of their performance under marine environment. Species are chosen on the basis of bending strength and stiffness, impact resistance, density, dimensional stability, glueability and paintability. The arrangement of veneers in the plywood is limited also to provide two way panel strength, stability and impact resistance.

Marine plywood actually gets the name “Marine” from the waterproof glue and the specific core veneers used in its manufacture. No marine species are naturally durable in water and preservative treatment of marine plywood used in exposed marine environments is a necessity.

Marine plywood can be painted or clear finished on both surfaces. Surfaces provide an excellent base for marine paints and varnishes and quality high gloss finishes can be achieved. For best results, it is recommended to use high quality marine paints. Surface checks or crazing will occur with ageing of paint film or varnish which do not impair the structural properties of the plywood. The surface can be re sanded and refinished.

Special plywood overlays are available that are resistant to surface checking. These products are recommended where low maintenance is required.

Marine plywood has controlled panel dimensions which allows for ease of construction. Panels are square, have straight edges and standard lengths, widths and thicknesses. The tolerances on dimension are detailed in the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2272 - Marine Plywood.

As your life depends on the performance of the marine plywood, ensure that the branding requirements are met. It is your guarantee of quality controlled plywood with the permanent, durable marine Type A bond.

Marine Plywood possesses many beneficial characteristics. Marine plywood is basically high quality face grade structural plywood. The characteristics of high strength and stiffness to weight ratio, high dimensional stability, high panel shear and chemical resistance therefore apply equally for marine as they do for structural plywood. Each characteristic is used to advantage in marine applications. Marine, with its high grade face veneer, is also used to manufacture furniture, feature walls and applications where clear finishing is sought after to emphasize the grain (especially Hoop Pine) and solid core veneer that is unique to Marine. Additionally, the following characteristics of marine plywood are used to advantage:

• WORKABILITY: Marine plywood can be sawn, bored, drilled, screwed and nailed with no requirements for sophisticated equipment. This is particularly advantageous to the do-it-yourself builder.
• HIGH IMPACT RESISTANCE: This property of marine plywood ensures resistance to impact damage caused by floating debris or rough weather.
• PAINTABILITY: A high quality paint finish can be achieved cutting down, drag through the water and minimizing fuel consumption. Remember to follow the paint manufacturer’s instructions closely.

Standard Available Dimensions: Length: 2400mm, Width: 1200mm, Thickness: 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, or 17mm. Non-standard sized panels and thicknesses are possibly available upon request.

Structural Plywood

Structural plywood is manufactured and quality controlled to Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2269 - Structural Plywood and possesses the following features and benefits.

• BOND: Type A (Phenol Formaldehyde) which is dark in colour. The A bond provides permanent, durable marine bond between veneers. The plywood is capable of performing under stress and permanent exposure, has a 40 year warranty and is heat, cold and waterproof.
• Lowest available formaldehyde emission class level, E0.
• Can be nailed up to 10mm from the edge and will still hold nail or screw fixings.
• Manufactured to a minimum stress grade F14 (Higher stress grades are available upon request).
• FACE GRADES: Structural plywood is manufactured with A, B, C or D grade faces. A, B and C grade faces are solid with filled defects whereas D grade allows open defects. Because structural plywood is designed to perform a structural function, the allowable defects are limited purely on the basis of structural considerations. Aesthetics are not a consideration. If structural plywood is to be used aesthetically as well as structurally, higher face grades, A and B grades as defined in AS/NZS 2271 - Exterior Plywood and AS/NZS 2269 - Structural Plywood, may need to be specified. Usually structural plywood has a D grade back veneer.
• STANDARD TOLERANCES: EWPAA quality controlled plywood has standard tolerances on dimensions of length, width, thickness and squareness.

The stress grading system allows the application of basic working stresses to plywood manufactured from a wide range of timber species. This gives structural plywood a known and consistent structural performance.

The minimum grade requirements can be specified for most economic performance eg., D/D grade (D grade face/D grade back) for plywood where structural and shear strength performance alone, is required; or C/D grade (C grade face/D grade back) in plywood flooring which requires one solid face to take overlays such as vinyl or carpet. Panels have controlled lengths, widths, squareness, edge straightness and thickness. Standard tolerances are most important when laying large areas such as residential or industrial floors, formwork or even shelving.

Structural plywood can also be manufactured and used as plywood bracing. Bracing is a traditional plywood product most commonly manufactured in three-ply 7mm sheets for a broad range of applications. Bracing is best known for its general bracing units. It is manufactured with a cross-laminate structure that maintains two-way dimensional stability under changes in temperature and moisture content.

The correct branding as per the EWPAA Quality Control Policy, on the back of every sheet produced, is your guarantee of a quality controlled engineered plywood panel with a permanent durable Type A marine bond.

