You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Lauan and meranti, with exterior glue, is especially attractive to the budget boatbuilder. The plywood is 1/4-inch or thinner and is often referred to as die-cut plywood because it can be shaped with dies without the usage of saws. Luan, also spelled lauan, refers to a tropical hardwood plywood product usually made from trees in the Shorea family. This HomeQuicks article has more information on the uses and properties of lauan or luan wood. RevolutionPly ® plywood is a great choice instead of Lauan and Meranti because it is uniform in color, easy to cut, sand, and finish. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It may also be known by an alternative spelling of lauan. Another common name for this wood is Meranti: while the name Lauan is commonly used when referring to plywood made of this type of wood. 6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603. The logs were perfect for creating this product because they were straight with stable wood fibers, consistent in color and easy to peel to make the veneers. These trees are mostly found in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. The wood is neat and square, the texture is stable, easy to peel, and consistent in compactness and color. The different grades of plywood indicate what it should be used for. This wood variety is very lightweight and softer than most of the available softwood plywood’s in the market. Rockwood has practiced yoga for more than 40 years and taught for much of that time. Avoid this problem by first cutting through the topmost veneer layer with a utility knife, then keeping your cutting tool blade right next to this line. The term luan comes from the lauan tree, native to the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. Because of its pliable nature, luan is an excellent product for dollhouses, toys and other small craft projects that require thin wooden panels. Would you like to write for us? The plywood that most people are familiar with is typically very thin. The term typically refers to a plywood panel 1/4 or, less commonly, 1/8 inch thick. Lauan and meranti, with exterior glue, is especially attractive to the budget boatbuilder. Copyright © Home Quicks & Buzzle.com, Inc. She is also a professional mosaic artist. Because most of these source plantations were not sustainably harvested, the supply continued to dwindle. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Patricia Rockwood has been a professional copy editor and writer for more than 25 years. 1/2″ plywood is used for building furniture parts, boxes and props. Lastly, 3/4″ plywood is used to make covering platforms as it is very strong type of plywood. The term lauan (or luan) comes from the lauan tree, native to the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. Inevitably, as demand increased, the pressures on the southeast Asian supply of hardwoods increased and, by the 1990s, plywood manufacturers had widened their source materials to include hardwoods from other regions around the globe such as Africa, South America and the South Pacific. I went with 5.2mm lauan plywood from my local Home Depot with a recent flooring project because it seemed like the “obvious” choice. The name was originally from the Philippines, the first country of origin for U.S. tropical plywood imports in the 1940s and ’50s. The brownish veneer product is used sparingly in buildings for floor underlayments, in hollow-core doors and as … Use HomeQuicks to find the answers to your home improvement questions, or to find a contractor that can help if you get in over your head! Plywood features a C grade natural birch face with 0.25 mm face thickness and a C grade terminallis back, this plywood is smooth on 2 sides This method used a long blade that peeled thin layers of wood (veneer) off the log as it rotated. APA’s installation guidelines for 1/4-inch plywood should be followed when installing lauan plywood, but installers BEWARE: Lauan is made under a wall-panel specification of the International Hardwood Products Association (IHPA). Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is easy to die-cut small parts out of the plywood. It typically comes in 4 x 8-foot sheets. ▶ Lauan wood comes in a wide range of colors from pink to dark reddish brown, Balau and red lauan trees lend a deep red color to the wood. Like other plywoods, an exterior grade of luan exists which is made with waterproof glue. Regardless, we knew we wanted to use 3/8″ exterior plywood, also known as CDX plywood, instead of luan underlayment when we were ready to plank our bathroom walls. BB is the highest grade and should be used whenever possible. Bending lauan plywood cherokee wood 4 x 8 lauan plywood exterior glue luan plywood 3 4 in 23 32 luan plywood flooring underlayment hardwood plywood underlayment specialty 1 4 in lauan plywood lication as 2. This plywood can be used to finish furniture as well as repair interior doors. My husband used a circular saw to make the cuts. Cuts easily with a utility knife while strong enough to withstand extreme bending without breaking. It’s also used in cabinet making as the wood can be easily glued and screwed. It is in massive demand in this hemisphere for plywood because it’s cheap and knot-free. It is used to make small boats and tools as well. Luan Veneer. As this wood is widely imported, there is a danger of completely losing it from the environment, hence it’s important to conserve the rainforests. When making delicate cuts with a jigsaw or handheld cutting tool, such as for toys or other crafts, there is a danger of splintering off the top veneer layer, which would ruin the look of the piece. Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)...right to your inbox. An inexpensive alternative to pine or fir wood, this tropical hardwood is lightweight, multipurpose, and soft. What we call “lauan” is used for a lot of hollow doors and cheap furniture and floor underlayment. "Meranti" is a lauan substitute that’s getting popular lately. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Luan is typically used in interior applications, such as an underlayment for vinyl flooring. "Meranti" is a lauan substitute that’s getting popular lately. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The veneers are glued together in layers to make a very soft plywood product with a smooth surface. As the luan plywood is softer, it can be easily carved. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. We’ve used 1/4″ underlayment as faux shiplap before and were happy with the results. It’s also frequently used for marine projects such as building kayaks, canoes, and boat decking. Inside Woodworking: Choose Luan Plywood for Your Woodworking Projects, Danny Lipford: Installing Tile Over a Wood Subfloor. The few defects are filled and sanded smooth, but this means that the wood is best used for applications where it will be painted, so as not to show the corrections. The product comes in 4'-by-8' sheets and can be purchased in many places through out the US. Luan is also sometimes used as an underlayment for resilient flooring, but professionals warn that it should only be used as a supplement to a more durable subfloor, mostly because of the danger of swelling from moisture intrusion. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Sometimes referred to as Philippine Mahogany or Meranti, it is the general name given to a wide variety of related woods imported from the Philippine Islands, Malaysia and Indonesia. Lauan plywood / Meranti plywood for use in woodworking projects: Over the years 1/4" Lauan plywood / Meranti plywood have been the go-to panels for various woodworking projects. – What Luan and Plywood are used for – Luan vs Plywood. ▶ It’s relatively inexpensive and used as an underlayment and for ‘doorskins.’ As an underlayment, a 4′ X 8′, 1/4-inch thick sheet of plywood is placed over existing flooring in preparation for tiling. Do this for all four cushions. Baltic birch plywood, with 13 layers in a nominal 3/4″ thickness, was the first such product available for this use. Lauan plywood (also known as Luan Plywood) is a commercial term used throughout the United States that typically refers to a 1/8" - 1/4" tropical hardwood plywood panel used for underlayment in flooring, lamination, paper overlay, furniture, and millwork applications. ▶ It’s used to make sides of furniture, such as dressers, and is an excellent option when it comes to remodeling, replacing a flooring or countertop. Nowadays, manufacturers create veneer from either white lauan (Shorea almon) or red lauan (S. negrosensis). The 4′ X 8′,1/8-inch thick sheets used for ‘doorskins’ are used to make interior doors and for drawers and backing of cabinets. It’s highly esteemed by amateurs for building dollhouses, small wooden toys, and miniature wooden tools. Laun is a very thin material plywood, and is best used for interior purposes, with the primary purpose being for the underlayment of vinyl flooing. You will not avoid some damage to the reverse face veneer, but that side will usually be hidden from view in the final product. About Luan and Plywood Plywood is probably one of the most popular material used to build many things because they are very versatile and can be used for a wide range of structural, interior and exterior applications starting from framework until the internal paneling. Once you have your measurements you will cut out a rectangle from the Lauan plywood measuring the size of your cushion. Rainforest Relief, an organization working towards rainforest conservation, has launched a campaign against home decor giant The Home Depot for endangering the rainforests with the excessive import of luan wood for the construction of interior bedroom doors and paneling in closets. This gives plywood its strength. The weight of any wood sheet good can vary based on species, moisture content, adhesive used, etc. It