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How is laminated board different from plywood?
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Furniture
Card table, mahogany (primary wood) with original gold patina and gold stenciling, maker unknown, c. 1828; in the Indianapolis Museum of Art. 70.48 × 91.74 × 91.44 cm.
While both plywood and laminated board are engineered wood products used in furniture, they differ primarily in their internal construction and structural properties.
- Plywood: This material is manufactured by gluing together thin sheets of wood, known as veneers, with the grain of each layer typically oriented perpendicular to the adjacent layers. This cross-graining provides high dimensional stability and resistance to splitting. If a product consists solely of these single sheets of veneer glued together, it is classified as plywood.123
- Laminated Board: The characteristic feature of laminated board is that it consists of a central core made of narrow strips of wood glued together on edge, which is then enclosed by a veneer on both sides. Because the core is composed of these strips, the board is generally thicker and more rigid, making it particularly suitable for items like table tops or doors.3
While plywood is often used for backing, drawer bottoms, and shelving, laminated board is valued for its ability to resist shrinking and its uniform strength in both longitudinal and lateral directions.3