FK and FSF plywood - what is the difference between these two types? Plywood classification

Plywood is a popular material used in construction, furniture production, technical and decorative items. There are several types of it, which it is advisable to understand in order to purchase what you need. In particular, it is useful to find the main difference between FC and FSF plywood as the most popular materials.

Any plywood consists of layers of natural veneer, firmly glued together. The only difference is the wood that is used to produce the veneer, the method of arranging thin layers and the composition for gluing or impregnation. The dimensions of the sheets do not depend on these parameters and can be the same for different types.

In FK type plywood, the veneer layers are glued together using urea-formaldehyde glue. In FSF materials, gluing is carried out using phenol-formaldehyde glue resins. This is the fundamental difference between the types of FC and FSF, from which corresponding consequences follow.

The external difference between FC and FSF is manifested in the color of the layer. The ends of FC plywood are lighter, while FSF has a noticeable reddish dark tint. This is explained by the fact that urea-based glue becomes transparent when hardened, while formaldehyde resins are colored.

The difference between FSF and FC is as follows:

adhesive composition;
moisture resistance;
strength;
end color;
price;
content of hazardous substances.

And all this depends mostly on the glue. The urea composition is soluble in water, so FC plywood products are afraid of getting wet. FSF, unlike FC, is a moisture-resistant material.

Pay attention! The difference in cost is noticeable. With the same size and grade (quality) FSF price usually higher than FC.

Of course, the cost will be affected by the location of production, additional processing and some other factors. But the general trend can still be traced.

It should be noted that there is also another type of plywood - FOF. She belongs to the group special purpose. The difference between FOF and FSF plywood is that the former is covered with a durable laminated film. Thus, its moisture-resistant properties increase even more.

Application of FC

FC plywood sheets are made from hardwood, mainly birch, poplar, and alder. This is a wonderful material, the highest grades of which are distinguished by a light, smooth surface.

The peculiarity of FC is that, due to the adhesive, it cannot withstand prolonged exposure to moisture and, when wet, swells and delaminates. At the same time, if such plywood is used in a dry room, it exhibits high strength characteristics.

FC plywood is used to make beds, sofas, and boxes for transporting goods; they cover walls with it, and place it on the floor under parquet or laminate. Like other species, its thickness varies, reaching a maximum of 40 mm. The varieties depend on the presence of knots, sprouts, cracks, darkening and other defects.

The question may arise: should FSF or FC plywood be used for flooring, for example, under parquet? These two types are suitable, although moisture-resistant FSF plywood products (low grade, sanded and unsanded) are preferable. The difference between them will also be in price. If the room is not damp, it is not ground floor, not a basement, then in order to save money you can use FC. Most often, when laying floors, sheets with a thickness of 10-12 mm are used.

Application of FSF

FSF sheets are used as roofing material, for the construction of stages, sports grounds, temporary structures, billboards. This plywood is widely used for formwork, and the best option here is the laminated material because it can be used several times (up to 100).

Although furniture for residential premises is not made from FSF, it is excellent for garden benches, gazebos and other structures. Another common application is truck floors and van linings. It is allowed to make boxes for transporting non-food products from FSF sheets.

Security difference

There's one more thing important difference between the materials under consideration. It concerns the safety of their production, use and disposal.

FSF contains phenol formaldehyde, which makes you think about the safety of the material. Phenol and formaldehyde, from which glue is made, are toxic and negatively affect the skin, mucous membranes, and respiratory tract. Disposal of products with their contents is problematic.

When cured, phenol-formaldehyde resin becomes less hazardous, but vaporization of both phenol and formaldehyde is possible. Sanitary standards require monitoring of these parameters.

When purchasing, you should pay attention to the emission class of harmful substances. If the certificate of conformity states E1, then such plywood can be used even in the bedroom. Class E2 cannot be used indoors.

FC plywood is safe for indoor use, since urea-formaldehyde adhesive is an order of magnitude less toxic than phenol-formaldehyde. The emission of phenol in it is minimal.

FK and FSF plywood are two options for one of the simplest, most affordable and durable materials that finds widest application. They are equally in demand in construction work, industry, packaging industry, machine and carriage building. Due to their high convenience, there is practically nothing to compare them with, since they are suitable for floors, walls, ceilings, and partitions. They are also good as a basis for any design ideas.

What is FC and FSF plywood?

