What Is Waferboard In Construction?
What Is Waferboard In Construction?
Waferboard is a type of construction material made from wood chips and particles that are glued together and compressed under high pressure.
It is mostly used as an underlayment for flooring, walls and roofs due to its ability to reduce air infiltration through gaps in the wall.
Its strength is enhanced by interlocking edges which compress the material during installation, creating a strong bond between pieces.
Waferboard is lightweight, fire-resistant, easy to install and can be painted or finished with wallpaper or tiles. It has lower environmental impact than traditional lumber since it requires fewer trees to produce.
What Is The Difference Between Waferboard And Plywood?
Waferboard and plywood are both engineered wood products, but the similarities end there. Waferboard is made from small chips of wood that have been glued together and compressed.
The result is a board that is lightweight, uniform in thickness, straight-grained and very affordable.
Plywood is created by gluing several thin layers of wood together with each layer being laid at a right angle to the one below.
This creates a stronger, stiffer product than waferboard making it ideal for structural applications such as subfloors or walls.
Plywood also has superior screw holding properties, so it’s the preferred choice when using screws to fasten components along with other surface treatments like painting or staining.
What Is The Difference Between OSB And Waferboard?
OSB (Oriented Strand Board) and Waferboard are both engineered or man-made wood products that are used in construction.
OSB is made up of large mats of strands, flakes or chips of wood that are orientated and glued together.
The spatial orientation of the wood strands provides strength throughout the panel allowing it to be suitable for load bearing applications like wall sheathing and flooring.
Waferboard, on the other hand, is made from much thinner strand layers than OSB and contains more voids which makes it quite lightweight but not as strong as OSB.
It is usually used for non-structural applications such as furniture backs and drawer bottoms where strength isn’t a factor.
Why Are Waferboard In Construction?
Waferboard has become an integral part of construction projects due to its outstanding properties like strength and durability.
It is an engineered wood particle board made out of small, thin wood chips that have been compressed together with a glue-like adhesive under high pressure to form a dense board.
The presence of tightly packed voids makes it lighter in weight than most other plywood products.
Waferboard is dimensionally stable, termite proof and resists warping, shrinking, cracking and swelling.
It also has excellent insulation properties and can act as a sound barrier. Moreover, it is easy to work with – sawing and drilling are preferred for installation purposes dramatically reducing construction time & cost.
With its many advantages like moisture resistance and fireproofing- waferboard stands out from the rest and is widely used in home construction as well as commercial buildings.
What Are The Applications Of Waferboard?
Waferboard is a type of particle board and is an ideal material for applications like furniture, shelving, paneling, cabinetry, and countertops in kitchens.
It can also be used for doors and window frames as it is much lighter than plywood and works well with screws.
Waferboard has good sound insulation properties which make it suitable for use in the walls of soundproof rooms.
It is highly moisture-resistant, making it an ideal choice for outdoor applications and as a substrate layer beneath other flooring materials such as laminate or vinyl flooring.
Waferboard is also fire-resistant which makes it suitable to be used in public areas like auditoriums, cinemas, and shopping malls.
