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In general, three types of softwood, hardwood and engineered wood are used to make wooden items or accessories. Nowadays, various types of engineered wood are used to make most of wooden items such as beds, desks, chairs, etc. The reason for this is the diversity and durability of engineered wood. Engineered wood is a wood that is designed and produced in a precise way and is presented in a pre-engineered form.
In fact, engineered wood consists of materials such as sawdust, wood products, and wood waste, which are connected through pressure, heat, and glue. Engineered wood is also known as composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured board.
Advantages of Engineered Wood
Engineered wood is a good alternative to natural wood. Because the use of engineered wood prevents cutting down trees and is more economical compared to natural wood. In the comparison between engineered wood and solid wood, it should be said that engineered wood has the ability to be designed and manufactured according to specific needs. Therefore, it is superior to solid wood, and there is the ability to cut, drill, connect and glue and connect them firmly.
In addition, wooden items made with engineered wood are produced and sold at a lower price compared to solid wood. It is also versatile and available in a wide variety of thicknesses. Easy working with all types of engineering wood has made the construction of wooden items faster, which at the same time have high quality and durability.
read more: Outdoor Wooden Flower boxes
Disadvantages of Engineered Wood
Engineered wood, like other types of wood, has its advantages and disadvantages as well. The type of glue used to make some engineered wood is toxic, such as formaldehyde.
Compared to solid wood, in order to achieve a favorable result from the appearance of engineered wood, it is necessary to polish it and use an external layer such as veneer or coating.
read more: Best Woods For Marquetry
Types of Engineered Wood
In general, engineered wood includes four types of chipboard, laminate, MDF, and plywood, each of which has unique characteristics and advantages and disadvantages. Each type of engineered wood can be used in the construction industry to make different wooden items, and the choice of each of them is different according to the type of efficiency and application they have.
We all know that there are many types of solid wood, depending on the type of tree that the wood comes from. Similarly, there are multiple types of engineering wood, and they all serve different use cases and have different benefits. Understanding these various types will be hugely beneficial if you are planning to decorate your house or wish to help someone with their furniture shopping!
Popular Types of Engineered Wood
- Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)
- Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL)
- Oriented strand board (OSB)
- Plywood
- Medium density fiberboard (MDF)
- Composite board
- Cross-laminated timber (CLT)
Plywood
Plywood can be considered the main product of engineered wood. In fact, plywood is produced by laminating several coatings and connecting them with resistant adhesives, and the use of resistant adhesives in their production process increases the durability and resistance of this wooden structure against heat, pressure and humidity. Compared to solid wood, plywood has a lower price and can be produced in large sizes. The high quality and high resistance of plywood have made it used in internal, external and structural applications such as the design of internal boards and structural frames. In general, plywood is used in various industries such as shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, etc.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Plywood has high strength and resistance due to the cross veins in its structure. In addition to being strong, compared to solid wood, it also has lightweight. For this reason, it is a suitable choice for making wooden items, including furniture. It has relative resistance to water and will not crack or break easily.
Also, the sheets produced of this type of wood are large in terms of dimensions, and if needed, a single sheet of the multi-layer board can be used. This type of engineered wood, along with its positive features, also has negative features or disadvantages. Plywood is more expensive and harder to cut than MDF. Also, be careful when cutting plywood, because due to the presence of urea in it, there is a possibility of releasing dangerous gases that are harmful to health.
Chipboard
Chipboard is another type of engineered wood, which is produced from waste wood such as sawdust and wood chips. In fact, chipboard is produced through the process of thermal compression with resin or their mixture with glue. Chipboard is known as one of the popular building materials in the construction industry, and due to its reasonable price compared to MDF and plywood, it reduces the construction costs of various parts of construction, such as flooring, flooring infrastructure, wall covering and partitions, dropped ceiling, etc.
Read more: MDF Vs Chipboard Sheets- Which Is Better?
