This tough, inexpensive pressed-wood product is commonplace in homes-in furniture, flooring, and cabinetry. It consists of several layers, or plies, of wood bonded together, with the grain of each ply at a right angle to that of the next-creating strong, split-resistant panels. Formaldehyde-based adhesives are typically used in plywood: exterior-grade, softwood panels are usually bonded with phenol formaldehyde (PF), while hardwood plywood paneling, made for cabinets and other interior finish work, usually contains urea formaldehyde (UF). Both offgas formaldehyde, but PF emits considerably less than UF, making exterior-grade plywood a safer choice. More eco-friendly choices include formaldehyde-free plywood, wheatboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and oriented-strand board (OSB).

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