Structural Plywood is designed to perform primarily a structural function. The plywood is not designed normally with aesthetic considerations in mind. Some special structural plywood products have been developed which perform both a structural and decorative function e.g. external cladding used also as bracing and flooring with a decorative underside used as an exposed ceiling in two storey construction. Structural plywood possesses additional characteristics of benefit in construction:

• HIGH STRENGTH AND STIFFNESS TO WEIGHT RATIO: An advantage in such applications as formwork, industrial and domestic flooring, containers, packaging, transportable and conventional housing and plywood webbed beams (I-Beams/I-Joists).
• HIGH DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Because of the cross laminated construction, plywood tends to adopt the stability of wood along its grain. This two way dimensional stability of plywood under changes of temperature and moisture is used to advantage when laying areas such as concrete formwork or domestic or industrial flooring.
• HIGH PANEL SHEAR: Again, because of the cross laminated construction, plywood possesses high panel shear; twice the shear carrying capacity of timber. This property is used to advantage in plywood bracing, webbed beams, gussets and portal frames.
• CHEMICAL RESISTANCE: Plywood is non-corrosive and can be used for industrial floors, webbed beams and containers subjected to corrosive environments e.g., potash and salt storage, and floors in chemical works.

Standard Available Dimensions and Thicknesses: Length: 2400mm, Width: 1200mm, Thickness: 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, or 25mm. Non-standard sized panels and thicknesses are possibly available upon request.

Overlaid Plywood Formply

This product is designed specifically for use as concrete formwork. The plywood is manufactured to the Australian Formwork plywood standard AS/6669 as well as to the Australian and New Zealand standard AS/NZS2269-Structural Plywood; with Type A bond and B grade or better veneer faces on both sides of each panel on our premium “A” grade product. Lesser grades not requiring a Class 2 finish or with one good side only are also produced.

Advantages, Features and Benefits of Plywood Formply products for formwork applications:

• The plywood is overlaid with a phenol impregnated paper to give excellent, off form finishes, if used as recommended. Edges of the panels are painted with a weather shield undercoat plus a top coat to act as a water repellent edge sealant.
• Formply products achieve a Class 2 or Class 3 off-form finish as per Australian standard, AS3610.
• Lightweight - the weight of a typical formwork panel (1800mm x 1200mm x 17mm) is 24kg.
• Reusable - when good site concreting practices are used, Formply products may be reused numerous times.
• Economical - Formply products are cost effective when compared to other concrete forming materials.
• Flexible - panels can be easily shaped to fit applications where custom sized panels are required.
• Overlay phenolic surface film density: 60/150gsm face and back.
• Manufactured to a minimum stress grade of F17. (Higher stress grades are available upon request).
• Excellent workability.
• Lowest available formaldehyde emission class level, E0.

Standard Available Dimensions and Thickness: Length: 2400mm or 1800mm, Width: 1200mm, Thickness: 17mm.

Exterior Plywood

Exterior Plywood is high quality plywood manufactured with one high grade face and a reduced grade of back. The face will be rotary cut veneer. It is designed, depending on bond, for fully or semi- exposed application where the application does not require designed structural performance. Exterior plywood is dimensionally stable, easy to work and is suitable, when manufactured with the Type A bond, for applications involving long term exposure to Papua New Guinea’s harsh environment with no fear of delaminating. It should be remembered that preservative treatment may be required depending on exposure conditions.

Exterior plywood provides an excellent substrate for high quality exterior finishes. Acrylic based paints are recommended. The following characteristics of exterior plywood are often used to advantage:

• DIMENSIONAL STABILITY UNDER MOISTURE CHANGES: A real advantage when plywood is used in and around sinks, showers, baths and other potentially wet areas. A necessity for furniture in wet areas such as bathrooms, laundries around kitchen sinks and vanity basins or fully exposed applications such as external cladding.
• VERSATILITY: Exterior plywood can be used for external cladding, exterior door skins, signs, billboards, and furniture in wet or dry areas. Also suitable for expressed joint ceiling applications or negative detail shop fit-outs.
• Manufactured to the Australia and New Zealand standard: AS/NZS2271 - Plywood and Blockboard for Exterior use.
• Has natural sound attenuation properties that can reduce ambient noise generated by sound deflections from concrete floors. It can also be slotted or drilled to provide enhanced sound attenuation properties and form part of sound wave isolation systems.
• Permanent Type A Bond and has a 40 year warranty that is heat, cold and waterproof.
• EASILY FINISHED: Exterior plywood can be finished with clear finishes, paints or overlaid with a range of medium or high pressure laminates as required.
• Lowest available formaldehyde emission class level, E0.
• Can be nailed up to 10mm from the edge and will still hold nail or screw fixings.
• Manufactured to a minimum stress grade F14 (Higher stress grades are available upon request)

Standard Available Dimensions: Length: 2400mm, Width: 1200mm, Thickness: 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 17, 21 or 25mm. Non-standard sized panels and thicknesses are possibly available upon request.

