Film-faced plywood and birch plywood: the differences
Birch plywood names the wood species; film-faced describes the outer surface. A film-faced panel can also have birch inner layers. This comparison covers uncoated birch plywood and phenolic film-faced birch plywood.
What changes at the surface?
The brochure lists SG RAW as non-overlaid birch plywood. In the FILM FACED group, a panel made from the same wood species has a phenolic film surface and edges sealed with water-resistant paint. The layers may look similar, but the exposed surfaces serve different purposes.
Scroll the table horizontally to view the other product columns. ↔
| Feature | Uncoated birch plywood | Film-faced birch plywood |
|---|---|---|
| Outer surface | Wood veneer surface; the brochure includes a sanded option. | Phenolic film surface. |
| Appearance | Visible birch grain. Face and reverse appearance grades are specified. | The film colour and texture are visible. |
| Surface options | SG RAW group, without a film overlay. | Smooth, Wire and Hexa. |
| Key order detail | Face grade, visible side and finished part dimensions. | Film weight, surface texture and the working face. |
Furniture, formwork and vehicle floors
Furniture and interiors: Consider uncoated birch plywood for shelves, cabinets and panels where the wood grain or layered edge will remain visible. Face appearance grade and the cutting plan matter here. A film-faced surface does not provide the same wood appearance.
Concrete formwork: Consider a smooth film-faced series for the concrete contact surface. Panel thickness, support spacing and formwork layout depend on the project design. Film weight alone does not establish a number of reuse cycles.
Vehicle floors: Wire and Hexa textures can be compared. Load, wheel contact, panel thickness and the fixing arrangement are needed alongside the texture name. A visible pattern does not establish slip or wear performance under a particular load.
Birch plywood ↗Film-faced plywood ↗Dimensions and coating values in the brochure
The general birch plywood table and Maxi-format values cover different ranges. The values below are not a stock list.
| Property | Documented value and scope |
|---|---|
| Wood species | 100% birch veneer in the general birch plywood range. |
| Density | 640–700 kg/m³ in the general birch plywood range. |
| Thickness | 4–40 mm in the general birch plywood range. |
| Film coating | 120–440 g/m² phenolic film in the FILM FACED group. |
| Maxi format | 2135 × 3965 mm; 6–40 mm thick for raw plywood and 6–35 mm for film-faced plywood. |
18 mm alone does not specify the product
Birch panels with the same thickness and dimensions can be ordered with different surfaces. These two example descriptions request different products:
- Furniture part: 18 mm, 1250 × 2500 mm, uncoated birch plywood; the required appearance grade for the visible face.
- Formwork panel: 18 mm, 1250 × 2500 mm, birch core, smooth phenolic film; the required film weight.
Products and comparison
Compare prices using the same wood species, thickness, size and surface description. An uncoated panel’s face grade and a coated panel’s film weight are separate order specifications.
Birch plywood ↗Film-faced plywood ↗Compare the two products ↗