Locally Produced.
Highest Quality.
Structural Plywood Engineered for Excellence
From heavy structural shuttering to fine furniture and secure packaging, ELS Timbers manufactures a complete range of plywood grades aligned to their intended end use. All products conform to SANS 929 and are bonded with WBP PF resin, sharing the same structural specification — with differences only in the visual quality of the face and back veneers.
Choose the Right Board For the Right Job
APPEARANCE GRADE
For applications where the board surface will be seen, our Appearance Grade plywood offers selected B/B and B/C face combinations. B-grade veneers are chosen for minimal defects, smooth surfaces, and consistent grain — making them suitable for furniture manufacturing, shopfitting and joinery, cabinetry, and wall panelling where a quality finish is expected.
B/B panels are selected for both faces and are ideal where both sides of the panel may be visible. B/C is the standard workhorse for cabinetry and shelving where one side faces inward.
🟨 Furniture manufacturing and cabinetry
🟨 Shopfitting and retail fixtures
🟨 Joinery, staircases, and mouldings
🟨 Interior wall panelling
🟨 Exhibition and display stands
🟨 Decorative and feature panels
SHUTTERPLY
Shutterply is a C/C face-graded structural plywood designed for the rigours of the construction site. Whether used as formwork for in-situ concrete, hoarding, floor decking, or general structural panelling, Shutterply delivers the load-bearing performance builders demand with the WBP bond that keeps panels intact through multiple pours and re-uses.
The C-grade face veneer tolerates sound knots, patches, and natural timber variation, perfectly appropriate for applications where appearance is not the primary concern, but structural integrity absolutely is.
🟨 Concrete formwork and shuttering
🟨 Temporary site hoarding and screens
🟨 Structural floor and roof decking
🟨 Wallbracing and shear panels
🟨 General construction panelling
🟨 Scaffold boarding and platforms
PACKAGING PLYWOOD
Packaging Grade plywood is produced to a D/D face classification — where strength-to-weight ratio and structural performance take absolute priority over veneer appearance. D-grade veneers may carry significant natural defects, but the bond line and core construction meet the same structural specification as every other ELS Timbers product.
This makes Packaging Grade ideal for export crating, heavy goods pallets, industrial packaging, and any application where the plywood will be enclosed, painted over, or used in a non-visual structural role.
🟨 Export crating and wooden cases
🟨 Heavy machinery packaging
🟨 Industrial pallets and skids
🟨 Utility shelving and racking
🟨 Non-visual structural applications
🟨 Agricultural and workshop use
*Images are for illustrative purposes only. Actual product appearance, grain, and colour may vary.*
Every sheet of plywood carries a two-part grade code — for example B/C or C/C. The first letter refers to the face veneer (the better side), and the second letter refers to the back veneer. The grades run from A through to D, with A being the cleanest and most defect-free, and D allowing the most natural variation.
How to Read Our Grade Codes
A
PREMIUM
Virtually defect-free. Sanded smooth. Used in high-end decorative panelling and premium furniture. Not produced by ELS Timbers.
B
APPEARANCE
Minimal defects, smooth surface, consistent grain. Suitable for furniture, shopfitting, cabinetry, and any application where the panel face will be visible.
C
STRUCTURAL
Sound knots, patches, and natural grain variation permitted. Structurally sound and ideal for construction, shuttering, and applications where appearance is not the priority.
D
UTILITY
Maximum allowable natural defects. Chosen purely for strength, not looks. Perfect for crating, packaging, and enclosed or painted applications.
IMPORTANT — THE GRADE CODE DESCRIBES THE VENEER FACE ONLY
Regardless of whether you choose B/B, B/C, C/C or D/D — every ELS Timbers board shares the same structural core construction and the same WBP Phenol Formaldehyde bond. The grade code tells you about the visual appearance of the surface veneers, not the strength of the panel. A D/D packaging board is just as strong as a B/B appearance board — it simply uses veneers that wouldn't pass a visual appearance check. This is what sets ELS apart from inferior imports, where even the core and glue line vary by grade.
All ELS Timbers plywood panels are trimmed to a standard 1220 × 2440mm sheet size — consistent with the South African construction and joinery industry standard. Thickness options run from ultra-thin 4mm decorative panels all the way through to 32mm heavy structural boards.
Standard Sizes. Precise Tolerances.
SHEET DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATIONS
Standard Sheet Size
1220 × 2440 mm
± 1.5mm Dimensional Tolerance
Available Thickness
4mm - 32mm
10 Standard Thickness Options
ADHESIVE BOND: WBP PHENOL FORMALDEHYDE
All ELS Timbers, plywood uses Water and Boil-Proof (WBP) Phenol Formaldehyde (PF) resin — a permanently waterproof adhesive classified for use in exterior and high-humidity environments. This is not a cost-saving specification choice; it is a commitment to producing plywood that performs in the real world, including in South Africa's challenging climate conditions.
GRADE QUICK REFERENCE
B/B APPEARANCE
Cabinetry / Joinery
B/C APPEARANCE
Decorative Panelling / Premium Furniture
C/C APPEARANCE
Structural / Construction
D/D APPEARANCE
Crating / Industrial