You will find a large selection of sheet materials in the hardware store or at the timber trade. Here we list the most common and tell for which applications they are good and less suitable.
There are many types of wood board materials, but we can divide them into two main groups: construction boards and furniture and carpentry panels.
Construction plates
Almost every do-it-yourselfer whoever works on his house will work with construction plates. There is a wide choice available and each type has its own applications and sets its own requirements for processing and finishing. As the name implies, construction plates serve mainly for the construction and not 'for the beautiful'. If you use them for visual work, a finish with a paint layer will often be necessary. Here you can visit wood building materials NZ
Plywood and plywood
Plywood and plywood consist of three or more thin layers of wood glued together. The wood used can be both hardwood and softwood - for example, poplar or birch. Plywood is also suitable for the construction of partitions, tabletops, floors, and all kinds of interior paneling.
Chipboard
Chipboard consists of compressed and glued wood chips. It is a fairly heavy board material with little structural strength. On the other hand, it costs relatively little. Chipboard is often used to level floors for laying laminate or carpet. It is less suitable for visual work with its coarse structure. And one more thing: working with chipboard makes your tools dull.
Hardboard
A thin sheet material, made of high-pressure pressed wood pulp. It often has a smooth and a rough side. Hardboard is cheap and also looks cheap. Therefore, it is usually used for leveling floors, as a bed base or as a back panel of cabinets, all applications where it is kept out of sight. It is easy to process material, which you can also attach in curved shapes.
Also, visit cross laminated timber NZ
Tip: Hole board - a hardboard plate with all holes - is useful for hanging all kinds of things, such as tools in your hobby room.
Softboard
Softboard is made by pressing wood fibers under less high pressure. This produces a light sheet material, which is easy to process but has no structural strength whatsoever. Except for pinboards, it can be used as an underlay.
MDF
MDF stands for Medium Density Fireboard. It is made by pressing and gluing wood dust under high pressure. The result is a smooth sheet that can be seen as wood and is easy to paint or varnish. MDF is also easy to mill, but if you are going to screw it, it is wise to pre-drill the holes to avoid splitting. MDF cannot be used outdoors, but indoors there are many applications: from all kinds of furniture to paneling and moldings.
Concrete plex
This plywood variant gets its name from the original application: formwork for pouring concrete. Concrete plywood consists of layers of spruce or poplar wood finished with a smooth and waterproof layer of epoxy resin. This makes it suitable for outdoor applications. Consider, for example, homemade garden furniture. Concrete plywood is quite heavy and relatively pricey.
OSB
OSB (Oriented Strand Board) is a coarse sheet material, made of glued wood shavings. Due to the rough aspect, it is not suitable as furniture material, but it is an inexpensive solution as an underlay for parquet floors or wall constructions. OSB plates are available with tongue and groove.
Underlayment
Underlayment plates consist of layers of glued pine or pine wood. It is a strong and relatively inexpensive construction board, which is widely used for floors and walls. The somewhat coarse structure makes it less easy to finish.
Furniture panels and carpentry panels
Unlike construction panels, these panel materials are specifically designed for furniture, and the appearance is as important as the structural properties.
Furniture panels
Furniture panels are chipboard finished with a plastic coating. This top layer is often white, but there are all kinds of designs available. Popular is the 'just real' wood designs, where you can even feel the wood grain. After sawing, you can finish the cutting edge with an edge band in the same design. Stick this on the edges with an iron.
Tip: The top layer of furniture panels shatters quickly. Always use a sharp, fine-toothed saw to minimize this risk and cut with gentle movements.
Carpentry panels
Carpentry panels are the only ones in the list that consist of solid wood. They are made by gluing slats together into panels of various thicknesses and sizes and are available in pine, spruce, beech, oak, and other woods. Carpentry panels are strong and easy-to-use material for furniture. Finished with oil, varnish, or transparent stain, they retain their natural look.
