Customize thickness for plywood and particle board

By selecting the proper thicknesses, you can make the final product go together much more easily and possibly avoid some future headaches. Nobody enjoys finding out midway through a project that the plywood board they bought is too thin and won’t retain its shape, or when they buy a lot of plywood panels only to find out they’re too thick and won’t fit!

What is the Thickness of a Sheet of Plywood and particle board

Plywood is most commonly offered in 4′ x 8′ sheets, but it is also available in 4′ x 9′ or 4′ x 7’sheets.

Hardwood plywood

Hardwood plywood is created from wood such as oak, maple, cherry, walnut, birch, and so on.

It is appropriate for projects that demand a high surface polish as well as a high load capacity.

Hardwood boards are often available in 6mm, 9mm, 12mm, and 18mm.

While 3-ply hardwood boards are excellent for interior applications, 5-ply boards are suitable for outdoor applications, and 9mm 7-ply boards are recommended for heavy-duty load-bearing applications such as framing and roofing.

Softwood plywood

Softwood plywood is made up of softwood veneers such as cedar, pine, Douglas fir, and others.

Regardless of the surface finish, this plywood is utilized for applications that require a high load capacity.

The general-purpose softwood plywood used for home renovation and DIY projects, on the other hand, is a 3mm thick 5-ply board.

It is appropriate for general-purpose shelves, attic flooring, roof and wall sheathing, laser cutting, and other projects.

Despite its high strength, softwood ply is not appropriate for outdoor applications since it wears quickly in harsh conditions.

Particle boards

Particle boards is most commonly offered in 4′ x 8′ sheets, but it is also available in 4′ x 7′, 4′ x 9′, 7’x8′ and 7′ x 9′ sheets.

The size of particle boards varies depending on the manufacturer. For home applications that need for strong load-bearing capacity, it is advisable to utilize particle boards with a thickness greater than 18mm.

Fancy plywood

Beautiful hardwood veneers like cherry, beech, walnut, pine, red oak, ash, white oak, birch, maple, teak, and others are frequently used to embellish fancy plywood. Fancy plywood is widely used in woodworking, cabinet manufacturing, and interior design in Europe. Typically, 18 mm is advised for interior design and cabinet manufacturing.

Chart showing the actual thickness of common types of plywood.

Thickness Chart

Selecting the Right Plywood Thickness