First of all, it’s worth understanding the abbreviations:

FC is a wood-laminated board glued together using a urea-formaldehyde composition, which is where the abbreviation “plywood + urea-formaldehyde glue” comes from;
FSF is a material made by joining veneer with phenol-formaldehyde substances, which is what the combination of “plywood + resin phenol-formaldehyde glue” produces.

What is the fundamental difference?

The first is not at all resistant to wet environments, but is quite durable and versatile. Designed for dry conditions only. Much cheaper than the second option, therefore it is widely used for the production of furniture, wall cladding, packaging containers, as a substrate for laminate, parquet and other coatings.

Made from peeled wood of birch, alder and some other hardwoods (a combination of these is also possible). After penetration of moisture, it usually delaminates and curls, which is a serious difference between FK and FSF plywood. The thickness of such sheets can reach 40 mm. They are divided into varieties based on the presence of knots.

Pack of FC plywood sheets

The second is characterized by increased resistance to moisture, which it resists very successfully. Thanks to this property, it is in demand in roofing processes and can be used not only inside, but also outside of buildings. It has good wear resistance and mechanical strength.

It is made mainly from birch and coniferous veneer. It can be impregnated with compounds not only against moisture, but also against fire (FSF TV), which is why it has an expanded range of applications: construction, industry, mechanical engineering and aircraft construction.

How to distinguish FC plywood from FSF externally?

Without experience in this matter, you can get confused, since they are hardly distinguishable by external signs, which sometimes causes misunderstanding. The only factor that clearly shows the difference between them is the shades of the layers.

FC is lighter, as it is connected with glue without the presence of phenol, which is why the cut sheets are as close as possible to the natural color of the veneer. While FSF with increased moisture impregnation has a darker color with the presence of a reddish undertone.

Data Comparison	FC	FSF
Veneer type	Deciduous trees (birch, alder, aspen)	Deciduous-coniferous species (birch, pine, larch)
Bonding	Urea-formaldehyde composition	Phenol-formaldehyde composition
Moisture resistance	Average (for non-residential and residential premises)	Maximum (for interior and exterior work)
Presence of phenol	No
Processing	Lamination, sanding	Lamination, sanding

Differences in physical and mechanical parameters

Which plywood is less harmful - FC or FSF?

For the manufacture of wood-laminated boards of the FK type, a silicate adhesive is used, which is non-toxic to humans and animals. This equates plywood to safe building materials suitable for interior decoration and installation of partitions in dry conditions.

Packing sheets plywood FSF

FSF is more resistant to moisture because it has a special impregnation based on potentially harmless resins. The glue also contains 8 mg/100 g of phenol, which negatively affects the health of others.

Main differences

To more clearly distinguish between these two types of plywood, we offer a brief comparison of them.

So, FC is absolutely safe for health, not resistant to moisture, suitable for interior work and furniture production, is fragile and does not withstand mechanical impact, easily breaks and delaminates.

While FSF has low environmental friendliness, which is why it can harm humans and animals, it has excellent moisture resistance, is applicable for interior, facade, and any other external work, and has increased fracture strength and pressure.

Plywood is universal material, which is used for various purposes almost everywhere. Externally, plywood looks like rectangular sheets of certain sizes of varying thickness, consisting of many layers (at least 3) of wood fiber raw materials. Plywood can be made from wood or tree veneer.

Most often, plywood is made from veneer, the layers of which are laid perpendicular to each other and glued with special compounds. This manufacturing technology provides excellent strength and wear resistance, and also increases the material’s ability to resist moisture penetration.

Types of plywood

There are many types of plywood available, it can be moisture resistant, laminated, made of different varieties and wood species, as well as have different thicknesses and purposes. How do you determine the type of plywood based on the material? In this case, attention is paid only to the outer layer of plywood, without taking into account the internal ones.

Depending on the type of raw material, there are following types plywood:

birch;
coniferous;
combined.

Birch plywood made from veneer of deciduous wood (birch). This veneer has a uniform, more homogeneous structure and good density (about 650 kg/m3). Birch veneer plywood is much stronger than its counterparts made from other materials. The difference in strength sometimes reaches 20%.

However, the cost of birch plywood is slightly higher than that of its analogues. This is explained by the lack of natural resins in birch veneer, which means additional compounds are required to create plywood good quality. Birch plywood has become quite widespread. It is used in the construction of private houses, for packaging transported goods, ship and carriage building, as well as in many areas of the automotive industry.

Softwood plywood cheaper than birch. In Russia, coniferous plywood is usually made from pine and spruce bark. This plywood is lighter and has an interesting appearance due to the wood pattern. However, coniferous plywood is less durable than birch plywood. Veneer from coniferous species trees contains natural resin, which contributes to longer service life of the material.