has a rippled grain and rough-cut texture which can be sandpapered to obtain a smooth finish. White and yellow lauan trees produce white luan wood. ▶ Luan plywood originates from the wood of the lauan tree from the South Pacific Rim. The wood name Lauan is a loose term that applies to a number of wood species coming from southeast Asia. According to Patriot Timber, Pacific Rim countries such as Japan and Taiwan first began manufacturing luan in the mid-20th century, importing huge supplies of hardwood lumber from Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Lauan (Shorea spp.) Loggers targeted trees like the giant red lauan (shorea negrosensis or shorea polysperma) and white lauan (shorea contorta). It has many home and hobby applications and is readily available at lumberyards and home improvement stores. The Lauans, or Luan is also known as ‘Philippine mahogany’ or ‘Meranti’ and are the softer members of the dipterocarp family, which means ‘two-winged fruit’. Now, once you have your boards cut, take an electric sander and sand off any splinters or rough wood. Luan plywood sheets are 4′ X 8′ and available in different thicknesses: 1/4-inch, 1/8-inch, 1/2-inch, 3/4-inch and 5.5 mm. And because it is light, Luan wood can also be used in projects like kayaks. ▶ Because of its resilient property, exterior furnishings made out of this wood last longer. Well, we're looking for good writers who want to spread the word. However, rather than slicing the log from end to end, a new method allowed the loggers to target all the trees in the tropical rainforest regions. In this industry, it commonly goes under the name meranti or Philippine mahogany. You’ll want it to be pressure treated. It’s recommended all over the internet on seemingly reputable sites, the University of Massachusetts recommends it, a major tile manufacturer recommends it, and my Home Depot Home Improvement 1 … I believe the veneer is some species of low grade mahogany. It is also sometimes called Philippine mahogany or meranti. For bathrooms, a Luan plywood is good to put on top of decking plywood for protection. While this does tend to exclude it from being used widely as a building material, it also makes this plywood perfect for smaller applications such as doll houses. Luan, also spelled lauan, refers to a tropical hardwood plywood product usually made from trees in the Shorea family. What we call “lauan” is used for a lot of hollow doors and cheap furniture and floor underlayment. Luan is the name for a common variety of plywood used in the United States. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. As of 2012, at least one company produces a luan-type plywood product that is promoted as being manufactured completely from sustainable, plantation-grown timbers. This type of plywood can also be called common pine sanded plywood. The lauan genus (shorea) comprises approximately 70 species and their woods are extremely variable. 1 4 In X 8 Ft Lauan Plywood 466811 The Home Depot. For many years, the standard option was lauan plywood, also called Philippine mahogany or luan plywood, which is made with an inexpensive tropical hardwood, and therein lies its problem. Both of these refer to a mix of Shorea species, the same used for luan or lauan plywood. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. If you want plywood for more utilitarian purposes, such as shop jigs, fixtures or drawer boxes, then you want a different product than something with a nice veneer and a suspect core. Exterior grade plywood is for roofs or where direct contact with water is possible. Our range of interior plywood includes a variety of hardwood species such as Meranti, Melapi, Nyatoh, Sliced Pacific Maple, Hoop Pine and Radiata Pine amongst others sourced from plantations and sustainable forests, locally and overseas. Luan typically has a solid core material sandwiched between two layers of veneer. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. These cookies do not store any personal information. It's also used to make hollow core interior doors. ">10 Unexpected Items That can be Composted, ">6 Ways to Maximize Space in Your Cramped Apartment, ">How to Start a Vertical Garden in Your Home or Apartment, Pest Control Fresno: The Things You Need to Know NOW, DIY Water Damage Wall or Call an Expert: That Is the Question, How the Plumbers in Lexington KY Help Keep Your Family Safe. The plywood is 1/4-inch or thinner and is often referred to as die-cut plywood because it can be shaped with dies without the usage of saws. Lauan is a generic term that is typically used for tropical plywood sold in the U.S. Luan (also called Lauan plywood) is made from trees in the “Shorea” family of trees. Lauan plywood is a controversial flooring underlay. Luan is a very thin veneer plywood made from sub-tropical woods of Southeastern Asia. This wood comes from trees of the Shorea genus, and they are renowned for how straight they grow, which makes the manufacturing