Layered birch means plywood, of course. Birch is a light colored wood and makes a high quality plywood without any “voids.” If you’re used to looking at construction grade plywood, this is a different product. Instead of the ragged looking edges where you can see how the different layers are made of scrap, in birch plywood the edges have a very clean layered look, like stripes.
The birch plywood used in the Learning Tower is clear of defects on both sides. The wood is very strong even when it’s had parts cut out (you can see by looking at a picure that the Tower has a lot of wood cut out of it). It’s also immune from warping and can handle a great deal of stress. There was a time when the towers were made out of regular lumber but there were problems with the seams on the top arches not holding together, so the move to plywood was made.
All of the exposed edges are nicely rounded and then a non-toxic finish is applied. There’s no risk of splinters. The wood is thick and substantial; this is part of what makes the Tower feel so sturdy.
There’s lots more to learn about the Learning Tower.
