How to Prevent Plywood from Delamination?

Jason Yue
3 min readSep 23, 2023

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Plywood is made by gluing thin veneer layers together, and delamination occurs when these layers separate. Although delamination may be caused by a variety of factors, delamination usually occurs due to improper manufacturing process. Today, we are reviewing common signs of delamination and the post-manufacturing reasons for plywood separation and how to prevent them.

Marine Plywood

Stratification sign

If you can check plywood before buying, you may be able to detect these common signs of delamination:
Bubbles or lumps: bubbles or lumps on the surface of wood are clear signs of delamination.
Swelling edge: delamination often occurs due to too much moisture. Swelling at the edges or corners of plywood may indicate that the wood is exposed to too much moisture and begins to delaminate.
Blow: “blow” is the hollow point inside the plywood. If there is too much moisture in the manufacturing process, the moisture will turn into steam and form a cavity that is usually not seen before cutting into the wood. To check for blows, deal with the wood and listen for empty sounds.

Birch Plywood

Reasons for layering.

Even if you buy high-quality plywood, delamination will occur over time if the wood is improperly handled or exposed to high temperature or humidity. Some of the most common delamination problems related to heat or moisture are due to:
Improper placement of nails / screws: placing nails or screws too close to the edge will put too much pressure on the plywood and cause the outer layer to bend up or down. This allows water to permeate between layers, resulting in stratification.

High Quality Pine Plywood

How to prevent them.

Prevent by placing nails and screws at least 3 inch and 4 inches from the edges and corners of plywood.
Leakage: leaky windows, facets, or roofs can seep into carpets or linoleum, resulting in lamination of plywood used to build the frame of the house. In these cases, homeowners may not be aware of layering until they find a lump under the floor.
Prevent by strengthening any leaks in the home and paying close attention to any unusual lumps or lumps that may occur.
Unventilated areas: unventilated parts of your house, such as the attic, become hot and humid in summer. If there are no vents to release excess moisture, the air will be trapped. After prolonged exposure to moist air, the walls, floors and even the bottom of the roof may begin to layer.
Prevention can be achieved by increasing ventilation in areas exposed to high temperature or excessive humidity.

If you are worried about buying laminated wood, please make sure you buy it from reputable sources. To ensure that we provide our customers with the best quality products, LITUO produces all kinds of wood, flooring and so on in the internal factory. Contact us today for materials, tips and suggestions about your next woodworking project!

other related news: Understand The Different Types of Plywood for Your Furniture

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Jason Yue
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Our main products are Birch plywood, Commercial plywood, Film faced plywood, Fancy plywood, HPL plywood, Bending plywood, Marine plywood and LVL