Why You Should Avoid Purchasing Asian Wood Flooring with Plywood Cores
LATEST NEWS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE INITIATES CIRCUMVENTION INQUIRY ON HARDWOOD PLYWOOD COMPLETED IN VIETNAM WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the initiation of an inquiry into whether imports of hardwood plywood (plywood) completed in Vietnam, using components from China, are circumventing the existing antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on hardwood plywood from China. Commerce is also initiating a concurrent inquiry to determine whether such imports are covered by the scope of the AD/CVD orders on plywood from China.
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Using plywood, or at least the first versions of plywood dates all the way back to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks who produced all kinds of building materials for making their magnificent constructions. They would cut the wood in thin layers, and they would place the grain perpendicularly. The plywood we’re using today is somewhat different, as it has been enhanced for practical use throughout years.
The modern plywood is made by bonding the wood veneers (plies) together, so they would form a flat sheet. Given that it provides a number of benefits, such as increased stability, resistance to impacts, chemical resistance, stability under temperature and moisture changes, high strength and stiffness, etc., it’s no wonder that the usage of plywood is so versatile. It’s found to be very convenient in flooring, formwork, shear walls, webbed beams, and other structural applications.
If you’ve opted for plywood flooring or subflooring, or if you want to use plywood for your interior furniture, here are the main things you need to know about this building material. This article can also be very useful for carpenters, and other people doing any kind of work related to the woodworking industry, who are searching where to purchase the material suitable for their work.
Chinese and Vietnamese plywood
China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of plywood. Over 40% of China’s wood production is based on plywood manufacturing. Chinese and Vietnamese wood products are around 25-30% cheaper in comparison to manufacturers from the West.
Even though the Chinese and Vietnamese plywood producers offer considerably cheaper wood products than their US and EU competition, you may want to think twice before purchasing something that may cost you much more than what you paid for it. Chinese and Vietnamese plywood, as well as many other wood products from Asian countries, have caused some serious concern amongst the plywood and woodworking associations throughout the world.
The tension peaked when it became clear that many plywood woodworking companies in China and Vietnam violate the rules determined by European Timber Regulation (EUTR). It became evident that the timber imported into China is most likely imported illegally, most of them from high-risk areas (Papua New Guinea, Africa, etc.). Besides that, a great percentage of products subjected to analysis did not match the declaration issued by their company, regarding the types of wood contained in the plywood.
Health concerns and no quality control
Moreover, the bonding glue in the plywood deriving from the Chinese market has shown to contain the highest levels of formaldehyde emissions, which is identified as a significant indoor pollutant. WHO classified formaldehyde as a carcinogen in 2004, and by 2007 it’s completely banned in Europe. Since people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, the quality of indoor air is of crucial matter for our health. Formaldehyde emitted from these products can pose a serious threat to one’s safety.
As for the Vietnamese plywood production, inspections of the Vietnamese plywood factories have shown unacceptable results. The problems revolve around the lack of control regarding plywood quality. The quality control represents a mere formality, which leads to poor quality awareness of the employees. And that means poor quality of the final product itself.
Given that these products do not meet the key legal compliance legislation, worldwide plywood associations such as APA, TTF, ITTO, FII, etc. express serious concern and advise against the purchase of products from mentioned markets.
Naturally, various sanctions have been imposed on the companies in question, but to some people these markets are still appealing for their cheapness. If we keep accepting these low-quality products for the sake of their low price, it will end up forcing the local mills, as well as high-quality European ones, out of business and then there will be nothing else to choose from.
Customers’ reviews
Many purchasers have reported unsatisfactory results due to multiple different problems that occurred while working with Asian wood products. Here are some reviews provided by customers that purchased plywood from China:
But when I get a few sheets to try, I find the board is not only warping in more directions than I have ever seen, but the board actually kinks in places, changing direction so abruptly that there would seem to be no way to use it for something like a bookcase side. In addition, the board seems to be weak - sagging shelves, hardware screws stripping out, you name it. The final straw is that the maple face veneer isn't maple at all, apparently some Oriental "white wood."
My unbreakable rule is to never ever buy any material, tools, or hardware that is made in China. It is all junk. I cannot afford callbacks, plus there are plenty of good US and European suppliers that make affordable goods in all price ranges. You get what you pay for.
The extra money that we pay to buy better quality plywood is well worth it. I don't know about you, but I like to work with good materials, not something I have to play around with to make it work.
Build the cost into the price and your reputation won't suffer because you decided to go cheap. I personally have had nothing but bad luck with Chinese plywood. Very inconsistent quality. You get what you pay for.
I had a significant problem with delamination occurring as the parts were cut. I've never seen anything like it. 40% of the parts I machined that weekend had to be discarded as they were too bent, delaminated or disfigured as they came off the panel saw. As I needed significantly more material to complete the job, it ended up costing me more time and money than if I'd used the domestic product that I was used to.
Where can you get good quality plywood?
With all this regarding Asian plywood being said, just think of a product with completely opposite characteristics and you’ll get European plywood. It’s developed in safe and clean facilities, with the use of the most advanced technology available – unlike many Asian mills that look as clean as Wuhan farmers’ market. Since they work in a safe and positive environment, workers in European plywood mills are much more efficient and professional and therefore make the end product undeniably better than their colleagues from the East.
As its name suggests, one of the most famous and appraised types of plywood, Baltic birch originates from a Baltic part of Europe. Today, it’s mainly produced in Finland and Russia, although there are quality manufacturers of this type of plywood all over Europe. Baltic birch is valued for its appealing, clean looks as well as its impressive durability and stability.
European plywood is a far more durable and moisture-resistant product made with non-toxic glues, which makes it far better for our health. Today you should be more careful than ever about what you breathe in every day at your home. Toxins from cheap Asian plywood can seriously harm your lungs, and make you much more vulnerable to dangerous viruses such as COVID-19. You shouldn’t save money on your health and you should opt for good and quality plywood instead of the cheap.
Check out the following video for more information about Asian´s flooring