The Necessary Thing You Need to Know Before Buy Plywood

The Necessary Thing You Need to Know Before Buy Plywood

Plywood makes up the majority of the walls and floors in attics, and are sometimes found in laundry rooms, closets and other unfinished areas in the home. It can also be made into fencing materials, packaging materials, scaffolding, shelving, sheds, shipping containers, cabinets and furniture.

There's a lot to consider when purchasing plywood for a project. Check out this buying guide.

When you’re buying plywood or plywood sheets for any project, shop wisely. Your choices of plywood will have a huge impact on the building process and the results. This story will help you decide exactly what you need and help you avoid common plywood pitfalls.

Sizes:

The most common size for plywood sheets is 4 x 8 feet.

Types of plywood: Veneer Core

Veneer core plywood is made up of many layers of hardwood bonded together. The layers are assembled with alternating grain direction, called cross-banding. This makes a strong, rigid, lightweight sheet with excellent screw-holding capability. Because of these qualities, veneer core is my first choice in most cases

Check for plywood flatness

Don’t expect perfection—you probably won’t find it. Just try to find the best of the pile. Sight down all the edges just like you’d do if you were buying 2x4 studs. Sometimes, plywood sheets are warped in multiple directions, resembling a potato chip. Leave these for some unlucky, less-informed buyer. If you’re buying 1/4-in. plywood, don’t worry about flat and straight; it won’t be either. But you’ll likely fasten it to structural parts, which will keep it flat.

Can you sand plywood?

All plywood needs at least light sanding before finishing. Sometimes, the face veneer on is so thin that the pink veneer adhesive shows through. If you suspect that the veneer is ultra thin, don’t use a power sander. Just sand by hand.

Can you special-order plywood?

Some customers will special-order many different species, core options and veneer cuts. But beware: You won’t be able to look at the actual plywood sheets before buying, and you probably won’t be able to return or reject them unless they’re damaged or otherwise unusable. If it’s just that you don’t like the grain pattern, you’re probably stuck with it. Also, there may also be a minimum quantity you need to buy.