Interior Plywood

Interior plywood products can range from a high quality appearance grade of plywood to lesser grades (B, C & D), designed for use in interior non-structural applications protected from the weather or damp conditions. The Type D bond is durable under these conditions. Interior plywood is unsuitable for exterior or structural applications.

Interior plywood possesses many of the characteristics of exterior, marine and structural plywood. It is easily worked with conventional wood working tools and can be nailed close to the edge without fear of splitting. Interior plywood can be glued with normal wood working adhesives and can be clear finished or painted giving high quality decorative appearance. Interior plywood can be used in applications ranging from paneling and fit outs to fine furniture.

Interior plywood can be manufactured from a wide range of decorative timber species. The natural beauty is used to advantage in such applications as internal paneling and fitments.

Interior plywood is manufactured to the Australian and New Zealand standard: AS/NZS2270 - Plywood and Blockboard for interior use.

Can be nailed up to 10mm from the edge and will still hold nail or screw fixings.

Can be treated to H2 with glue-line additive that is odourless and has no residue. This product is called Prufply and the treated glue-line prevents infestation by Termites and other wood boring insects.

Standard Available Dimensions: Length: 2400mm, Width: 1200mm, Thickness: 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, or 17mm. Non-standard sized panels and thicknesses are possibly available upon request.

DURAPLY Preservative Treated Plywood

This grade is designed for applications such as wall or roof sheathing and plywood flooring where it is involved with repeated exposure to water and the weather. Its weathering ability is markedly improved by the applications where the plywood will be in ground contact or submerged in water.

The Plywood is treated using the CSIRO approved CCA process whereby a concentrated solution of chromium, copper, and arsenic compounds is forced into the plywood under pressure giving 100 percent penetration. The plywood is then dried and the salts remain in the plywood in a form which is insoluble, i.e. they cannot be washed out of the plywood. The amount of salts, in terms of kg per cubic metre (m3) timber, is regulated by the initial concentration of the solution.

Duraply is treated to H3 (above ground) or H4 (Ground contact or water submerged) Hazard Levels.

Other Features and benefits include:

• Lowest available formaldehyde emission class level, E0.
• Prevention from fungus and termite attack.
• Perfect for trailer or truck decks.
• Used in wet area home renovations to replace particle board (laundry, kitchen and bathroom).
• Manufactured to a minimum stress grade F14 (Higher stress grades are available upon request)
• Permanent Type A Bond and has a 40 year warranty that is heat, cold and waterproof.
• Manufactured to the Australia and New Zealand standard: AS/NZS2269 - Structural Plywood.
• Duraply face grade is generally C grade with a D grade back. Higher or lower grades can be manufactured if requested.
• Can be nailed up to 10mm from the edge and will still hold nail or screw fixings.

Standard Available Dimensions: Length: 2400mm, Width: 1200mm, Thickness: 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 17, 21 or 25mm. Non-standard sized panels and thicknesses are possibly available upon request.

Tongued & Grooved Plywood Flooring

Tongued & Grooved Plywood Flooring is manufactured to Australian and New Zealand standard, AS/NZS 2269 (PNGS 1077) Structural Plywood. Additionally, Groove profiles are machined down the length of the panels and plastic tongues inserted in one side, so there is no need to nog under panel edges. End joints of panel’s butt joint on floor joists.

Plywood Flooring is designed as a complete flooring system for wet and dry areas in domestic, commercial and industrial flooring applications. Because of its Type A bond and inherent dimensional stability, plywood flooring is unaffected by weather and is ideally suited to the platform flooring construction method.

Available standard or CCA treated.

Other Features and benefits include:

• Lowest available formaldehyde emission class level, E0. Will not release formaldehyde over service life, even if underfloor heating is installed, unlike some other common flooring panels.
• Permanent Type A Bond and has a 40 year warranty that is heat, cold and waterproof.
• Manufactured to the Australia and New Zealand standard: AS/NZS2269 - Structural Plywood.
• Used in wet area home renovations to replace particle board (laundry, kitchen and bathroom).
• Manufactured to a minimum stress grade F14 (Higher stress grades are available upon request). It has superior F14 strength and stiffness, yet it is lightweight and easy to install.
• Can be nailed up to 10mm from the edge and will still hold nail or screw fixings.
• Compared to particle board, Plywood Flooring sheeting is thinner and lighter for the same application.
• Excellent elastic recovery after bearing very high loads.
• Dimensionally stable and when installed correctly, has better squeak resistance properties than particleboard panels due to higher stiffness at the same thickness.
• Easy to drill, saw and nail and has a full length plastic, removable tongue.
• Typically 120m2 can be laid by two people in approximately two hours, providing a sturdy platform for the remainder of construction.
• Flooring face grade is generally C grade with a D grade back. Higher or lower grades can be manufactured if requested.