Grades of Blockboard
Blockboard is very different from the other engineered woods such as MDF (Medium density fiberboard), particle boards, plywood, etc. Blockboard is a board which consists of a core made of softwood strips between the two layers of wood veneers. Here the wooden strips are placed edge-to-edge and are enclosed between veneer sheets which are glued together under high pressure. Different grades of blockboard are available in the market, which are used in various applications. Here we have tried to give a brief of grades of blockboard, which a homeowner must know, before buying blockboards!
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Generally, there are two main grades of blockboard available;
- MR Grade (Moisture Resistant) and
- BWP or BWR Grade (Boiling Water Proof or Boiling Water Resistant)
01. MR Grade:
MR grade blockboards have applications in internal areas such as door core, partition, panelling, furniture, ceiling, etc. Special moisture resistant adhesives are used in making MR grade blockboards. They are also called interior grade blockboards.
02. BWP or BWR Grade:
BWP grade blockboards are made by using resins which are have high resistance to boiling water. They are used widely for application in prefabricated houses, railway coaches, bus bodies, kitchen, etc. where they are likely to get exposed to high humidity and for external use. They are also called exterior grade blockboards.
Both of the aforementioned grades are available in two types in the market i.e. Decorative and Commercial type:
(a) Decorative Type:
These blockboards have decorative face veneers on one or both sides and generally used for high class furniture, interior decoration, panelling, partitions, etc. They are available in BWP and MR grade both as per the application and its uses!
(b) Commercial Type:
These blockboards have veneers of commercial timber on both sides and generally used for ordinary furniture, tabletops, panelling and partitions, flooring, seats of bus bodies, railway carriages, etc.
The grades of blockboards are represented by the symbols given below:
| Grade and Type | Symbol |
| MR Grade, Decorative Type | MR-DEC |
| MR Grade, Commercial Type | MR-COM |
| BWP Grade, Decorative Type | BWP-DEC |
| BWP Grade, Commercial Type | BWP-COM |