What is phenolic plywood?
In the formwork trade, phenolic plywood is a concrete-forming panel with a phenolic film face pressed onto a wood-veneer core. Crews pour against it, strip it, and reuse it across a pour programme. That is not the same product as a small retail Baltic birch craft sheet sold for CNC jigs, even when both listings say phenolic. Spec face film, core bond class, size, and reuse written as up to N — not hobby sheet sizes.
What bond class is phenolic plywood — EN 314 vs EN 636?
Write the glue class, not the film colour. EN 314-2 Class 3 / EN 636-3 is PF (phenol-formaldehyde) WBP for exterior formwork. EN 636-2 / Class 2 is MUF. A phenolic face film over an MUF core is still Class 2. Only Pro Form, Pro Form Lite, and the HDO range take Class 3 writing.
Is phenolic plywood waterproof?
No. Call it water-resistant / WBP, not waterproof. A PF core at EN 314-2 Class 3 survives the boil test, and the phenolic face sheds wet concrete, but cut edges still take water. Factory-sealed edges and resealing after every site cut are what keep reuse from collapsing on the job.
How many times can phenolic formwork plywood be reused?
Map reuse to the mill ladder under good site care, always as up to N — never 25, 30, or 50+. Eco Form Plus up to 8; Form Basic up to 10; Form Extra up to 15 (Superior Glue MUF, not Class 3); Pro Form Lite up to 15; Pro Form up to 20; HDO Basic up to 10; HDO Premium up to 20; MatteFace up to 15. Release agent, sealed cuts, and flat covered storage decide whether you hit the card.
Which Vinawood grades are phenolic Class 3?
Only Pro Form, Pro Form Lite, and the HDO range are phenolic on both film and bond (EN 314-2 / EN 636-3 Class 3). Form Extra carries a phenolic face over Superior Glue MUF at EN 636-2 — not Class 3. HDO Basic is up to 10; HDO Premium / Premium HD up to 20 — never quote 30. P-Form is polypropylene, not Pro Form.
Phenolic plywood vs HDO plywood for concrete forms?
HDO is the North American fair-face overlay: a dense phenolic fibre face. Film-faced phenolic uses a gsm paper film instead. Both can be Class 3 when the core bond is PF, but they are not interchangeable line for line on an RFQ. Choose by reuse target, surface finish, and mill certifications — not by DIY sheet SKUs.
