Quality. It’s what J. Gibson McIlvain makes its primary goal. Of course, quality control takes slightly different processes when it comes to hardwoods, tropical decking, softwoods, millwork, and plywood. Among those categories of lumber and lumber products, plywood may well be the most, well, complicated. A combination of solid wood and other components, plywood can offer the best — or worst — the lumber industry has to offer. J. Gibson McIlvain aims to carry the best assortment of plywood possible, in order to enable our customers to complete their lumber orders with confidence and be able to receive all their orders in a single, cost and time-saving shipment.
Plywood Pros
While Plywood may be a bit more complicated when it comes to pricing and grading, it has one major leg up on solid wood: It’s far more stable, resisting movement due to fluctuations in moisture levels. In areas with tight tolerances, using plywood means not having to worry about a panel expanding and cracking the frame, bowing, or cupping. Another positive factor is that plywood is more affordable than solid wood, especially when wide widths are required. Since it typically comes in 4-by-8-foot panels and more easily lends toward matching color and grain, plywood is an excellent product to use for wall paneling and cabinetry.
Plywood Cons
It’s easy to get snowed when it comes to Plywood. Not only is the grading system for Plywood insufficient, but so is conventional wisdom, which cites the number of plies as the most significant factor. Instead, the thing you’d usually consider least reliable is actually the most telling: Plywood pricing can be the most significant factor in helping you determine Plywood quality.
Plywood Options
J. Gibson McIlvain offers a full selection of architectural plywood and marine grade plywood. We also keep an inventory of top-quality Hardwood Plywood with Poplar or Fir veneer and MDF cores in ¼, ½, and ¾-inch thicknesses. We also offer Hardwood Plywood built with thicker face veneers and on higher quality cores, with face grades above-grade, compared to the HPVA standards.
While most of our customers request plain sliced and rotary cut face grain, we typically quarter Sapele in order to provide the most attractive appearance possible. (We also offer sequence matched and numbered or rotary cut options.) The most popular species we carry include African Mahogany, Cherry, Natural Birch, Natural Maple, Red Oak, Sapele, Walnut, White Birch, White Maple, and White Oak.
If you have a custom Hardwood Plywood order to discuss or simply want to take a look at our selection, feel free to contact J. Gibson McIlvain, where quality isn’t just a word but describes the work we do.
