Plywood is common and used as wood for any furniture or house building. There are various sizes of plywood available in the market. Among the available thicknesses, 3/4 plywood is widely used and sold.
You may ask how thick is 3/4 plywood. Let us answer your question and provide you with some necessary details regarding this topic as well.
How thick is 3/4 plywood?
3/4 plywood is 16.67 mm thick. This thickness varies from mill to mill. But the thickness stays around this value. The actual thickness of 3/4 plywood is referred to as 21/32”. Although the name suggests the size of the plywood, the actual size is thinner than the presented value.
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3/4 plywood is a common and widely used wood. It is used to make various kinds of household items. Many things can be made using this wood from furniture to personal equipment.
Houses and commercial spaces can also be developed using this wood for its reliability along with other kinds of wood.
The size of 3/4 plywood is not usually what is written. It varies from mill to mill. But the size and thickness of the wood typically stay around a specific value. Although the size is written as 3/4, the actual thickness is not usually the size that it is marketed as.
It is said that the 3/4 plywood is thinner compared to its marketed size. The actual size is around 16.67 mm. This indicates that the plywood is thinner compared to the actual marketed thickness of the wood.
But professionals and carpenters prefer to say the value of wood in inches. Therefore, the 3/4 plywood is said to be actually 21/32” plywood. Recently, sawmill companies are selling this plywood according to their actual size values.
But as they are popular among people in their old names, the companies are still using the old names along with the new ones as well.
How thick is 3/4 baltic birch plywood?
3/4 baltic birch plywood is 18 mm thick. Baltic birch plywood is considered the most popular and reliable plywood available on the market. Among all the available plywood types, this is said to be the most versatile plywood among all.
This plywood has superior stability for certain reasons.
Among those reasons, the main one is the all-birch veneer core. This makes the plywood stronger and more reliable for various use cases. This makes the baltic birch plywood a better plywood.
Compared to the actual thickness of the 3/4 plywood, the 3/4 baltic birch plywood is thicker compared to the other. This provides the baltic birch plywood more stability as the size of the plywood is accurate and is developed using an all-birch veneer core.
The thickness varies from brand to brand but stays near the actual value as it is made using the same process by all.
Why isnt plywood 3/4 inch thick?
Plywood is not usually found in its actual advertised sizes. It is generally sold at a much thinner thickness than it is marketed as. This is true for not only plywood but for almost all kinds of lumber.
There are several reasons why this happens. Although there are some justifiable reasons, there are some faults of the manufacturers as well. If you want to know why this happens, here are some reasons why plywood is not 3/4 inch thick.
Shrinking over time:
All kinds of lumber keep drying over time. Due to the temperature, the moisture in the lumber starts to dry up. This shrinks the wood. As a result, even after cutting and processing the wood for 3/4 plywood, it will be thicker than advertised on the plywood.
Due to sanding:
Sanding is a common process for making a particular size of lumber. Plywood is nothing other. Due to sanding, the plywood may become thinner than what it was processed as. As a result, the thickness of 3/4 plywood is not as advertised.
Rather than have a much thinner thickness.
Manufacturing tolerances:
This is a common reason why the thickness of 3/4 plywood is not 3/4 inch thick. There is a wide range of manufacturing tolerances in the industry. According to the requirements of the market, they implement these.
As a result, the thickness of the plywood may not stay as it was advertised as.
The greed of manufacturers:
Amidst everything, some greedy manufacturers might make the plywood thinner than what they advertise. This gives them the opportunity to make more plywood with the same quantity of elements required for the actual size.
3 factors that determine the plywood thickness
There are multiple factors that determine the plywood thickness. If you want to know the significant factors, let us give you 3 factors that make a great impact in determining the plywood thickness.
The number of sheets used:
Plywood is basically made of multiple sheets of wood. These sheets are compressed with glue and are developed as plywood. The number of sheets determines the thickness of the plywood.
The more significant number of sheets used, the thicker the plywood will be.
The thickness of veneer core:
Veneer core is the composition of multiple sheets of wood glued together with glue and both sides of the wood are laminated with a sheet. The veneer core is the main element of any plywood. The thicker the veneer core is, the stronger the plywood will be.
Moreover, the thickness of the plywood will vary based on this.
The amount of sanding performed:
Sanding is another factor in terms of determining the thickness of plywood. Plywood may be sanded multiple times for its use case. But due to that, the thickness of certain plywood may vary.
The more plywood is sanded during this process, the more the thickness of the plywood will vary. Based on this, sanding determines a lot about the thickness of plywood.
What is the strongest 3/4 plywood?
The strongest 3/4 plywood is called the Marine plywood. The strength of plywood is determined based on certain factors. The most crucial factor is the method of creating the veneer core of the plywood.
Plywood is referred to as the strongest if the veneer core is made with the best possible sheets of wood and is glued together with the best quality glue. Marine plywood is made with this veneer core. This board uses the best possible sheets of wood in order to make the plywood.
It also uses the best quality glue available on the market. In addition, this wood is made with multiple sheets of wood which makes it stronger. This wood is also waterproof. This is why many homemakers and carpenters use this wood for flooring or in the kitchen.
It is also used in the ceiling as well for its robust structure.
How to measure the thickness of 3/4 plywood?
There are multiple methods to measure the thickness of any plywood. If you want to measure the thickness of 3/4 plywood, here are some simple steps by us that you may follow to successfully do it.
Identify an even edge:
If you want to measure the thickness of 3/4 plywood, you will have to find a proper and smooth edge to measure the thickness. The surfaces have to be even. It also has to be in the same form and condition as it was when bought.
If the surfaces are altered in any way, it can cause the measurements to be wrong.
Get a measurement tool:
After you identify the edge, you need to find a measurement too. There are many tools that you can use. You can get a caliper to get the most accurate measurements. There are multiple types of calipers available in the market.
You might consider using the digital caliper to get the best and most accurate value.
Set the measurement tool:
The caliper has two teeth. You need to set the 3/4 plywood between the caliper teeth. After putting the plywood between the teeth, you need to tighten both the teeth slowly.
Keep in mind that both teeth have to be tightened appropriately to get the most accurate value of the thickness of 3/4 plywood. After adjusting properly, lock the teeth and note down the thickness shown in the display of the caliper.
The value displayed in the caliper is the actual thickness of the 3/4 plywood.
Compare with the plywood thickness chart:
After you get the thickness value from the caliper, you can compare it with a plywood thickness chart. It can help you understand which kind of 3/4 plywood you have measured.
It can also help you know how strong your 3/4 plywood is compared to other 3/4 plywood available in the market.
Final Thoughts
A 3/4 plywood is 16.67 mm in thickness. It is also referred to as 21/32 inches in thickness. The 3/4 inches is referred to as nominal thickness and 21/32 inches or 16.67 mm is actual thickness. The difference is seen due to lumber shrinking, manufacturing tolerance and many more.