Treated Plywood

Drowned Rat

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Does anyone know where I might be able to find treated plywood. I need 3/4" 4X8'. Does the HD carry it or has anyone ever ordered it from a big box store. I have HD and Lowes around here.
 

BuzzStPoint

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Re: Treated Plywood

If you are talking about your standard pressure treated ply wood, I know Lowes carries it. I bought some at my local Lowes.

If you are talking about Marine grade, Lowes doesn't stock it but can order it.
When I did my transom, I used Pressure treated.
 

robert graham

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Re: Treated Plywood

It may be called "Marine Plywood", it costs a good bit more but worth it for a transom. I made a transom from marine plywood for my canoe 25 years ago and it's still just fine. I thinned some urethane so it would penetrate the wood and put multiple coats on and the transom is mostly like new. Every year or so I scrape/sand it a little and put another coat of that urethane on. So far,so good!
 

Drowned Rat

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Re: Treated Plywood

Thanks guys, I'll try Lowes then. I think the pressure treated will work for me. I just don't recall ever seeing it at the HD.

Thanks again.
 

BuzzStPoint

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Re: Treated Plywood

I think most of the Lowes have gotten standard setups. But at my local store, If you go back by the lumber you'll see all the manufactured posts, and then pressure treated posts and lumber toward the back. Above those are the pressure treated.


I had to have the guy dig thought a few pieces because most of the plys were twisted and warped.
 

nymack66

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Re: Treated Plywood

Home Depot will order it for you, go to the customer service desk it will take a few days its called marine ply, made with marine grade glue and resin, good stuff costly ...
 

JB

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Re: Treated Plywood

We could be a lot more helpful if you would tell us what you intend to do with it, DR.

CDX is pressure treated, but lousy for strength and loaded with voids. I wouldn't use it for a transom or sole.

Marine grade is usually finer grade, like BC. Much stronger, better at resisting rot, and priced like gold.

Each would be right for some jobs and wrong for others.
 

NSBCraig

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Re: Treated Plywood

If you want to use PT use marine grade PT, also not all marine ply is PT so if that's what you want make sure you get it.

http://www.boatbuilding.net/article.pl?sid=06/01/31/1334234&mode=thread

Limitations of pressure-treated plywood
Many people ask about the value of pressure treated plywood. Often, pressure treated plywood is heavily warped. This is primarily the result of the high temperature and rapid moisture take up during processing. Some plywood delaminates during the process. In addition, some pressure treating methods incorporate water repellant materials. These materials can easily jeopardize bonding so you won't be able to glue or paint the plywood successfully. Generally speaking, pressure treated plywood may be acceptable for house projects but not for boats.
 

Drowned Rat

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Re: Treated Plywood

Thanks for the great info guys,

I plan on using it for the deck of my flatbed trailer that I use to haul my inflatable. It'll only see freshwater and only for enough time to launch and retrieve the boat. I do keep it outside sometimes so it's exposed to extreme heat and very occasionally rain ;)

What do you think? Regular treated or marine grade? The regular ply I have on there now is delaminating badly.

Thanks!! :)
 

Jeep Man

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Re: Treated Plywood

You good with PT as long as your trailer is NOT aluminium.
 

Drowned Rat

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Re: Treated Plywood

Yeah, trailer is cheapo steel from Harbor Freight. Good point about the aluminum though, I don't think I would have thought of that.
 

Bob_VT

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Re: Treated Plywood

Regular treated but be cautious with fastener's...... the new PT copper attacks many metal fasteners.
 

Drowned Rat

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Re: Treated Plywood

Hmmm, ok. So, can I use galvanized or do I have to go with SS?
 

klrbruce

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Re: Treated Plywood

The new pt plywood formulas have been found to rot out galvanized joist hangers. The manufacturers now recommend that any galvanized hangers in contact with pt be isolated with usually a rubber membrane like Grace Ice and water shield, or Vycor window&door flashing. But they don't specify changing to anything other than galvanized nails. Knowing that I would use stainless fasteners and mabye use some of the vycor to line your rails then lay the ply on top. In my experience we have found rotted joist hangers on some of the old pt 2x? but they were 6-10 years old. Joist hangers are usually much thinner gauge than a trailer, so you may figure a cheap trailer may not last that long anyway, and not bother.
 

Drowned Rat

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Re: Treated Plywood

Thanks klrbruce,

I was kinda thinking the same thing about the lifespan of the trailer itself. I'll probably go with SS just 'cause. The extra $$ won't kill me I don't guess. May as well do it right and not worry about it for a while.

Thanks for the help.
 

fishrdan

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Re: Treated Plywood

HD and Lowes in my area (vegas) do not carry PT plywood, probably because there is not much demand for it in the desert. A good lumber yard will have it though, and there are a bunch of good lumber yards in Phoenix, if that's where you are from.

I have a HF trailer for my jon boat (small trailer kit that I extended into a boat trailer) and I used PT bunks. The trailer metal is OK, but the zinc fasteners are rusting, I should have used galvanized. The bolts that are exposed to air are not bad, but the ones covered up by the boat, and stay wet, are rusting up really nice...

Isolating the PT from the metal wouldn't be a bad idea. I have carpeted bunks so the wood is not resting on the painted metal and I haven't noticed any frame rusting. HD sells 2" wide tape in the electrical section, looks like really heavy duty electrical tape, that would probably fit the bill.
 
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