{"id":6433,"date":"2018-03-29T10:30:28","date_gmt":"2018-03-29T14:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/?p=6433"},"modified":"2025-02-21T09:45:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T14:45:22","slug":"why-plywood-is-used-in-solid-wood-furniture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/why-plywood-is-used-in-solid-wood-furniture\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoiding the Cracks: Why Plywood is Used in Solid Wood Furniture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wait a minute. You\u2019re buying handcrafted, heirloom quality solid wood furniture. It is intended to last and look beautiful, but it\u2019s costing you more. You\u2019ve heard there\u2019s a chance that there\u2019s some plywood used in the building of solid wood furniture.<\/a> Could this be right? Is this true? What\u2019s the deal?<\/p>\n

The answer is yes, plywood is used even in the finest solid wood furniture. But there\u2019s a very good reason for it. Simply put, solid wood moves. Without the plywood material to handle the movement of the wood, your solid wood furniture is at risk of cracking.<\/p>\n

Why Wood Moves<\/h2>\n

Wood is a natural material. It contains water and continually absorbs moisture from the air as well as releases it. Wood fibers run the length of a board and the wood expands and shrinks across its width.<\/p>\n

\"As<\/p>\n

Wood fibers are continuously absorbing or releasing moisture. Photo Credit: Saws on Skates\u00a0<\/a><\/h5>\n

The wood moves in response to its environment. It will absorb moisture and expand in a humid climate and release moisture and shrink in a dry climate. While the movements are small and happen over time, they can eventually contribute enough damage for a crack to form. There\u2019s no way to stop wood from moving. It is going to move.<\/p>\n

At DutchCrafters we recommend protecting a solid wood investment by carefully managing the heat and humidity in the home with the use of air conditioning and humidifiers. We share best practices for protecting your solid wood furniture in video and on our blog.<\/p>\n

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\"Protecting<\/p>\n

Protecting Solid Wood Furniture: Managing Humidity and Dryness<\/a> also on\u00a0Timber to Table.<\/em><\/h5>\n

What Is Plywood?<\/h2>\n

Plywood is made from thin layers of wood that are pressed together. The wood is layered so the grains of the boards are at right angles to each other. This reinforces the strength of the wood. It is important to note that high grade plywood IS NOT PARTICLE BOARD, which should be avoided since it is inferior in strength and substance.<\/p>\n

Plywood is often made of the same wood species as the piece of furniture it is at part of. The plywood can be stained to match the rest of the piece or sometimes a veneer (a thin slice of the solid lumber less than 3mm, about 1\/8 inch thick in the same wood species) is glued to the outside of the plywood to perfectly match the rest of the piece.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Same species plywood is used in the back of the Amish Meridian Bookcase<\/a> to support its structural integrity.<\/h5>\n

\"Amish<\/a><\/p>\n

Same species plywood is also used in the hutch back of the Amish Kingsman Executive Desk<\/a>\u00a0to protect it.<\/h5>\n

The Purpose of Plywood<\/h2>\n