A good rule of thumb for sealing marine plywood is to apply as many layers of sealer as there are layers in the plywood. Use a small stain brush to apply the varnish to the plywood. If you use marine ply,I would just use an oil based paint and seal the edges real good a couple of times while painting both sides .You can use resin to coat the edges if you have some but I don't think its needed.The oil based paint doesn't have to be Interlux or Petit ,just whatever you have laying around,it will help it to penetrate if you … Most marine-grade plywood is pre-treated by being subjected to a pressure treatment process. If you have purchased plywood with six layers, for example, apply six layers of epoxy to seal it. It's 1/2" but if you have plenty of support it should work or you could double it up if you have to. ... once the sealer is applied to the plywood and dried, you will want to wipe the wood down with a damp cloth and sand it lightly with a 100 to 200 grit sandpaper. home improvement and repair website. This type of sealant, as its name indicates, works itself deep into the plywood and dries transparent. Nevertheless, that does not make the panel waterproof. Some of the essential things you’ll need for this process include: Use paper towels or a cloth dipped in acetone in order to clean the surface of the plywood. Marine-Grade Plywood has plies of A-B grade. 4 billion square feet of plywood produced, One of the most efficient kinds of plywood is Marine-Grade Plywood. To properly seal plywood, penetrating oil can be used. By sealing this material, however, you can increase its overall lifespan. suggestions. Between each coat, you add, gently sand to … You can add a few extra thin coats during this last step, although at this point you can alternate between vertical and horizontal strokes. Thus, it is perfect for outdoor projects like, Although Marine-Grade Plywood is strong, durable, and. College Dorm Furniture: How to Make Your Own Pin Up Board. This type of plywood includes waterproof glue designed to keep the plies together, so it can resist virtually any level of moisture. It's grade A plywood with no knots or anything. This marine sealant is undoubtedly an outstanding adhesive that is … Make sure you also use a tack cloth to remove dust before continuing to brush on more epoxy for best results. No matter what wood you use in a boat, you must either do it the old way (use more and thicker wood so that even after it is half-rotted it is still strong enough to function as a boat (not really recommended except for historical restorations); or SEAL the WOOD completely! Dip a foam brush into the clear, penetrating epoxy. Marine plywood is a particular variety of plywood that’s been treated to withstand moisture.As the name implies, it’s often used on boats and other items that are in frequent contact with water. It’s important to let the acetone dry. Paid £16 for a 8' x 4' sheet (18mm), which was a lot less than the £28 wanted by Wickes for the same. Be sure to focus on one section at a time until a thin coat covers the whole plywood. He said some of the signs have been knocked down into the dirt and wet grass and and the plywood has never warped or rotted. If you have purchased plywood with six layers, for example, apply six layers of epoxy to seal it. Let’s face it: there are dozens of types of plywood, and each one can be used for different purposes (i.e., indoor or outdoor use). If you have a boat or are planning on building something that will be submerged in water, then marine plywood is what you'll be working with. The Best Ways to Paint and Seal Plywood. In order to eliminate the majority of the sealer, roll the brush against the paint basin’s side. Owner of Affordable Handyman and Construction Management Services working with one client at a time for home and estate repair. Curtis will always work hard to find any item you need, even if we don’t have it in stock. Follow me for a moment: Let’s say you have a marine sealant that has a rating of 400% elongation before break on a 1/64″ thick … You can use another marine-grade sealer if you like but you will need more coats and will have to reapply it every three or four years. Yes, because plain plywood board is not rot-resistant. But with a little time and effort, you can make your own marine plywood by waterproofing less expensive regular plywood. However, they guy I bought the wood from yesterday said I was crazy if I did not. It is recommended to roll the paint you choose to use onto a 2-by-2-foot area in order to verify that the sealer doesn’t dry too quickly. To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. Charles is an Expert Reviewer for Doityourself.com who has more than 30 years of on the job construction experience in numerous trades, including home building and remodeling, repairs, interior and exterior house painting, framing, drywall installation and repair, minor plumbing and