Natural resins protect plywood from dampness and rotting. Coniferous plywood is in greatest demand in individual housing construction, as well as in the field of interior design and creation decorative elements.

The next type of plywood is combined . This material consists of both birch and coniferous wood fibers. It combines the advantages of birch and coniferous plywood. Combined plywood is similar in strength and technical characteristics to birch plywood, however, its price is slightly lower. Combined plywood is widely used in construction, furniture production and packaging.

Types of plywood by adhesive composition

The next aspect by which plywood is divided is the type of composition used for gluing the layer.

Depending on the adhesive composition, plywood can be:

FBA. This plywood is produced using albumin casein glue. FBA plywood is an environmentally friendly material and is not waterproof. This plywood can be used for any purpose at low humidity levels.

FC. FK type plywood is produced with a urea adhesive composition. Plywood has low moisture resistance. The raw materials of FC plywood do not emit harmful substances, the material is absolutely environmentally friendly, so it can be used for interior work in residential premises and children's institutions.

FKM. In the production process of this type of plywood, melamine glue is used. Plywood has average moisture resistance. The adhesive composition contains a small amount of harmful substances. FKM plywood can be used in conditions of low humidity levels and where there are no strict restrictions on the toxicity of materials.

FSF. FSF type plywood has excellent moisture resistance properties. However, in its production a phenol-formaldehyde adhesive composition is used, which has sufficient a large number harmful substances. The use of FSF plywood in residential premises, as well as for furniture production, is highly discouraged due to high risk causing harm to human health.

FB. This type of plywood is produced by impregnating veneer sheets with bakelite glue. FB plywood has excellent moisture resistance and is also able to “work” under conditions of exposure to aggressive environments. This plywood can be used in complex climatic conditions(at low or high temperatures), it withstands the impact perfectly sea water, various microorganisms, acids and alkalis. In turn, bakelite plywood is divided depending on the composition of the resins (FBS, FBV) and the type of sizing.

FBS bakelite plywood is impregnated with alcohol-soluble adhesives, has high moisture resistance and comes in the following types:

bakelite plywood FBS - the most quality class of this material thanks to the impregnation of all layers with bakelite alcohol-soluble glue;
FBS1 plywood is of slightly worse quality. The production technology of this plywood involves coating, rather than impregnation, of veneer layers;
class FBS1A has the lowest quality among bakelite plywood with alcohol-soluble adhesives. Here, only the longitudinally located layers of veneer are coated with an adhesive composition.

The next subtype of bakelite plywood is FBV , made with water-soluble adhesives. FBV plywood comes in two types: FBV (where the inner layers of veneer are coated, and the outer layers are impregnated with adhesives) and FBV1 (where all veneer layers are only coated with adhesives). The main advantage of such plywood is its excellent strength characteristics.

Types of plywood by processing method

The next criterion for grouping plywood is the method of surface treatment.

According to the surface texture of plywood, there are:

Laminated. To do this, plywood is covered with special waterproof films. Laminated plywood is widely used for trim and upholstery of vans.
Polished on one side.
Polished on both sides.
Unpolished.

On the website portal you can buy any types of plywood, as well as look at photos of samples and compare prices from suppliers.

Classification of plywood by purpose

The scope of application of plywood (laminated, sanded, moisture-resistant and other types) is not limited to construction; due to its properties, the material is extremely in demand in various fields.

The website portal offers the following classification of plywood by purpose:

Ship's. Only the highest quality types and grades are used for finishing vessels moisture resistant plywood FB (on bakelite glue), which work well in conditions high humidity and aggressive environments.

Furniture. The types of plywood used for furniture must be environmentally friendly, wear-resistant and durable. As a rule, combined FC plywood is used for furniture.

Construction In the construction industry, as a rule, grades 3/4 and 4/4 birch plywood are used. These types of plywood can be used for floors, walls and other structures as a rough finish.

Aviation. For these purposes, FSF grades of plywood are used. This plywood has excellent technical characteristics and is ideal for such complex and critical areas of activity as aircraft, ship, railcar and automotive industries.

Formwork. To create the formwork, laminated FB plywood is used, which has excellent characteristics in terms of moisture and wear resistance, strength and exposure to aggressive environments.

Decorative. FC plywood is used for finishing premises. This type of plywood must have excellent characteristics of the outer layer (flat surface with a textured pattern). This type of plywood is usually made from valuable wood or premium wood.

