Keto Ply manufactures IS 1659 block board at Yamunanagar on kiln and air seasoned pinewood and hardwood battens, and supplies it across Mumbai to full height wardrobe shutters, loft fronts and door shutters from Colaba to Borivali, in 12 mm to 25 mm boards.
IS 1659 | Batten Core | 12 mm to 25 mm
Block board exists for one reason: span. A seven foot wardrobe shutter or an eight foot table top cut from plywood will bow in time, because a veneer core has nothing running the length of the board to carry that load. A block board does, and its solid timber battens work like a row of small joists. Nowhere is that more useful than Mumbai, where flats are small and every wardrobe runs floor to ceiling with a loft above it. Those are the longest shutters in Indian residential joinery, hung on hinges that carry them for a decade, and they are exactly the panel plywood struggles with. Keto Ply rips pinewood and hardwood timber for its block boards and seasons it by kiln and air before pressing, and IS 1659 sets the rest: battens no wider than 30 mm, laid edge to edge without significant gaps, seasoned to not more than 12 percent moisture.
Pinewood and hardwood timber is ripped and then seasoned by kiln and air, so the battens are stable before they ever go into a board.
Battens no wider than 30 mm laid edge to edge as IS 1659 requires, so there are no hollow pockets to telegraph through a laminated face.
Consignments to island city, western, central and harbour suburb workshops and sites, slotted around Mumbai's daytime truck restrictions.
Every Keto Ply panel carries the brand's borer, fungus and anti-termite guarantee in writing.
What a batten core does for a Mumbai job, where it beats plywood, and where it does not.
Request a Sample BoardThe battens run the length of the board like a row of small joists, which is what keeps a seven foot wardrobe shutter or a long table top from bowing. A veneer core has nothing running that way and will sag over the same span.
IS 1659 caps batten width at 30 mm and requires them laid edge to edge without significant gaps. That is what stops a shutter showing hollow lines through laminate a year after it is fitted, and it is the first thing to check on a cheap board.
Keto Ply rips pinewood and hardwood and seasons it by kiln and air before pressing. IS 1659 requires core battens at not more than 12 percent moisture, because timber that goes in wet shrinks later and opens gaps inside a finished board.
A block board weighs noticeably less than plywood of the same thickness, which matters on full height wardrobe shutters and flush doors where the hinges carry that weight every day for years.
Full height wardrobe and loft shutters, door shutters, long shelving and table tops across Mumbai flats. Stay with plywood for small carcass boxes and drawer units, where screws land in the board edge and plywood holds better.
Supplied from the Yamunanagar unit with dealer, workshop and project pricing for Mumbai, plus dealership openings across the western and harbour suburbs.
Acceptance values laid down in IS 1659 (Block Boards - Specification).
| Test | Method | Requirement | What it means on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batten Core | IS 1659 cl 6.2 | Battens not exceeding 30 mm wide, laid edge to edge without significant gaps | No hollow pockets to telegraph through a laminated face. |
| Batten Seasoning | IS 1659 cl 6.2 | Core battens seasoned to not more than 12% moisture | Timber that will not shrink and open gaps inside the finished board. |
| Water Resistance (MR) | IS 1659 cl 9.2.2.2 | Soaked 3 hours in water at 60°C | The bond holds through the damp and dry cycling of an interior. |
| Water Resistance (BWP) | IS 1659 cl 9.2.2.1 | Soaked 72 hours in boiling water | The step up grade for humid and exterior use. |
| Glue Adhesion | IS 1659 Annex G | Knife test, pass standard minimum with adherent fibres | The plies tear wood rather than splitting cleanly at the glue line. |
| Bending Strength (MR) | IS 1659 Annex J | MOR 40 N/mm² average; MOE 4000 N/mm² average | A long shutter or shelf carries its own span without bowing. |
These are the published IS 1659 acceptance criteria for block boards. The lot specific test report is issued with every project consignment.
Dealer supply and direct project dispatch across the city's construction corridors:
Not seeing your area? Keto Ply is appointing dealers across Mumbai and the wider MMR. Send a dealership enquiry and our territory manager will call back.
Share your thickness, square footage and delivery city. We will send the price list along with the current test certificate.
