BLOCKBOARD NOTE

In the furniture industry the most well know panels are chipboards, MDF (or HDF) and plywoods (mainly birch and poplar). There is also one kind of panels, maybe less known, but definitely the best solution for high quality furniture, doors, door jambs and moulding and the most similar to solid wood: that's BLOCKBOARD.

Blockboard is a special panel made of many strips of poplar or spruce of the same width. Poplar and spruce lumber have been carefully dried and the most evident wood defects have been eliminated. Due to its composition BLOCKBOARD is also called "LUMBER CORE PLYWOOD".

The best advantages of blockboard are:

• High screw extraction resistance
• High stability and bending strength
• Many possible compositions and suitable for many applications
• Also big size availables

BLOCKBOARDS panels can be:

• single, doble or triple core
• poplar or spruce core
• from 3 to 7 layers
• from 13 to 70 mm thickness
• Many possible faces: poplar or fromager rotary cut veneer, MDF (or HDF), Chipboard, HPL, decorative veneers.

FAQ

1) What is the main difference between poplar and spruce core?

Poplar is usually slightly lighter than Spruce, but poplar has less screw extraction resistance and less bending streght.

2) Why Spruce and not Pine?

Even if pine is cheaper, spruce is preffered because is straighter and less likely to warp or twist. Moreover due to its fibers Spruce is more easy to work (molding and trim) and less problematic with the resins.

3) What are the best composition and thickness?

Obviously it depends on what you need to do. Usually:

• from 13 to 25 mm thickness for shutters, furnishings
• from 28 to 35 mm thickness for shelfs, bookcases, furnishings
• from 38 to 45 mm thickness for doors, door jambs, tops, furnishings

4) Are blockboards panels subject to the Composite Wood Products Airbone Toxic Control Measure (ATCM)?

NO! Blockboard is considered a type of HWPW (hardwood plywood), emission standards were only established for HWPW-VC (hardwood plywood veneer core) and HWPW-CC (hardwood plywood composite core).

SOURCE : https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/toxics/compwood/implementation/faq.htm

So for Blockboard is not requested TSCA TITLE IV - CARB P2 certification.

If blockboard has HDF faces so just HDF must have certfication CARB2.

5) What size are available?

The standard size are:

• 1870 X 3130 mm and 1870 X 3660 mm for blockboard with Ceiba faces
• 3120 X 1870 mm, 3660 X1870 mm, 2440 X 1220 mm for blockboard with MDF/HDF faces
• 3120 X 1860 mm for VENEERED blockboard
• 3050 X 1330 mm and 2440 X 1220 mm for blockboard with HPL faces.

Anyway upon request, with a minimum quantity, many other size are available!

SIFAR PLACCATI produce wood panels and blockboard since 1969. If you need more informations don't hesitate to contact us!!!