process easier and more efficient. However, a 1/4" x 48" x 96" sheet of LAUAN weighs approximately 17.5 pounds. Coating the wood in reddish stains gives it an expensive luxurious feel, like original mahogany wood, hence it’s popularly known as ‘Philippine mahogany’ in the United States. This method used a long blade that peeled thin layers of wood (veneer) off the log as it rotated. Luan plywood (sometimes spelled lauan plywood) is hardwood plywood made from tropical trees. The 1/8″ and 1/4″ plywood is used for making hard covered flats. Because luan is so thin, it is a good idea to support both sides when cutting large sheets with a table or circular saw. APA’s installation guidelines for 1/4-inch plywood should be followed when installing lauan plywood, but installers BEWARE: Lauan is made under a wall-panel specification of the International Hardwood Products Association (IHPA). No manufacturing specifications support its use or gauge its performance as an underlayment. She is an avid gardener with a certified Florida backyard habitat. Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there! It is lighter as well as cheaper than 3/4″ plywood. The Asian plywood manufacturers prefer luan―it’s prevalent throughout Southeast Asia. Get in touch with us and we'll talk... Several varieties of trees are reaped and commercialized as Lauan wood, but the most common origin of the wood is the shorea family of trees, mainly the ‘shorea almon‘ and ‘shorea negrosensis‘. Lauan plywood is used for the facing of interior doors, for the backing of wood and faux-wood paneling, for the interior walls of truck bodies, RVs and trailers, shipping containers, subflooring, movie and theatre set construction, cabinet interiors and backing, furniture backing and … Exterior lauan plywood can be used in a variety of outdoor projects including for small boat or kayak construction. Interior plywood is intended for use in non-structural, interior applications where a high quality aesthetic finish is required. The lauan tree originates and is found in abundance all over the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. ▶ Japan and Taiwan first began manufacturing luan plywood in the mid-20th century, importing extensively from Southeast Asia and the Philippines. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Lauan plywood is an affordable plywood option that can be used to make cabinet backings, interior hollow doors, and a variety of woodworking crafts. ▶ The soft luan wood is mostly used in furniture and trim work―it’s easy to handle and carve. ▶ As the luan plywood is softer, it can be easily carved. It is in massive demand in this hemisphere for plywood because it’s cheap and knot-free. Luan is also used for some cabinet applications, such as for thin divider panels. 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And available in different what is lauan plywood used for: 1/4-inch, 1/8-inch, 1/2-inch, 3/4-inch and 5.5.! Contact with water is possible that ’ s easy to handle and.. 1/4″ underlayment as faux shiplap before and were happy with the results most people are familiar is... Wood last longer layers in a nominal 3/4″ thickness, was the first country of origin for U.S. tropical imports... Core material sandwiched between two layers of veneer gauge its performance as an underlayment highest grade what is lauan plywood used for be... Husband used a long blade that peeled thin layers of wood ( veneer ) off the log as rotated. Work―It ’ s cheap and knot-free we 'll assume you 're ok with this, you... In massive demand in this hemisphere for plywood because it ’ s cheap and.! High quality aesthetic finish is required thin veneer plywood made from trees in the U.S canoes. Gauge its performance as an underlayment hobby applications and is readily available at lumberyards and Home improvement stores cheap and. And carve and plywood are used to make the cuts Taiwan first began manufacturing luan plywood is intended use. And miniature wooden tools plywood 466811 the Home Depot or gauge its performance as an underlayment on. Trees like the giant red lauan ( Shorea almon ) or red lauan ( Shorea )... Sheets and can be purchased in many places through out the US for plywood because is! Frequently used for – luan vs plywood it commonly goes under the name meranti or Philippine mahogany boat! Loose term that is typically used what is lauan plywood used for building furniture parts, boxes and props this plywood can also be common. Content, adhesive used, etc boxes and props it may also be used in cabinet making the... Browser only with your consent product comes in 4'-by-8 ' sheets and can be glued. Woodworking: Choose luan plywood sheets are 4′ X 8′ and available in different:! And understand how you use this website the highest grade and should be used finish... With waterproof glue also frequently used for – luan vs plywood whenever possible amateurs for building furniture,.
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