Automotive. For cars, as a rule, FSF type plywood with a laminated or mesh-ribbed surface is used. Plywood has high strength, moisture resistance and durability. It is used for covering all elements of a truck body (walls, floor, doors, ceiling).

Plywood: assortment, characteristics

Currently, plywood is produced in five grades. Specifications each grade of plywood is strictly defined in the current GOST.

Plywood varieties:

Grade 4. This type of plywood is the cheapest and lowest quality. Grade 4 plywood sheets may have multiple wormholes, uniformity defects (fallen knots) and uneven sheet edges (depressions up to 0.5 mm). This type of plywood is used for interior rough finishing. The most common area of application for this type of plywood is the production of various packaging and packaging.

Grade 3. Grade 3 plywood can also have wormholes, but in strictly limited quantities (no more than 10 pcs/sq.m.). The size of wormholes is also limited (the diameter should not exceed 6 mm), and the number of all defects on a sheet of plywood should be less than 9. Grade 3 plywood is also used for rough finishing of premises. However, it is allowed to use this type of plywood in finishing finishing works, provided that paint and varnish compositions are applied to the surface of the sheets to hide material defects.

Grade 2. Plywood may have the following defects: cracks no more than 20 cm, areas with leaked glue (if the area of the area is up to 2% of the total square footage of the sheet), wood inserts. This plywood, like grade 3, is used for rough and fine finishing for painting.

Grade 1. Defects allowed on grade 1 plywood are cracks and warping less than 2 cm in length. Grade 1 plywood is used in construction for fine finishing inside and outside the building.

Variety E. Plywood E belongs to the elite grade. Grade E plywood must clearly comply with the characteristics stated in GOST, namely: not have wormholes, cracks or other defects, except for random deformations in the structure of the wood itself. Elite grade plywood is the highest quality and most expensive. Used for fine finishing.

Profitable different varieties The construction portal site will help you with delivery to the site.

Both of these types of plywood are widely used, affordable and easy to use. The scope of application of FC and FSF plywood is industrial production, packaging, construction, car and machine building. The versatility of the material has been proven over years of use for finishing walls, floors, ceilings, partitions, construction, and design. Let's try to figure out the differences between FK plywood and FSF plywood, and how they can be distinguished visually.

More about concepts

If you decipher the abbreviations:

- This wood boards, glued together with urea-formaldehyde adhesive.
– this is plywood + resin glue + plywood. The material consists of several layers of veneer, firmly connected to each other with phenol-formaldehyde glue, which has a resin base.

The main difference between FC and FSF plywood

FC material is characterized by versatility in terms of application and high strength. Not intended for use in conditions of high humidity. The main advantage is low cost compared to FSF materials. The main area of application is the arrangement of floors (used as a substrate for parquet, laminate), furniture production, interior decoration, production of containers, packaging.

The raw materials for the production of FC are mainly peeled birch, alder, other deciduous trees, and sometimes a combination of several types of wood. Moisture has a negative effect on the inner layers of the material: it deforms, leads to twisting, and delamination. The maximum sheet thickness can reach 40 mm. There are several varieties, depending on the presence and number of knots.

FSF, on the contrary, is moisture resistant, due to which it is widely used in conditions of high humidity. For example, for external and internal roofing works. The material is durable, resistant to mechanical damage and wear.

The raw materials for production are coniferous wood and birch. To impart moisture and fire resistance during the production process, it is treated with appropriate compounds. Used in aircraft and mechanical engineering, industrial production and construction work.

External differences between FC and FSF

Externally, the two materials look almost identical. The only visual difference is the color of the cut. The FC cut is light due to the phenol-free composition of the glue, and is as similar as possible to natural untreated wood. The FSF cut is much darker, with a reddish tint, due to the water-repellent layer.

Effect on the body

Safety of the material in terms of impact on human health - important criterion selection of material. In this regard, FC and FSF sheets have fundamental differences:

The silicate glue used in the production of FC is non-toxic. Thanks to this, the material is quite suitable for interior work and the construction of partitions in dry rooms.

In the production of FSF, phenol-containing glue is used, which has negative impact on the health of others.

Fundamental differences

To be brief:

FC is environmentally friendly, not moisture resistant, quite fragile, quickly delaminates and breaks under the influence of moisture. Applicable for interior decoration, in furniture production.

FSF negatively affects health, is resistant to moisture, and has increased resistance to pressure and fracture. It is used mainly in external work: finishing, roofing.