What’s the Best Sheet Material For My Project?

Sheet materials are a wonderfully versatile, eco-friendly, and durable timber product that can be used in a wide variety of construction and DIY projects. Whether it’s roofing, flooring, wall lining, boxing in, hoarding, or building cabinets and carcassing; the list of practical applications is a long one.

As well as its flexibility and multipurpose properties, each sheet material product has its own unique features which make it suitable for specific construction needs. So, let us guide you through the various sheet materials available and see how they might work for you and your latest venture.

PLYWOOD

Versatile and durable

Plywood is a hugely popular timber-derived sheet material; its exceptional physical properties have made it the go-to wood construction product for the last two centuries. A fully engineered timber, plywood sheet material is fabricated using thin layers of wood veneer, known as ‘plies’, that are stacked on top of each other at alternate 90-degree angles. The crossing of the grains offers structural integrity and durability—making it a perfect general-purpose building board.

This natural rigidity also minimizes the chance of warping and reduces the likelihood of the wood splitting when screwed, nailed, or tacked. A beneficial quality if you’re working against strict deadlines and want to avoid unnecessary setbacks.

As the need for sheet material has diversified over the years, so too has plywood been developed to cater for specific building challenges. Marine plywood, for instance, is designed with improved moisture tolerance—an ideal solution for boat construction and any circumstance where water exposure is an issue. Meanwhile, veneered plywood, with its decorative veneer layer, is perfect for occasions where a visually appealing finish is needed.

SMARTPLY SITEPROTECT

Construction site security

Smartply SiteProtect is a cost-effective, eco-friendly sheet material designed specifically for use as a construction site hoarding panel. Because of its low price point, and ease and flexibility of use, it’s the ideal security solution for temporary building projects. It’s simple to install, and coated with a heavy-duty primer, so you’re able to paint your company colours on the hoarding’s substrate without any issues.

Smartply has become a popular product for site security over the years, and its numerous qualities offer both protection and privacy for a range of structures and locations, all the while ensuring that your costs are kept to a minimum. These economic advantages also makes Smartyply particularly useful for larger construction sites where a considerable number of boards may be required.

osb board

Cost-effective and natural strength

Oriented Strand Board (OSB), often known as flakeboard, sterling board or Aspenite, is built using compressed layers of wood strands (flakes) that are positioned at precise angles to offer maximum strength and load-bearing potential.

Similar to the grain found in natural wood, the angles of these strands optimize the durability of OSB board. What’s more, as the process involves compacting thousands of wooden flakes together, it can be mass produced in large sheets, meaning a more cost-effective board. A superb sheet material choice if you’re looking to save costs on a large construction project. A hugely versatile product, OSB is commonly used for roofing, flooring, hoarding and wall sheathing.

How can we help?

If you’d like any advice or guidance on the different sheeting material products in the Fountain Timber range, or to find out which would best suit your needs, then please get in touch with the team. We’d be happy to talk you through your options.