HLC’s has everything you need when it comes to plywood & sheet goods, from the hardboards to the best underlayment. Choose from our selection of trusted brands for hardboards, hardwood veneers, misc sheetgoods, particle boards, plywood sheathings, prefinished Plywoods, sanded plywoods, underlayments and more.
Plywood is made by gluing together a number of thin veneers or plies of softwood or hardwood. It is made of three or more thin layers of wood bonded together with an adhesive. Each layer of wood, or ply, is usually oriented with its grain running at right angles to the adjacent layer in order to reduce the shrinkage and improve the strength of the finished piece. The sizes of the most commonly used plywood sheets are 4 x 8 feet (1220 x 2440 mm). A common metric size for a sheet of plywood is 1200 x 2400 mm.
Most plywood is pressed into large, flat sheets used in building construction. Other plywood pieces may be formed into simple or compound curves for use in furniture, boats, and aircraft. There are always an odd number of veneers and each ply is at a right angle to the one below, this gives the material its strength. The more veneers used, the stronger the plywood becomes.