Veneer grades define veneer appearance SurePly Premium Underlayment has a tight, uniform core for superior wear and durability and has been tested and approved by the major vinyl manufacturers. The sub-floor is the structural plywood that is used during construction. Installers choose Tolko’s line of underlayment plywood for the proven consistency and superior performance of our panels. Professional installers and flooring retailers trust Starply ® because of decades of proven trouble-free performance. This type of plywood grade is a good choice for projects where you will ultimately cover the plywood panel with some other type of cover material - like a smoother MDF sheet. Because use of tongue-and-groove panels eliminates the need for installation of blocking along long panel edges, floor construction moves more quickly. Although a minimum 11/32-inch thickness is usually This single layer construction is a cost-saving and time-saving solution that works especially well with multifamily buildings, because Sturd-I-Floor is quieter underfoot when installed using the APA Glued Floor System. For general information regarding engineered wood products, their specifications, and their applications, contact the specialists at the APA Help Desk. Underlayment is a special grade of APA plywood that is attached on top of the subfloor to provide a durable and resistant layer under finish flooring. 3) Lauan Plywood, when used as an underlayment, should be Type 1 (Exterior). Plywood used as underlayment for sheet vinyl flooring should also have a sanded, smooth surface on the topside. Marine Plywood. x 2 ft. x 4 ft.; Actual: 0.189 in. There is a wide variety of quality and species classed as lauan. It has a … The system components are specifically designed for carpet and pad installation to help keep the floor quiet, making Sturd-I-Floor an ideal solution for multifamily buildings. Provides a smooth durable surface for vinyl and ceramic tile, carpet and hardwood floors. Some splits. 9mm plywood underlayment is specifically designed for use under ceramic tile floors when 3/8 inch plywood is an approved underlayment. You did not provide a valid email address. This guide will explain the different uses of plywood, as well as popular plywood sheet sizes and its rating and grade system, so that you can choose the best plywood for your project. Exterior plywood is glued together with adhesives that are meant to survive in wet or moist areas. While Sturd-I-Floor is manufactured as a combination subfloor-underlayment that can be used without an additional layer under carpet and pad, some finish floorings, like vinyl or ceramic tile, also require the addition of an underlayment over the Sturd-I-Floor. Download >, APA Engineered Wood Construction Guide Excerpt: Floor Construction The type of finish flooring you plan to install can help guide you in choosing the correct subfloor. When using carpet and pad, the best option is Sturd-I-Floor, which allows for completely bypassing installation of underlayment. But since the OP is putting down 1/2" net hardwood, I don't think worrying about voids is as warranted as with putting down VCT or sheet vinyl. Engineered Wood Technology Association (EWTA), USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory. For example, underlayment with sanded face is recommended as a base for resilient floor coverings. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials, such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. plywood, and APA C-D Plugged Exposure 1 plywood are not adequate substitutes for Underlayment grade, since they do not insure equivalent resistance to indentation or puncture. You want to decrease, not increase, the amount of dissimilar materials having to work together. The underlayment will be grade stamped. Vinyl flooring manufacturers require a sound foundation under their product to protect their warranties, and Udek® meets this requirement. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards which include medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and particle board (chipboard).. All plywoods bind resin and wood fibre sheets … This class of plywood is appropriate for use outside as well in areas of the building that may experience contact with water, such as bathrooms and kitchens. Plywood underlayment is the layer of plywood that is fastened over the structural sub-floor. The grades of plywood in case of exterior are A-C, B-C and CDX. Quarter-inch lauan plywood is a popular choice as an underlayment among remodelers. Floor covering manufacturers require a smooth solid foundation be provided underneath that will perform equally well over the life of their product. Due to the wide variety of applications for Rated Sheathing, it has a different system for Span Ratings. Underlayment is recommended for use with Rated Sheathing, but can be skipped if the floor system uses Sturd-I-Floor under carpet and pad. Technical Note: Prevent Callbacks in Wood Flooring Installation Meets all vinyl manufacturers specifications. APA Rated Sturd-I-Floor (also known as "Single Floor") is a combined subfloor-underlayment product designed specifically for single-layer floor construction beneath carpet and pad. The