Can You Use Hardwood Plywood Outside

There are five important ratings that convey where and how to use plywood.

Can you use hardwood plywood outside. Plywood is tough but it still needs to be sealed especially on the edges to prevent moisture penetration when used outdoors. For most outdoor applications you can use standard bc plywood which is fairly inexpensive. Plywood is cut into almost any shape and absorbs paint quickly making it easy to match any decor. It is made by gluing together plywood layers also called veneers.

If this tutorial has got you thinking about marine plywood. Hardwood plywood is made from hardwood often from birch and used for demanding end uses. Your marine plywood is now sealed protected and ready to face the harshest conditions you can throw at it. Softwood plywood is usually made from softwood such as cedar douglas fir or spruce pine fir or redwood and is typically used for construction and industrial purposes.

Outdoor house sidings children s treehouses and raised garden bed sides are just some of the uses for the laminated wood sheets. To properly seal plywood penetrating oil can be used. I am building a makeshift weightlifting platform for outside use and the centrepiece of that is two 18mm thick 2440x1220 sheets of plywood screwed together for stability. Use exterior rated plywood for permanent outdoor structures that will be exposed to water long term.

This whole project will just require only 1 2 days. I ve purchased hardwood throughout external wbp. Exterior means the panels have been waterproofed and can withstand inclement weather. Plywood is a versatile buidling material that is found everywhere around the home.

Obviously it can withstand outdoor conditions particularly if you coat it with a marine paint or varnish. Polyurethane varnish one of the. You would not want to use this to build a shed for example. Penetrating oil sinks deep into the pores of the wood where it hardens to protect the wood from the inside out.

If you use interior plywood outdoors it won t be long before the corners of the sheets separate and eventually the plywood will become spongy and disintegrate. Hardwood plywood can be made from either softwood or hardwood timber species. To ensure a long life of plywood outside it is necessary to weatherize it. Exterior exposure 1 exposure 2 interior and structural 1.

You can delay this process perhaps for many years by painting both sides and all the edges with high quality exterior enamel. After you ve applied as many coats as necessary you re done.