IS 303 · IS 710 · IS 4990
MR vs BWR vs BWP
Almost every complaint about plywood is really a complaint about the wrong grade in the wrong room. The difference between grades is the glue and the test it has to pass — not the face veneer you can see. Here is the whole thing in one table.
Commonly used for: wardrobe carcass, shelving, drawer boxes.
Room by room
The grades, compared
| Grade | Standard | Water resistance | Use it for | Avoid it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MR | IS 303 Urea-formaldehyde bonded | Handles humidity, not standing water | Wardrobes, beds, TV units, false ceilings, dry interior furniture | Kitchens, bathrooms, anywhere near a tap |
| BWR | IS 303 Phenolic bonded, boiling water resistant | Survives repeated splashing and damp walls | Kitchen shutters, wash-basin units, furniture on exterior walls | Permanently wet or fully outdoor exposure |
| BWP / Marine | IS 710 Phenolic bonded, boiling waterproof | Highest — tested in boiling water | Kitchen platforms and carcass, bathroom vanities, terrace and outdoor work | Nothing, except your budget on dry interior work |
| Shuttering | IS 4990 Film-faced concrete shuttering ply | Built for repeated wet concrete pours | Slab and column formwork on site | Furniture — the film face won't take laminate well |
Reading a sheet at the counter: look for the ISI mark with the licence number, check that the plies are even and continuous with no gaps or overlaps at the edge, and press a corner — a sheet with a hollow or patched core gives itself away before it reaches your site. We'll cut a corner off a sheet and show you if you ask.
Grades
Common questions
Boiling waterproof. BWP plywood is bonded with phenol-formaldehyde resin and tested by boiling under IS 710, which is why it is specified for kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor work. It is often sold as marine plywood.