electrical, hanging and repair of both walk-in and roll-up doors, tile flooring installation, brick laying pavers for patios and courtyards, roofing of every type including shingles, built-up, sheet metal, Zonelite concrete roofs and decks, and rubber, having worked on installing one of the first Gooodyear rubber roofing systems in Florida. Whether it’s for marine use or exterior use, marine plywood still needs to be painted in order to be fully durable, and painting it … problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. Website operating Then, use a tack cloth to thoroughly clean up any dust you created during the process. Rather, it is made from exterior-grade plywood, which contains fewer voids and gaps than interior-grade plywood, making it less susceptible to decay. – Brock Without a bevel the hardware would compress the sealant to about 1/64th of an inch thick after the fasteners are tightened. Roll the sealer across the surface of the marine plywood. You can buy floor leveling material from Home Depot or another large hardware store. It's a fact that plywood will rot regardless of what kind it is, but if marine plywood is not properly sealed with the right number of coats (especially if being used as a hull) it will deteriorate unexpectedly and cause serious problems for you. Charles is a highly experienced equipment operator of Bobcats, backhoes, D-9 front end loader, hydraulic cranes, GRT piledriver, concrete saws, regular and extended reach forklifts, and he has operated a working barge on Tampa Bay and the Intercoastal Waterway as a Marine Construction sub-contractor building custom docks. Best Way To Seal Plywood. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do this. Call Curtis Lumber & Plywood today at (703) 972-1947 or contact us online for more information about our products. Best Marine Grade Wood Sealers SEAL-ONCE Wood Sealer. The floor leveling material is the consistency of pancake batter and it will find it's own level once poured on the … You may freely link Plywood is a durable material for projects, but it is necessary to seal plywood to protect it against water damage and rotting, and to ensure a long-lasting finish. If you have ever wondered how to waterproof wood for a boat, you are about to learn. This type is a thicker material than regular plywood, comprised of about seven to 10 layers as opposed to three to five, with glue locking them all together. Testing a couple things to use for a floor covering in my boat. In most cases, you would coat only one side and be done with it, but since marine plywood is going to be used underwater, everything has to be treated. I just purchased my 3/4 inch marine grade plywood to use on the deck of my toon. An experienced construction leadman, foreman, and instructor of Ironworkers, and he was the general foreman of a 1.12 mw solar farm project in Chowchilla, California in 2016 This plywood is distributed through Huttig Corporation and is the same plywood used on all 2014 Bennington and South Bay pontoon boats. Remember to paint horizontally, not vertically. We welcome your comments and Much like any other form of plywood, if you want to stain, paint, or (in this case) seal it, it’s crucial that you sand it down first. How to prepare your plywood floor The plywood (minimum 15-18mm thick) should be laid with cross staggered joints and screwed down at 300mm centres, ensuring the screw heads … This process involves putting lumber into a tank and immersing it in a chemical treatment. Allow the epoxy to dry then seal the bottom edge and the back of the plywood. After some reading threads here and on the web I decided that I would not seal the wood prior to installation. Marine grade plywood is a waterproof product intended for exterior uses that will typically do more than come into contact with water but will in all likelihood be completely submerged. With normal plywood, you would use two coats of sealer, maybe even three. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent Sealing marine plywood is a lot like sealing other types but it does differ slightly. Always select suitable plywood for your exterior project and then seal it step by step. Please help! The answer to this question is yes, Marine-Grade Plywood should be treated. It should be used for several minutes for the best results and a cloth should be used to eliminate sawdust particles. You may be wondering how Marine-Grade Plywood should be treated, including whether or not it should be sealed. Now you have become familiar with our guide on how to seal plywood for outdoor use. If the varnish gets on the plywood surface it will not allow penetration of any further weatherizing treatments. View our Privacy Policy here. Made of Douglas fir (or sometimes Western Larch), it is extremely lightweight, durable, and strong. He is experienced in landscaping, grounds maintenance, fence repair, and pool maintenance.  Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be Charles Ramos, Jr holds a degree in housekeeping from Alexander Training School of Alexander, Arkansas since 1977. Mix one part polyester resin with four to six parts acetone in the 5-gallon bucket. Penetrating oil sinks deep into the pores of the wood where it hardens to protect the wood from the inside out. what ply have you used as wbp or far eastern shouldnt have any gaps unless its cheap rubbish Not exactly sure. In order to eliminate brush marks from the sealer, drag a foam tipping brush over the sealer while it is wet. This step should take approximately one to two hours. 1995-2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Saturate the foam brush, and start spreading it on the top and side edges first, switching to the front face of the wood when you're done. Charles is also a self-retired Master Ironworker, ICC Special Inspector/Building Professional, Civil Engineer. Five thin coats of the sealer should be more than enough to finish your sealing project. You see, in order to make wood rot-resistant, we put it through a process called ‘pressure treatment’. CCA treated plywood does not need to be coated or treated before installation and has 7 plys that have been pressed and glued together then kiln dried, it will not warp or rot. Anyone have any ideas on this? Marine-Grade Plywood does not need to be treated with chemicals in order to avoid decay. There are no gaps around the orignal external edges, but some have appeared … We prefer clear, penetrating epoxy because it works its way deep into the wood, dries transparent, and requires less maintenance than other types of sealant. Copyright© The main benefit of using waterproof glue in marine plywood is that if the plywood is exposed to moisture, or even very high humidity or boiling temperatures, the glue won't fail, and therefore the wood layers of the plywood won't delaminate, or fall apart. There are many projects that may require plywood that’s water resistant; however, few require waterproof marine grade plywood. However, keep it off of the surface of the plywood sheet by taping the surface with masking tape. Plywood, while a relatively inexpensive product to use, can be particularly tricky when it comes to finishing. Marine … to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. Plywood is tough but it still needs to be sealed, especially on the edges, to prevent moisture penetration when used outdoors. Once it is sealed , you may finish your project with paint or polyurethane. Marine grade plywood, for instance, is the highest grade of plywood and differs from other types of plywood in many ways. Some of the essential things you’ll need for this process include: Marine-Grade Plywood has plies of A-B grade. Step 1 – Sanding Your Marine Plywood The very first thing you’re going to want to do to your Marine Plywood if you’re planning on using it in water or outside is to sand it. Roll the paint onto a 2 … Speak to the professionals at Curtis Lumber & Plywood in Springfield, Virginia to learn more about the process to seal Marine-Grade Plywood. Generally, you should add as many coats of a sealant as there are the layers of the plywood. Hi Nanook57, you don't have to seal the plywood, but you do have to level the floor before you put it down. Haven’t you found the right marine grade sealant for your boat yet? All information is provided "AS IS." The purpose of this is to get rid of grease and other contaminants. Since 2013. Do You Have To Seal Plywood? Thanks. We also offer Marine-Grade Plywood in many different sizes. You want to sand in a … Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do this. We are able to furnish direct trailer load shipments or can pull orders to the piece for special projects. Each of these two letters represents one side of each ply, which is stacked perpendicularly to the next one. Go over both sides of the wood, as well as the edges, with 80-grit sandpaper by hand. This is an important design characteristic if you're building a boat hull with … The above techniques are used by professional woodworkers to extend an exterior plywood life. To give you a background, it’s 3/4 pine plywood; all have been shellacked, painted with latex craft paint, and three coats of G.F exterior 450 and allowed to dry for weeks. If, for example, your plywood has 6 layers of wood, ensure that you add 6 layers of … Marine sealants do have some flexibility but not as much as you would guess. It should take between one and two hours for the sealer coat to dry. Since marine plywood is typically used underwater, you’ll need to treat every surface of the wood with sealant. Plywood has been one of the top-produced materials in North America for many years. The information that follows will show you how to properly go about this project so you can get plenty of use out of this material for many years to come. It also requires less maintenance than other