Manufactured wood is a material made out of wood scraps glued together, compressed under extreme heat, and then bonded with resins and other chemicals to create a strong, stable, and versatile material that is often used in place of traditional wood. Manufactured wood is often used to construct houses, furniture, decks, and even playground equipment.
Traditionally, wood was harvested from trees that grew on a plot of land. However, as the popularity of wood as a building material has increased, we’ve seen a sharp increase in the amount of wood from trees that were planted in forests specifically for harvest. These are called “manufactured” woods, and they come in a wide variety of styles and species. However, this is not the solution to saving trees on Earth. That’s why manufactured wood steps in.
When most people think of wood, they envision a tree that has been chopped down, taken to a lumber mill, and cut into boards, planks, and logs. However, not all of the wood we use comes from a tree. In fact, the vast majority of the wood that we use today is manufactured. This means that it comes from a factory rather than a forest.
The most commonly used manufactured wood is plywood, made from thin sheets of wood that have been layered and glued together. These sheets are pressed into large, flat sheets called “flats” that are then cut into the final size needed for the project.
Types Of Manufactured Wood
A wide range of manufactured wood products is available today. These include mainly factory-made panels, which are often shipped to the building site already assembled. Typically, panels are made of plywood (called plywood panels) or particleboard (called particleboard panels). Another common type of manufactured wood is laminated veneer lumber, often used in outdoor furniture. Below there are main manufactured wood types are available on the market.
Particleboard
Particleboard is a manufactured wood product used in manufacturing cabinets, furniture, and wall paneling. It consists of particles of wood (shreds and sawdust) glued together with resin under high pressure. While particleboard can be made from hardwood, it’s most commonly manufactured from softwood.
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is a manufactured wood product used for various things, from checkerboards to furniture. It is a man-made wood made of sawdust or other types of wood particles mixed with other chemicals and then pressed at high temperatures to create a solid wood board that is hard and heavy.
Fiberboard
While the word wood is in the name, fiberboard is actually made from different types of wood and plant byproducts such as cotton and bamboo. Wood fiber is a natural fibrous material cut from the wood’s core, then compressed and bonded together with a synthetic resin binder. This material is then pressed into flat sheets and can be purchased in multiple sizes.
Plywood
Plywood is a manufactured wood product composed of multiple layers of wood veneer pressed and glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is the world’s most common and economical wood product. It can be used for structural elements, like wall studs and flooring, and it’s even used for building furniture. It’s affordable, easy to use, versatile and dependable.
Why Use Manufactured Wood?
There are many reasons why manufactured wood is used rather than natural wood. First, it is much easier to get the wood into usable forms using a machine than to chop it down and process it on site. It is also a much more efficient process. Finally, it is often possible to get a more consistent product using manufactured wood.
Disadvantages Of Using Manufacturing Wood
Manufactured wood is a wood product that is made out of wood scraps ground up. These wood scraps are then mixed with chemicals like formaldehyde, ammonia, urea, and phenol to prevent the wood from rotting. These chemicals can irritate your skin, make your eyes water and even cause headaches. Other chemicals are added to make the wood stain and polish easier.