Written by Doityourself Staff – Most of the decks you find will be made out of individual boards and not plywood decking. This is not to say that plywood decking does not make a good alternative to individual boards. Plywood decking is essentially thin sheets of wood glued together to make a thicker sheet. The plywood decking is installed on top of the decking joists in one or more large sheets instead of individual pieces.about:blank
Standing Water
One issue you will have with using plywood decking instead of individual boards is the pooling of water. Keep in mind that plywood decking is very flat, and there is no place for water to run off the surface of the plywood. If you do not sweep the water from the plywood, you will potentially face several issues, including mold and the eventual rotting of the plywood decking. With traditional boards, the water simply falls through the spaces between the boards.Continue reading belowOur Video of the Day
Wood Sanding Tips
Expense
Individual boards used to construct a deck can come in a variety of materials, from pressure-treated lumber and cedar to composite boards. Any of these materials will make a great deck. Plywood decking is a lot less expensive than the other materials. One or two sheets of plywood can cover the entire deck.https://bb569d6050c303470ebb8a83502fec94.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
Proper Plywood Decking Materials
Plywood decking is a great choice as an alternative to regular boards as long as the right plywood is used. Normal plywood is only four or five layers of wood and is bonded together by a basic epoxy. The only kind of plywood you should use as decking material is marine plywood.
There are several differences between marine plywood and normal plywood which make it the best choice as an alternative decking material. Marine plywood is seven to eight layers thick, and the epoxy used to bind the layers is waterproof. On top of that, the plywood itself is treated with a waterproof sealer. Another major difference is that normal plywood is created with voids in the layers. If you cut into the plywood, you will see spaces between the layers. This is not conducive to being waterproof. Marine plywood, on the other hand, is made so that there are no gaps or voids between the layers.
Ease of Installation
Sometimes you just want to get the deck built and done. The time it takes to build a deck will also impact the cost of the project when it is finished. With traditional boards, the deck can take several days to finish. You may also face the problem of the boards being installed incorrectly, nails not properly sunk, or the wood looking less than perfect. Plywood decking comes in large sheets, which means you can cover the deck easily with the plywood.
Vietnam Film Faced Plywood
Vietnam Plywood