kinds of epoxy sealer. Thanks A good rule of thumb for sealing marine plywood is to apply as many layers of sealer as there are layers in the plywood. Thus, it is perfect for outdoor projects like boat hulls, docks, and piers. It was sold as "exterior". The answer to this question is yes, Marine-Grade Plywood should be treated. You’ll hardly find a more reliable wholesale lumber distributor in Northern Virginia. I was wondering if I could just use epoxy/fibatape combo to seal the seams and add strength where the panels come together, and then just use something like rubberized roof sealant (like used on the CozyBoat by TimAnderson) to seal the rest of the plywood from rot. The board still requires treatment and sealing. If you have no alternative to plywood, seal both sides and all edges of every sheet. Marine-grade plywood veneers are bound using waterproof glue. You may even hose it down, but remember to allow it to dry completely before moving forward. According to the APA: The Engineered Wood Association, there were nearly 4 billion square feet of plywood produced in the United States by 1954. Plywood will last many more years if it is properly sealed especially if you are doing an outdoor project. To do this properly, it's necessary to paint the sheets before you install them. Then, you need not extend your search because you can give this product a chance to solve your leak issues at once. Made of Douglas fir (or sometimes Western Larch), it is extremely lightweight, durable, and strong. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". All rights reserved. Curtis boasts a large fleet of delivery trucks that lets us efficiently serve retail lumber dealers throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region. One of the most efficient kinds of plywood is Marine-Grade Plywood. We are an independently-owned-and-operated wholesale lumber distributor that has specialized in both plywood and pressure-treated products since our founding in 1957. He also worked on the suspended roof system on the Florida Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg.  Usually, you will find that the marine plywood is thicker than standard plywood; therefore, you’ll need to apply more layers of sealer to extend its lifespan. The adhesive in regular plywood will actually dissolve over time, causing the structure of the wood to break apart, but marine plywood is specially treated to withstand years in direct contact with water. Fine-grit sandpaper is considered ideal for sanding wood. Between each coat, you add, gently sand to rough up the surface for better adherence of the next coat. In case you weren’t aware of marine grade plywood and what gives it its name, let’s go through a complete breakdown of everything you could hope to know about marine grade plywood. One of the things marine plywood has in common with other types is that you will always need to sand it down in order to stain, paint, or seal it. Here are the steps I take to get a good seal and a nice finish on plywood: Sand – If you have purchased a good grade of plywood then you can start with 120 grit sandpaper to sand smooth any … Please hit the like and subscribe buttons. Although Marine-Grade Plywood is strong, durable, and heavily-resistant to moisture, an additional coat of seal is typically needed to prevent moisture from the wood’s … Although Marine-Grade Plywood is strong, durable, and heavily-resistant to moisture, an additional coat of seal is typically needed to prevent moisture from the wood’s doors. He wants $15 a sheet. This is a popular type of sealant that can be easily used on most … Our employees are highly knowledgeable about all of our products and we answer our own phones. is typically needed to prevent moisture from the wood’s doors. Charles has vast experience in housekeeping in private home, medical facilities, business offices, restaurant, heavy industrial, and hotel-motel settings. With normal plywood, you would use two coats of sealer, maybe even three. It is the only type of plywood that can withstand being constantly submerged in water. How To Seal The Plywood. What Is the Difference Between Regular a... What Is the Difference Between Regular and Marine Plywood. Seal the edges of your plywood using exterior polyurethane varnish. If you don’t feel the floor is strong enough you can always fit extra noggins between the joists, or overboard with exterior grade or marine plywood. After pouring a small quantity of moisture sealer into a paint basin, dip the foam roller into the sealer. It is the only type of plywood that can withstand being constantly submerged in water. Epoxy Sealing. Wipe down the surface with a damp cloth rag. Lay the plywood flat on the saw horses. Above mentioned methods and tips are also valuable for … I thought maybe it was the moisture in the plywood, but after checking it was only 9 percent. Sand all sides of the plywood using 80-grit sandpaper.