Description
Quick answer: Anti-slip phenolic plywood is a birch-core, film-faced plywood sheet with a textured surface for added grip and durability. Supplied in 2440 × 1220mm (8 × 4) sheets, choose 12mm or 18mm for trailer floors, van conversions, platforms, transport interiors and other hard-wearing flooring or panel applications.
What is anti-slip phenolic plywood?
Anti-slip phenolic plywood is plywood faced with a tough phenolic film and a textured mesh surface. The film helps protect the face from wear and moisture, while the textured finish provides more grip than a smooth plywood face.
This product uses a birch plywood core and is intended for jobs where a hard-wearing working surface is more useful than a decorative timber face.
Is this Buffalo Board?
No. Buffalo Board is an active brand name, although the term is also commonly used when people are looking for this type of anti-slip phenolic plywood. This product is not manufactured by the Buffalo Board brand; it is Wern-Wood's birch-core anti-slip phenolic plywood.
If you searched for Buffalo Board because you need a textured phenolic sheet for a trailer, van, platform or working floor, this product is the comparable type of sheet to consider.
What is phenolic plywood used for?
Phenolic plywood is commonly used where a durable, easy-to-clean and moisture-resistant working surface is needed. Typical applications include trailer flooring, van conversions, commercial vehicle interiors, platforms, staging, workshop areas, transport applications and heavy-duty panels.
12mm or 18mm phenolic plywood?
Choose 12mm where a thinner and lighter sheet suits the support and intended use. Choose 18mm where you need a thicker, stiffer sheet for heavier-duty flooring or panel applications. The correct thickness still depends on the support spacing, expected load and overall construction of the project.
| Thickness | Sheet size | Typical choice |
|---|---|---|
| 12mm | 2440 × 1220mm | Lighter flooring, lining and panel work where the sheet is suitably supported. |
| 18mm | 2440 × 1220mm | Heavier-duty flooring, trailer floors, platforms and jobs needing greater stiffness. |
Is phenolic plywood waterproof?
Phenolic plywood should not be treated as fully waterproof. The film-faced surface offers good resistance to moisture and wear, but cut edges, drilled holes and damaged areas expose the plywood core. Seal exposed edges and penetrations where moisture resistance matters.
What does film-faced plywood mean?
Film-faced plywood has a resin-impregnated surface bonded to the plywood face. On this board the phenolic film provides the hard-wearing surface, while the mesh texture creates the anti-slip finish used for flooring and transport applications.
Can phenolic plywood be cut or machined?
Yes. Phenolic plywood can be cut, drilled and machined using suitable woodworking tools. Cutting exposes the plywood core, so newly cut edges should be sealed where the board may encounter moisture.
Sheet size
Both thicknesses are supplied as 2440 × 1220mm sheets, commonly called 8 × 4 sheets. Imperial sizes are a familiar reference only; use the listed metric measurements when planning cuts or checking fit.
Choose your thickness
Select 12mm or 18mm above to see the correct price and add the required sheet to your basket. For other sheet materials, browse our Plywood Sheets or Sheet Materials.