Chipboard is produced by mixing thousands of tiny chips of timber with glue and compressing into sheets. Which of the following best describes its typical characteristics?

Chipboard is produced by mixing thousands of tiny chips of timber with glue and compressing into sheets. Which of the following best describes its typical characteristics?

• A. It is cheap, difficult to join, not strong, and damaged by moisture.
• B. It is highly strong and moisture resistant.
• C. It is uniform and has a decorative surface ready-made.
• D. It is identical to plywood in properties.

Answer: (A)

Chipboard’s construction from thousands of small wood chips bonded with glue and pressed into sheets gives it characteristics that are useful for low-cost applications but limiting in performance. Because there’s no continuous grain and the board is held together by adhesive rather than layered fibers, it tends to be weaker and doesn’t hold screws or nails well, making joining more difficult. It also swells and degrades when exposed to moisture, since the adhesive can fail and the chips absorb water. These realities describe a material that is cheap, not very strong, and vulnerable to moisture, with joining requiring care or special fixings. The other statements don’t fit: chipboard is not inherently highly strong or moisture resistant, it does not come with a ready-made decorative surface, and its properties are not identical to plywood.

Chipboard’s construction from thousands of small wood chips bonded with glue and pressed into sheets gives it characteristics that are useful for low-cost applications but limiting in performance. Because there’s no continuous grain and the board is held together by adhesive rather than layered fibers, it tends to be weaker and doesn’t hold screws or nails well, making joining more difficult. It also swells and degrades when exposed to moisture, since the adhesive can fail and the chips absorb water. These realities describe a material that is cheap, not very strong, and vulnerable to moisture, with joining requiring care or special fixings. The other statements don’t fit: chipboard is not inherently highly strong or moisture resistant, it does not come with a ready-made decorative surface, and its properties are not identical to plywood.