underlayment requirements vary depending on the finish flooring. When applied according to instructions, Multiply ® will protect your floor covering investment for years to come. The most common Span Ratings for Sturd-I-Floor are 20 oc (on center), 24 oc, and 48 oc. Poplar or Birch Plywood with a fully sanded face and exterior glue. Sturd-I-Floor is a combination subfloor-underlayment produced from OSB or plywood. : ¼ inch panels are actually 7/32” or ¾â€ panels are actually 23/32” etc. There is a wide variety of quality and species classed as lauan. These panels feature a built-in underlayment that allows the convenience of using only Sturd-I-Floor under certain finish flooring, especially carpet and pad. Check out these features: Thick Veneer Face: Resists punctures from appliances and high heels etc. Udek ® panels are calibrated to offer accurate thickness and squareness and provide a precision fit for easy assembly. Professional installers and flooring retailers trust Udek ® because of decades of proven trouble-free performance. All the hardwoods in SurePly Premium Underlayment come from plantations and sustainable sources and contain no tropical hardwoods. For 19/32 through 3/4-inch Sturd-I-Floor panels, use 4d deformed-shank nails. Excepting cantilevers, there is no structural reason to use full plywood underlayment on stone or estone, but there is tremendous economic pressure on fabricators to cut costs and use roofing underlayment instead of cabinet grade plywood. Consistent, strong underlayment is an integral part of laying flooring that will stand up to the rigours of everyday life. It … Underlayment can have a solid, touch-sanded, or fully sanded face; its choice depends on the finish flooring. In a bathroom, use plywood, and consider using exterior/marine-grade plywood. Most underlayment-approved plywood is at least 11/32 inches, the standard recommendation. x 23.75 in. The thickness of plywood underlayment needed to bridge an uneven floor will depend on floor roughness and loads applied. Non-Span-Rated Plywood Underlayment Installation ----- 12 FLOOR SPAN, SHEATHING SPAN and Non-Span-Rated Plywood Underlayment Field-Glued Floor System-----17 ... and D grade veneers and are either touch-sanded or unsanded. You are correct that there are special underlayment grade plywood, usually 1/4" AC. A visual comparison of typical floor assemblies: Sturd-I-Floor is designed to be used with the APA Glued Floor System, which uses an adhesive in addition to nails to help eliminate squeaks and nail popping, as well as increase floor stiffness. Then we back it up with competitive pricing and a lifetime warranty. APA Rated Sheathing panels are an all-around construction workhorse intended for roof, wall, and subfloor applications. You'll see more repaired knots and voids on a sheet, and some defects will be left as is. Common Plywood Applications. To learn more about the building requirements for floors and specific uses of APA-rated products, as well as the APA Glued Floor System, refer to the “Floor Construction” section of the Engineered Wood Construction Guide. Download >, Technical Note: Acoustic Performance of All-Wood Floor Systems Sturd-I-Floor can be manufactured with square edges or with tongue-and-groove edges. UNDERLAYMENT SIZES. F8 is the standard stress grade for Ecoply products - Ecoply 19 mm Longspan Flooring and 15 mm Ecoply Roofing are F111 stress grade (See Tables 1, 4 and 5). Ask for it by name: IntegraPly™ D-grade plywood: D-grade plywood sheets are the most inexpensive. Starply ® panels are made by a single mill to assure consistency from panel to panel every time. Span Rating is the maximum recommended center-to-center spacing in inches of the supports, such as I-joists, that the panels will be attached to. Read the Armstrong specifications for the type of underlayment required for the warranty to be valid. Udek®, a quality high-performance hardwood underlayment panel, meets or exceeds all vinyl flooring manufacturers’ requirements. The best grade is BB and the next best is CC, while OVL (overlay grade) is the minimum acceptable face grade. Exterior-Grade Plywood . Starply ® panels are calibrated to offer accurate thickness and squareness and provide a precision fit for easy assembly. Download >, Builder Tips: Construct a Solid, Squeak-Free Floor System When used as a subfloor, Rated Sheathing typically requires installation of an additional layer of underlayment on top of it before finish flooring can be applied. C-grade plywood: A little lower down in quality, C-grade plywood has some knots throughout its sheets, up to 1.5 inches in diameter. This grade of plywood can feature knots up to 2.5 inches. Lauan Plywood, when used as an underlayment, should be Type 1 (Exterior). The leading resource for information about engineered wood products. Knots and knotholes up to 2-1/2 in. Lauan Plywood. It creates a uniform, smooth surfac… Exterior plywood is an acceptable underlayment for tile and is preferred to interior-grade plywoods because the bonding adhesives used are waterproof. “Sheathing” is a generic term for either plywood or OSB panels that are used to construct roofs, floors, and walls. Panel grades are gen-erally identified in