Advantages and Disadvantages
The weight of chipboard is less compared to plywood and solid wood, and this makes it easy to transport and use. It is also more economical compared to plywood and MDF. This type of wood has the ability to accept and store nails and glue, and it can be produced in various sizes according to its efficiency. In addition, it is sound and heat insulation, thus it is a suitable choice for making speakers, dropped ceilings, etc. Along with these positive features, it also has disadvantages. Its durability is low and it has low resistance to moisture and water. Also, it cannot bear heavy loads and its useful life is short.
MDF
Today, many factories and companies making furniture and wooden items use MDF in order to make cheap wooden items. Wooden furniture made of MDF wood, in addition to being affordable, can be very beautiful in terms of external structure. The most important applications of MDF are for the production of interior decoration items that are used in residential houses. These products include cabinets, baseboards, flooring and other wooden items.
Advantages and Disadvantages
MDF has a high resistance to fire and is fireproof. It is also vapor repellent and insulating, which means that it can easily withstand humidity and dryness without rotting and shrinking in the long term. It is also a good insulator for sound and has good resistance to pests. In addition, compared to natural wood, it has a lower price.
Using MDF to make wooden items also has disadvantages. Compared to natural wood, this type of engineered wood absorbs moisture and water more, and if it is under pressure or tension, it may break. Also, the glue used to produce this wood contains formaldehyde, which causes the release of dangerous gases that are dangerous for the lungs and are carcinogenic.
Laminate Cover
The laminate cover is an engineered wood for whose production and construction, instead of using wood from trees, wood materials are used. This type of wood is widely used for wall covering, flooring, etc. A laminate cover is also known as HDF.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Ultraviolet rays do not affect the laminate coating and it shows great resistance to environmental factors. It has a long service life, and there will be no change in the appearance of products made with laminate coating for many years. The laminate coating is very similar to real wood in terms of its appearance, with the difference that its price is lower and it is affordable.
Compared to natural wood, the laminate coating also has disadvantages. In order to maintain the appearance of this wood and prevent scratches on it in the long term, it needs more care. It is also sensitive and vulnerable to cleaning chemicals.
OSB
OSB board is another type of engineered wood that is made from chipped sheets of wood stacked at different angles. In the manufacture of OSB boards, wood from trees that are cheaper than their types and have better physical properties of adhesiveness, such as pine and poplar trees, are used.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Due to the high strength of OSB boards, they can be used to make wooden items inside the house, such as cabinets, temporary walls, shelves, etc. This board has a lower price compared to plywood and has the ability to produce larger sheets than plywood. Also, due to the use of small and young trees in its production, it is more sustainable and compatible with the environment. But in addition to these positive features, it is produced in a thick form, so its weight is heavy and it dries slowly. Also, it needs to be waterproofed after each cut to ensure its water resistance.
Which type of engineered wood is better?
The type of application must be specified. If you are looking for engineered wood to make a wooden door for your home, we recommend plywood. But for wooden flooring, the best choice of engineered wood is MDF.
Is engineered wood better than real wood?
Wooden floors that are made of engineered wood have higher resistance in environments with high humidity. Therefore, they are a better choice compared to solid wood. Engineered wood can be used for kitchens, bathrooms and basements.
Is engineered wood real wood?
Engineered wood is made of layers with 100% natural wood. The core of engineered wood consists of 5 to 7 layers of plywood pressed together. So it is safe to say that engineered wood is real.
Is engineered wood strong?
Engineered wood has a high density and is stronger than other wood due to the compressed layers.
Is engineered wood low quality?
Engineered wood has a high density and therefore has good, durable and moisture-resistant properties. This wood is often used in kitchens and wooden floors.
Is engineered wood expensive?
It is interesting to know that engineered wood has high quality and durability, and its price is cheaper than solid wood. It is the best economical option for wooden flooring. This wood is also used as a substitute for steel beams. It is a suitable option for construction projects.
What is engineered wood furniture?
Engineered wood is a product made in a factory with a mixture of wood fibers, sawdust, adhesives and chemicals. MDF is one of the most widely used engineered woods. MDF is the most used in furniture making.
Are engineered wood dining tables good?
If you are looking for an affordable and durable dining table, engineered wood is the best choice for your dining table.
Wooden dining table and engineered wood furniture are resistant to water and moisture.
