What is film faced plywood?
Film-faced plywood is an exterior-grade panel with a phenolic resin film hot-pressed onto one or both faces over a cross-laminated hardwood core. The film sheds wet concrete and abrasion on the face; the core carries pour pressure. Formwork buyers treat it as a reusable casting face, not sheathing and not a retail Baltic-birch hobby sheet. Film weight (gsm) and core bond class set reuse.
Is film faced plywood waterproof?
No. The phenolic face is water-resistant and handles cement alkalinity, but cut edges still take water. WBP core glue means weather and boil proof in the bond test — not a waterproof panel. Factory-sealed edges and resealing after every site cut are what keep reuse cycles from collapsing.
How many times can film faced plywood be reused?
Reuse is always a maximum under good site practice. Form Basic up to 10 (MUF, EN 636-2). Form Extra up to 15 (Superior Glue MUF, EN 636-2 — not Class 3). Pro Form Lite up to 15 (PF, EN 636-3). Pro Form up to 20 (PF, Class 3). HDO Basic up to 10; HDO Premium / Premium HD up to 20 — never stretch Premium past twenty. Release agent, sealed cuts, and flat covered storage decide whether you hit the card.
How much does film faced plywood cost?
Judge spend by cost per pour: landed sheet cost divided by the pours you actually get on that job. Sheet price alone misleads. A cheaper MUF panel and a Class 3 phenolic panel can land at the same cost per pour when the lighter sheet only lasts a handful of cycles. Ask for a landed quote against your programme — grade, thickness, size, bond class, and target month. No retail near-me table belongs on a mill page.
Is film faced plywood the same as phenolic plywood?
Overlapping words, different specs. Film faced names the phenolic face film. Phenolic plywood can also mean PF core glue (EN 636-3 / Class 3) or solid phenolic sheet with no wood core. A panel can wear a phenolic film over an MUF core and still be sold correctly as film faced — that is not Class 3. Only Pro Form, Pro Form Lite, and the HDO range are phenolic on both film and bond at Vinawood.
Which film faced grade should I spec on the RFQ?
For 5–15 pours of standard formwork, name the glue on the RFQ. Form Extra when humid-service MUF is enough — it is Superior Glue MUF at EN 636-2, not Class 3. Pro Form Lite when the tender wants Class 3 writing without Pro Form’s full ceiling. Pro Form or HDO Premium when outdoor exposure and fair-face drive the card (HDO Premium up to 20, never 30). MatteFace Plywood (MTF) is a matte phenolic formwork surface — buyers often search it as MDO formwork plywood. Write grade, glue, size, and docs, then RFQ at
contact.
