Alternatives to Birch plywood

Before we find an alternative to Birch plywood, we should dive-in to what we like about Birch Ply in the first place.

Birch plywood is very strong, probably the strongest wood-based sheet material on the market and is often chosen for this reason. Resistant to bowing, fixes very well, and easy to machine, Birch ply is used for all sorts of high-end furniture and interiors.

Another attractive feature of Birch ply is the grain itself. With a pleasing pattern and light appearance, the wood is naturally beautiful so lots of people lacquer or oil the wood which only highlights its grain further. The term ‘ply’ means layers of laminated material which have been combined in order to provide strength. Its these layers which give Birch plywood its distinctive striped edge. Once sanded and finished, this edge is a feature in its own right.

Lastly, Birch plywood is sometimes chosen by those who want to avoid chipboard and MDF. Birch ply is as close to being a solid wood as you will get in a sheet material, so for those wishing to build very high-end furniture, its been the go-too board.

Where has all of the Birch ply gone?

Russia supplied a large portion of the worlds Birch ply until events there caused a shortage in the supply meaning stocks ran dry and people started looking for alternatives. Things have moved on recently and non-Russian Birch plywood is still trickling through, but stock is patchy and sporadic so we’re not business as usually just yet.

What choice do I have?

The good news is Spanish board manufacturer, Garnica have been hard at work creating boards which now offer feasible alternatives to Birch plywood. There are pro’s and con’s to each of the three boards we’ve picked out, so here are our thoughts;

Garnica Poplar plywood

Features:

Poplar plywood is a furniture grade ply which is light weight, but reasonably strong (stronger than MFC and MDF sheet materials). It’s true to say the strength of Poplar ply isn’t that of Birch ply, but it is still a very strong material for cabinet making and will provide a durable cabinet in any situation. Commonly used where weight saving is important, especially van conversions, but in any situation, its lovely to make a light-weight cabinet as it is easier to transport and install onsite.

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Garnica Duraply External Poplar Plywood – A outsider (in both senses!) but one to consider

Features:

Despite this board not being the highest-grade furniture available (meaning the quality isn’t that of other options) we thought it worth considering as an alternative to Birch ply because of its durability. It’s not a pretty board so you’d probably only consider this one if you were painting the panels, but it will paint very well. The 15-year anti-delamination guarantee is probably all you need to know about how this will perform outside, brilliantly we’d suggest.

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Garnica Globulus Maple Plywood – High quality and close to the strength of Birch Ply.

Features:

Globulus Maple hardwood ply from Garnica is an excellent alternative to Birch ply and probably our top pick alternative. It carries similar strength and durability of Birch ply, and the Maple veneer faces provides a similar appearance to Birch. The end grain isn’t quite as dense as Birch when sanded, but overall, this material will make a very high-quality cabinet.

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Summary

I know we’ve been flying the Garnica flag in this post, but the truth is, they’re one company who are offering of products of a quality which are worth considering as Birch ply alternatives. As mentioned, non-Russian Birch plywood is available from time to time, but as soon as any stock is available, it is snapped-up quickly. Cross grain boards appear to have better availability, which may suit some projects, but its predominantly the long grain boards which we see in short supply. Above anything else its important to remember supply situations change weekly, so by the time you read this, Birch ply stock may well be flowing again. To learn about Birch ply availability, give us a call today.