Purchasing Blockboard

Blockboard manufacturing requires high standards; it demands not only sufficient space for the timber to undergo natural acclimatization and drying but also strict control of the kiln-drying process. In particular, following the implementation of mandatory national standards limiting hazardous substances in decoration materials, the adhesives used in blockboard had to be upgraded-a change that significantly increased costs-while raw material prices have also continued to rise. Consequently, due to these cost constraints, one should avoid purchasing blockboard priced below 80 yuan. Blindly seeking low prices can pose health risks. Many merchants use various tactics to deceive consumers for profit; therefore, consider the following points when making a purchase:
(1) Blockboard is graded into "Superior," "First-Class," and "Qualified" categories. Before leaving the factory, each board should be stamped on the bottom-right corner of the back with a fade-resistant ink mark indicating the product category, grade, manufacturer code, and inspector code; the category mark must specify whether it is for indoor or outdoor use. Consumers should be wary if this information is missing or unclear.
(2) Inspect the appearance: choose boards with flat surfaces and minimal knots or peeling. Check for warping, bending, blisters, or depressions, and look for signs of glue or putty repairs along the edges. Examine the core strips to ensure they are arranged evenly and neatly, with the smallest possible gaps. The width of the core strips should not exceed 2.5 times their thickness; otherwise, the board is prone to deformation.
(3) Touch the board: spread your palm and gently run it over the surface; feeling burrs or splinters indicates poor quality.
(4) Lift one side of the board with both hands and shake it up and down while listening for the sound of wood snapping or cracking; such sounds indicate large internal gaps or numerous voids. High-quality blockboard should feel solid and substantial.
(5) Saw the board in half across its width and examine the core timber for uniformity and neatness. Check for decay, fractures, or insect holes, and observe whether there are large gaps between the solid wood strips.

(6) Hold your nose close to the cut edge of the blockboard and smell for any strong, pungent odor. A mild, pleasant wood scent indicates low formaldehyde emissions; a pungent, irritating odor suggests high emissions, in which case you should avoid purchasing the product.
(7) When loading the purchased blockboard onto your vehicle, verify that the boards match the sample you viewed at the time of sale to prevent unscrupulous merchants from making a "bait-and-switch" substitution.
(8) Be wary of merchants who intentionally blur the distinction between E1 and E2 grades to sell substandard products. Blockboard is classified into E1 and E2 grades based on limits for hazardous substances-primarily formaldehyde. Only E1-grade blockboard should be used for home interior decoration; even if E2-grade blockboard meets its own grade standards, its formaldehyde content can still be more than three times that of E1-grade board.
(9) Request documentation from the merchant, such as the blockboard's test report and quality inspection certificate. Blockboard with a formaldehyde content of 1.5 mg/L or less is suitable for direct indoor use, whereas board with a content of up to 5 mg/L requires a surface finish treatment before indoor use is permitted. Therefore, when purchasing, ensure you confirm compliance with national standards for interior decoration materials and have this noted on the invoice.