Commercial vs Marine vs BWR Plywood – Which Is Best for You?

The first step towards a successful project is selecting the right material, and in the case of furniture, cabinetry, or interior fittings, choosing the right plywood is just as crucial. With so many plywood types in the market, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, and you may go through what they call decision fatigue. 

However, we are here to help you select the right plywood for furniture or other projects you may be about to start. This article is a guide to navigate which plywood is best for home furniture and will also help you distinguish between commercial plywood, marine plywood, and BWR plywood.

Understanding the different types of Plywood. 

When you look at the plywood types, there are several grades based on moisture load capacity and durability. Let's see each of them and understand the difference. 

Commercial Plywood 

This is the plywood type that is meant for general interior use like partitions, shelves, wall panels etc. Commercial plywood is meant to be used in places with low to moderate moisture exposure. The fact that this type of plywood does not come with any specialised grade, it is often more affordable and suitable for places where there is no humidity exposure. Greenply plywood often comes with tested grades and in its commercial plywood category, as Greenply offers MR ( Moisture Resistant) board for general use.

BWR Plywood 

BWR plywood ( Boiling Water Resistant) is a step from the basic Moisture Resistant plywood, and provides resistance to boiling water. However, one cannot call it a waterproof plywood, but it turns out to be a reliable plywood in semi-moist areas. Meaning this plywood is not meant for direct exposure to water, but can withstand moisture and humidity to a good extent. 

Marine Plywood

This is a heavy duty plywood that is the highest tier of plywood in the waterproof plywood category. Marine plywood,as the name suggests, is meant to be used in places where there is constant and direct exposure to water. This plywood is made using high-grade veneer with full hardwood quotes and superior quality that are designed to withstand prolonged contact with water and extreme humid conditions. Greenply has a wide range of marine plywood that we will discuss in a later section of the article.

Uses of different plywood types

When deciding which plywood is best for home furniture, we need to match the grades to the expected area, calculate moisture or humidity exposure, and then come to the usage of the plywood.  

• Commercial Plywood: This plywood can be used for general furniture and dry interiors. Whether you are making wardrobes, TV units, study tables, or general partitions or wall panels, commercial plywood is the best and most cost-effective choice. These places have normal humidity and do not come in direct contact with water. With minimal maintenance, commercial plywood can stay for a long period of time.

• BWR Plywood: semi-moist areas like kitchens, and bathrooms where the wood does not come in direct contact with water, but there is a substantial amount of moisture in the environment, a BWR Plywood is the perfect choice for such places. This plywood can be utilised in making storage units for bathrooms and kitchens, cupboards, and wall panelling. 

• Marine Plywood: Outdoors that are high-moisture zones, homes in coastal areas, outdoor kitchens, and applications in marine containers or carriers. These are the places where Marine plywood performs the best, and investing in such a plywood grade pays off in the long term. 

Greenply best product in each plywood type category

Now that you know where each type of plywood can be used, let's take a look at Greenply's best plywood in each category.

Commercial Plywood

Greenply Ecotec MR Grade Commercial Plywood: This is a typical commercial plywood made for interior furniture and furnishing, and basically for dry usage. This plywood features MR grade resin, selected hardwood veneers, and 100% composed core and carries the IS:303 certification. While other commercial plywood in the market does not have moisture-resistant characteristics, Greenply is the only brand where you will find this grade in commercial plywood too. 

Greenply Ecotec MR Grade Commercial Plywood (alternative spec): This commercial plywood too comes with MR grade, and is a budget-friendly plywood. This plywood uses low-emission adhesives and comes with the certification of IS: 303. Designed for furniture with exposure to humidity and can also be utilised as partitions, shelves, and interior home interior fittings. Each sheet undergoes a 10-point quality check for structural integrity, making it one of the most reliable plywood in the commercial plywood category. 

BWR Plywood

Greenply Jansathi BWR Plywood: This plywood is made of selected hardwood species and is treated for termite/borer protection. Its plywood comes with IS:303 notification and has high resistance to moisture in humidity. This plywood comes with a 5 year warranty and is one of the affordable BWR Plywood.

Greenply Club Plywood: This is a premium structural grade plywood that meets IS:710 standards. This plywood is also termite and borer-proof and has zero formaldehyde emissions, and an antibacterial finish. It comes with unextended BWP resin for boiling proof performance, making it as good as a BWP plywood and the best in the BWR plywood category.

Marine Plywood 

Greenply Gold Marine BWP Plywood: This is a premium waterproof plywood in the Marine and boiling waterproof proof category. This plywood also comes with unextended BWP resin and has a 100% composite core, which is designed for high-moisture and exposed areas. This Marine private carries the high IS:710 certification.

Greenply Gold 710 BWP Plywood: This is another top-tier Marine plywood that is built with unextended phenolic BWP resin that has a period bonding and long term bottle proof performance. It is composed of selected hardwood veneers and has a 100% composed score structure for strength, stability, and minimal delamination of the plywood. The Formaldehyde emissions are at the European E-1 level, and this plywood is also treated for borer, termite & fungus resistance. 

Conclusion 

When choosing plywood for any project, it is important that you have a good knowledge of the grades of plywood and what features do they come with. A lot of people make the mistake of buying cheap local plywood and later have to deal with furniture warps, delamination, and fast degradation. But when choosing your plywood among the various plywood types, you must also choose the brand that is the most reliable. Greenply is one name that has become a household name because of its dedication to quality and long term performance.