The short answer
Use BWP, the waterproof grade, wherever water reaches: under the kitchen sink, the base of a kitchen, the utility and the bathroom vanity. Use MR, the moisture-resistant grade, everywhere else: wardrobes, TV units, study desks and lofts. Paying for BWP in a bedroom buys nothing.
In this guide
What the two grades are
BWP stands for boiling water proof. Its layers are bonded with a glue that holds even when the board is soaked, and it is made to the Indian standard IS 710, which is why it is often called marine ply. MR stands for moisture resistant. It is made to IS 303 and handles the humidity of a normal room well, but not standing water.
| BWP (IS 710) | MR (IS 303) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it survives | Being soaked, and drying out again | Humid air, a spill wiped up |
| What it cannot take | Very little in a home | Water standing on it or leaking into it |
| Where it belongs | Near a tap, a drain or a floor that gets mopped wet | Every dry room |
| The board we use | Century Sainik 710 BWP Marine Plywood | Century Sainik MR 303 Plywood |
Where we use each, item by item
This table is read from how we build each item, so it always matches your quote.
| Item | BWP, where water reaches | MR, the dry parts |
|---|---|---|
| Wardrobe | — | Wardrobe, Loft |
| Crockery unit | Base unit | Counter zone, Display above |
| Study desk | — | Desk, Drawers, Storage above |
| Foyer unit | — | Cupboard, Shoe ledge |
| Pooja unit | — | Platform and storage, Deity zone |
| Dresser | — | Counter and drawers |
| Vanity unit | Vanity unit, Open shelves | — |
| Bed | — | Side tables |
| Kitchen | Base units | Wall cabinets, Loft |
A kitchen’s base units sit under the sink and get mopped around, so they are BWP. Its wall cabinets and loft are away from the water, so they are MR. The same thinking runs through every item: the grade follows the water, not the room’s name.
Is BWP everywhere better?
No. In a bedroom or a living room, BWP does nothing MR does not already do. The glue that makes BWP waterproof only matters when the board gets wet. What makes a wardrobe last in a dry room is the grade of the board, its thickness and how it is finished and edged, and those are the same either way.
A quote that says only “plywood” leaves the grade open. Ask which grade goes into each item, and which brand. Ours names both for every item, and how to read an interior quote explains what else to look for.
What about thickness?
The boxes are built from 18 mm board, BWP or MR. The back of a cabinet is thinner, 8 mm, because it closes the box and carries no weight. The finish on the doors, laminate everywhere or acrylic in a kitchen, is a separate choice from the board inside: laminate or acrylic covers it.
From our designer
Our rule is simple: BWP only where there is water. I would rather spend the money on a better finish or soft-close fittings in a bedroom than on a waterproof board that will never see water.
— An Ekatan designer
See it in your own home
Send your floor plan. A designer draws your home within 24 hours.
Common questions
Is BWP the same as marine ply?
Largely, yes. Both names are used for plywood made to IS 710, bonded to survive being soaked.
Can I ask for BWP in my wardrobe?
Your designer can change it at review, but in a dry room it buys nothing that lasts longer.
Is MR ply good enough for a kitchen?
For the wall cabinets and the loft, yes. For the base units near the sink and the floor, we use BWP.
Which brand of plywood do you use?
CenturyPly: Century Sainik 710 BWP Marine Plywood where there is water, and Century Sainik MR 303 Plywood for the rest.
Related guides
Your home, before it’s built
Free to plan. You pay nothing until you go ahead.