A Grade plywood has the highest quality finish, with no visible defects. This makes it a great choice for decorative surfaces on display homes, furniture, offices, retail outlets, community venues and public spaces.
A Grade
B Grade
B Grade veneer faces also have a high quality finish, however small sound knots and other minor timber defects may occur. Features using B Grade plywood can be painted , stained or lacquered to give a stunning effect.
C Grade
C Grade plywood generally contains knots, defects, and filler and splits although these have been filled, the appearance is affected. It is best used for non-decorative surfaces.
D Grade
D Grade veneer face is a non-appearance grade plywood which can include open knots and defects that have not been filled. The finish can vary significantly, its best to limit it’s use to structural applications where aesthetics are not a concern.
Structural versus Non Structural
Structural plywood contains veneers that have been measured and tested for strength and stiffness. Structural plywood will be branded with an F rating(i.e. F8–F11–F22 etc.) and will comply to the AS/NZS 2269 structural standard. Non-structural plywood has veneers that may have no or low strength or stiffness hence cannot be used in a structural application. Non-structural plywood does provide an economical solution where structural performance is not required. The appearance of CD Structural will look the same as CD Non-structural hence aesthetically there is very little difference.