What are the different types of exterior plywood?

The history of plywood, whose production began in Portland, takes us back to 1980s when it was patented. However, exterior plywood came into existence in 1934 with the surge of waterproof adhesives. Over a period of time, Plywood evolved and now we have different variants of the same. CDX plywood is one of the most common types used by the builders for the exterior. However, there are other variants as well, which we will explore later in the blog.

Exterior Plywood

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A brief discussion about Plywood

Wood veneers are bound together to form flat sheets which are called plywood. These are highly versatile products which find active usage in both the interior and exterior of a construction. Normal plywood consists of three piles having grains in alternate piles arranged at right angles. 

The plywoods are grouped as: 

1. Exterior
2. Interior
3. Structural
4. Marine 

Why are people opting for plywood?

Plywood offers a series of benefits, some of which are: 

#1. Enhanced stability- Plywood brings with it the inherent properties of the parent wood from which it is made, thus ensuring stability. 

#2. Impact resistance- Another benefit which plywood brings with it is the higher impact, which makes it withstand short-term overload. The laminated structure of plywood helps in distribution of load from impact over a large area on the opposite surface, thus ensuring better stability, and that’s why people are opting for exterior plywood. 

#3. Temperature and moisture resistance- Most of the exterior plywood comes with cross-laminated structure, thus ensuring that the sheets are able to withstand temperature and moisture resistance.  This becomes a great property for the plywood which is used for flooring. 

#4. Resistance to chemical- Plywood can easily withstand the corrosive effect of chemicals and hence find active usage in cooling towers and other chemical prone places.

Types of Exterior plywood

• CDX plywood- This is one of the most common types used for the exterior. They are available in 5/8, ¾ and ½ thickness. You can choose between A, C and D grade where A is cabinet grade and C and D is construction grade.  In addition to this, you can also find ABX, BCX, and ACX range, which are better than CDX. 

• Marine grade- It consists of knot-free sheets and nullifies the probability of formation of water pockets, which makes it waterproof and thus proving to be a great material for the exterior. 

• Pressure-treated - It has a greenish appearance and slightly oily surface. It is chemical infused plywood and is resistant to mildew. Some of the chemicals used for the treatment of this plywood include copper azole, ammoniacal copper quat, and chromated copper arsenate. 

• Oriented strand board (OSB) – you can find active use of this plywood in sheathing and decking. This is comparatively expensive plywood. 

• T1-11- This variety of plywood for the exterior is used as siding. It is exterior-grade plywood designed for use as siding. It has a rough-sawn appearance. It can be painted in the desired color to match the color schemes.

Exterior Plywood

How is exterior plywood different from interior plywood?

Interior plywood focusses more on look and style, whereas the exterior ones need to be more resistant and durable as it has to combat harsh environmental conditions. Exterior plywood can be used in the interiors, and the exterior but interior plywood cannot be used on the exterior. If you are looking for aesthetically pleasing outdoor exterior plywood, then the above-mentioned categories are some of the popular ones. 

Conclusion- Plywoods have become a great way to enhance the durability and longevity. With its multitude of features like durability, sturdiness, highly resistant, they are a great choice for lamination.