Choosing plywood shouldn’t be guesswork, yet it’s one of the most common areas where projects go wrong. Too often, plywood is selected based on price or availability rather than suitability for the job. The result? Warping, premature wear, safety issues, or materials that simply don’t perform as expected.
Plywood is not a single product, it’s a category of engineered panels, each designed to do very different things. A sheet that works perfectly in cabinetry may fail quickly in a trade vehicle, while an industrial-grade panel can be completely inappropriate for interior finishes.
This post cuts through the confusion. Drawing on practical, real-world use rather than marketing claims, it explains which plywood types actually work for specific applications -and just as importantly, which ones don’t.
For a quick reference, the handy infographic below highlights which plywood works best for each application.
Best Plywood for Cabinetry
Recommended types:
- Hardwood plywood (for example, Birch sheets 18-30 mm thick). Standard thicknesses are 15 mm for Carcasses and 18 mm for cabinet doors and drawers.
- MR (Moisture Resistant) plywood
- Furniture-grade plywood (HPL 12-18 mm thick)
Why it works:
Cabinetry requires clean edges, flat panels, and surfaces suitable for finishing. Industrial film-faced products are over-engineered, visually unsuitable, and difficult to machine cleanly. Hardwood plywood with a stable core remains the correct choice. Both hardwood and MR plywood provide excellent screw-holding strength and are ideal for painting, staining laminating, or veneering. Anti-grip film-faced plywood and Formply are generally unsuitable for cabinetry due to their industrial film surfaces. Thinner plywood up to 18 mm is not recommended for doors over 1500 mm high (such as pantry doors) as it tends to warp. Thicker ply (24 mm/30 mm) is recommended.
Plywood options for ceilings
Recommended types:
- MR plywood
- Lightweight poplar plywood
- Decorative plywood panels
Why it works:
Ceilings benefit from lightweight plywood that installs easily while resisting warping. MR plywood performs well in humid environments, while decorative panels provide an attractive exposed finish. Avoid heavy structural or phenolic-coated sheets that add unnecessary load and offer no performance benefit overhead. Basic rule of thumb for suggested thicknesses is based upon the spacing between fixing points. I.E. fixing points with 300 mm centres, >6mm, 450 mm Centres >9 mm, 600 mm Centres >12 mm
Best plywood for wall panelling
Recommended types:
- Hardwood plywood
- Veneered or decorative plywood (including UV-coated plywood, Bamboo panels and thick lightweight poplar plywood)
- MR plywood
Why it works:
Wall panelling requires flat, stable sheets with high visual quality. Decorative plywood offers a premium timber appearance without the movement of solid wood. Wall panels are primarily visual. Industrial plywood types have sealed phenolic surfaces that cannot be finished attractively and provide no advantage in non-wear applications. Suggested thicknesses are based upon the same rule of thumb as ceiling plywood.
Subflooring: a practical material selection
Recommended types:
- Structural plywood (Birch C/C grade 12-25 mm thick)
- Tongue-and-groove plywood/particleboard (12-25 mm thick)
- Formply (temporary or industrial use)
- Marine plywood (high-moisture areas)
Why it works:
Subfloors must support heavy loads without movement. Structural plywood offers strength and stability. Formply is conditionally used in industrial and temporary flooring applications due to its high density and strength, though it is not typically used for permanent residential subfloors. Subfloors require stiffness and consistent thickness, and Formply surface bonding and long-term compliance can be an issue. It is important to follow any local building requirements before installation.
RVs and Caravans: smart choice
Recommended types:
- Lightweight plywood (Poplar core)
- Marine plywood (wet areas only)
- Thin film-faced plywood (flooring zones)
Why it works:
Weight matters in recreational vehicles, campervans, and caravans. Lightweight plywood improves fuel efficiency. Textured film-faced plywood is often used for entry steps and floor protection due to its anti-slip surface. Keep in mind that structural plywood is unnecessarily heavy. Marine plywood may ensure durability in kitchens and bathrooms, but it should be used selectively. Overuse increases cost and weight with no benefit outside wet zones. Walls and cabinetry can be built using lightweight Poplar either natural, HPL finished or Poplar Sandwich board.
Best Plywood for Trade Vehicles
Recommended types:
- Textured (Tex) film-faced anti-grip plywood
- Phenolic film-faced plywood (including Hexa plywood)
- Birch Formply
Why it works:
Trade vehicles require extreme durability and slip resistance, experiencing constant abrasion, impact, and vibration. Non-film-faced plywood will wear rapidly and delaminate. Anti-slip surfaces are a safety requirement, not an option. That's why Hexa plywood, with its hexagonal anti-slip pattern, is ideal for vehicle floors, shelving, and wall linings. Textured film-faced plywood (Riga Tex) provides a better performance with a fine-grain grip surface, making it easy to clean and highly wear resistant. Standard Formply is ideal for tool drawers and linings.
What to use for Screening
Recommended types:
- Exterior-grade plywood (Bamboo fencing)
- Marine plywood
- Decorative exterior plywood
Why it works:
Screening panels are exposed to weather and UV conditions. Exterior and marine plywood resist delamination and decay while maintaining visual appeal. It should be noted that even though exterior and marine plywood sound like they a purpose made for outdoors, the raw plywood should be sealed as you would any other outdoor timber, especially the edges.
Essential Plywood for Ramps
Recommended types:
- Hexa plywood
- Textured film-faced anti-grip plywood
- Structural hardwood plywood
- Formply
Why it works:
Safety is essential for ramps. Hexa plywood provides superior slip resistance, even in wet conditions, making it ideal for loading ramps, access ramps, and trailer ramps. Textured film-faced plywood also offers excellent grip with long-lasting wear resistance. Smooth or decorative plywood becomes dangerous when wet or contaminated.
Stages: which materials play well
Recommended types:
- Baltic Birch plywood
- Structural plywood
- Textured film-faced plywood
- Formply (base layers)
Why it works:
Stages must withstand dynamic loads, foot traffic, equipment, and repetitive stress. Lightweight panels flex, create noise, and fail prematurely. Strength and surface durability are non-negotiable. Birch plywood offers excellent stiffness and smoothness. Formply is often used as a base layer due to its strength, while textured film-faced plywood reduces slip risk on performance surfaces.
