information/FAQs

Fig 1 Plywood brands

Australian Standards and Quality Assurance for plywood external cladding

Plywood can be used as an attractive and economic exterior cladding for residential, commercial, industrial and rural buildings. Plywood cladding can also provide structural bracing and roof hold-down resistance with consequent savings in building costs. Exterior plywood cladding is available in a wide variety of face veneer grades that may be profiled, grooved or plane faced, or pre-surfaced with resins, plastics or metal.

Much of the plywood sold in Australia that is suitable for exterior cladding is produced under quality assurance programmes. All such material carries a brand mark indicating that the product has been produced under a process satisfying the quality control requirements of the programme.

When plywood does not carry an appropriate brand mark, users should satisfy themselves that it meets the requirements of AS 2271: "PLYWOOD AND BLOCKBOARD FOR EXTERIOR USE".

The only recognised Plywood Quality Assurance scheme operating in Australia is that run by the Plywood Association of Australia (PAA). All PAA quality controlled plywood is branded with the following information:

Manufacturer’s name
Product type
Face grade, back grade, bond type.

If the product type is structural the stress grade will also be shown on the brand.

Refer to Figure 1 for relevant certification brands.

Reference: Timber Datafile FP1 – Timber External Cladding of the NAFI Timber Manual