Do you really need to buy marine-grade plywood? Well, the answer to that question lies in another question: Are you working on a marine-related or water-intensive project? If so, then the answer is a definitive “yes.” Many individuals make the unfortunate mistake of believing that marine-grade plywood is nothing more than a slightly more expensive version of regular plywood, and, while it’s true that the two share many similarities (They’re both plywoods, after all), only marine-grade plywood will work effectively in projects where the final product will be exposed to water on a regular basis.
The reasons behind this are many. First of all, marine-grade plywood is made of sounder veneer boards. Where exterior-grade plywood (one step down from marine-grade plywood in durability) must withstand the elements, only its outermost veneer layers are required to be free of holes and other defects that could affect the durability of the overall plywood board. Marine-grade plywood, on the other hand, must be constructed of veneer layers that are completely free of voids – each and every one, throughout the entire thickness of the plywood board.
What’s more, non-marine-grade plywood is often treated with toxic chemicals (like arsenic compounds, for example) that tend to leech into water when those plywood boards are improperly employed in marine-grade plywood boards’ place. So if your project calls for marine-grade plywood, you would be well-advised to use it and to obtain it from a reputable company like J Gibson McIlvain Company (www.mcilvain.com).
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