The coastal lifestyle has an inexplicable charm; you’ll appreciate the ocean breeze, sprawling views, and the slower pace of life. One of the drawbacks of living next to the ocean is humidity. For owners of homes, builders, and furniture and cabinetry makers around the world, whether in Australia or Asia, all face the same issue of controlling too much moisture when deciding on materials, therefore ensuring those materials won’t warp, rot, or worse.
Gurjan plywood is the answer to the problem! Gurjan plywood is one of the strongest hardwoods available. In regions where moisture is an issue, such as coastal areas, it unequivocally becomes one of the toughest products available as a wood in those environments because of its incredible moisture-resistant properties.
1. Natural Moisture and Decay Resistance
Gurjan plywood is a hardwood made from the Gurjan tree (Dipterocarpus spp.), which habitually grows in the tropics. Gurjan is a native species and naturally conditions itself over millennia to withstand moisture levels in the tropics, thus is naturally decay and moisture resistant. This makes Gurjan plywood well-suited for cabinetry and furniture in coastal homes where moisture is often unavoidable.
The wood is extremely dense, ranging from 700–800 kg/m³. The denser the wood, the less likely it is to absorb moisture and cause swelling, delamination, or fungus. All applications hold true to meet and exceed those expectations even in humid areas: kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, bathroom vanities, you name it. Gurjan plywood retains the dimension and density of a frame even in humidity.
2. Bonding and Layering Process
Gurjan plywood is also a better bonding product and layering process. With high-quality waterproof glue and adequately exerted heat and pressure, each layer of veneer is adhered properly, ensuring that they remain firmly bonded together when the wood is exposed to moisture.
Royale Touche Plywood and other reputable manufacturers use boiling waterproof plywood grade adhesives and calibrated presses to create plywood that performs consistently in harsh climate conditions. With this type of superior adherence, Gurjan plywood has the advantage of being resistant to humidity and also to the termite and mold damage that is often prevalent in coastal regions.
3. Dimensional Stability
Coastal weather can be unstable and unpredictable — hot and dry one day and cool and damp the next. Constant variations in humidity will cause wood products to expand and contract frequently, often leading to warping or cracking.
The density and layered uniformity of Gurjan plywood afford it excellent, reliable dimensional stability; it stays true to its form and dimensions despite the changes in weather conditions being constant.
Even in the manufacture of large furniture pieces and structural applications, Gurjan plywood will not as easily bend, twist or deform, and the product will last regardless of if it is used indoors or outdoors.
4. Perfect in Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Outdoors
Kitchens are prone to steam, balconies experience salty air, and outdoor furniture literally wants the daily heat of the sun. Gurjan plywood can take all of it and then some. Its waterproof property and anti-fungal properties make it suitable for coastal kitchen cabinetry, bathrooms and utility spaces where water is a consideration and style is important.
As an example, the Royale Touche Gurjan Plywood has the strength and durability of the wood plus an aesthetically appealing smooth premium surface finish that allows proper and easy lamination, veneering, or sitting outside uncoated for exotic beautiful natural wood designs.
Final Thoughts
Humidity is a lesson in each use of building material, but Gurjan plywood handles it effortlessly. Natural density and resistance with consistent moisture in the wood will always stay stable, making it one of the top rated performing wood products for coastal living.
If you are building or renovating in a humidity-rich area, Royale Touche Gurjan Plywood provides the perfect mix of performance, style, and durability that has been engineered to stay durable and beautiful, whether it is sunshine, wind, or rain.
Build coastal. Build confidence. Build with Gurjan.