terms of the veneer grade used on the face and back of the panel (e.g., A-B, B-C, etc. If water seeps through the tile installation to the underlayment, it will not cause the wood to swell, as happens with interior-grade plywood. Download >, APA Performance Rated I-Joists Shop plywood at Lowe's Canada online store. The APA Product Support Help Desk is a free service available to answer your questions pertaining to the specification and application of engineered wood products and systems. When other finish floor products are used, builders often install a separate underlayment grade of plywood over the subfloor. Be sure the product you choose meets ASTM UU-B-790a Grade B. Impermeable: These have a perm rating of 0.15 or less, bringing moisture migration from the subfloor very close to zero, and are acceptable over concrete. They are used in the construction of a house exterior region or outdoor furniture. Other From the mill floor to your receiving door…we control the manufacturing and delivery process. 2) Poplar or Birch Plywood with a fully sanded face and exterior glue. Adds up to 3 times more floor strength and fastener holding power than cement panels. An underlayment is optional for Rated Sheathing or Sturd-I-Floor when used with hardwood. Rated Sheathing or Sturd-I-Floor may be used with an underlayment for vinyl, ceramic tile or fully adhered carpet. The most common impermeable underlayment is construction-grade 6-mil polyethylene film. But the differences between Rated Sheathing and Rated Sturd-I-Floor® can be unclear, especially when their uses are similar or even interchangeable. Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. Underlayment’s special face and inner-ply construction resists dents and punctures from concentrated loads. Rated Sheathing refers to OSB and plywood panels that are qualified for roof, wall, and subfloor applications, while Rated Sturd-I-Floor panels are a special panel intended for single-floor applications. A final mark to check is the thickness of the plywood. Sign In Failed. New floor coverings, especially vinyl, require an absolutely smooth and durable foundation underneath to prevent the subfloor or old floor surfaces from showing irregularities. ), or by a name suggesting the panel’s intended end use (e.g., APA Rated Sheathing, Underlayment, etc.). For more information about softwood plywood, visit the American Plywood Association. All Rights Reserved. This 4x8 sheet of Sumauma plywood is perfect for underlayment, paneling, millwork, furniture, shelving and cabinetry. It is usually a composite product such as OSB that is manufactured for its strength and engineered structural qualities. Manufacturers of Superior Grade Underlayment & Premium Plywood Products. If this is a concern, marine-grade and underlayment-grade plywoods will avoid the voids. Underlayment’s special face and inner-ply construction resists dents and punctures from concentrated loads. Lay the groundwork for your success. It is a white hardwood plywood panel specially developed as a flooring underlayment. Avoid using materials with distinct raised grain patterns, which can affect the finish texture of the sheet vinyl. “D” Grade. Plywood underlayment has become more important in recent years as building construction has shifted to lower grade plywood, particleboard, and OSB (Oriented Stand Board) in subfloors. Even within the different plywood grades, you’ll likely find a wide range in the number of repairs or defects. Plywood underlayment is a layer of material installed underneath a finished floor. Plywood Grades C & D. The more economical types of plywood are the C & D grades. Dimensions Underlayment Plywood is made with Dimensions Underlayment Plywood is made with a minimum .25mm face veneer, 3 plies of approximately 1.6mm thick poplar core material, and a back veneer of .15mm to .18mm tropical or non-coniferous wood. The best grade is BB and the next best is CC, while overlay grade (OVL) is the minimum acceptable face grade. Underlayment is a special grade of APA plywood that is attached on top of the subfloor to provide a durable and resistant layer under finish flooring. Plywood is a necessity in many DIY and construction projects, but not every type of plywood works for every project. Stain Proof: The many types of plywood can differ in materials, number of layers, rating and grade. The most common Span Ratings for Rated Sheathing are 24/0, 24/16, 32/16, 40/20, and 48/24. Sturd-I-Floor may be also used for other applications, such as roofs; this use of Sturd-I-Floor is covered in the “Roof Construction” section of the Engineered Wood Construction Guide. The marine plywood is only available in A-A grade. It can also be used under hardwood, laminate, and carpet, but this is much less common these days because subflooring is typically smooth enough for these materials, many of which are installed with a different type of underlayment … • Stress grade - utilises the symbol F and a suffix, for example; - F8 as a code to apply a full suite of strength and stiffness properties to plywood products of that stress grade. The higher grade panels are sanded on both sides and are sometimes referred to as Sanded Plywood or Sanded Panels. GRADE The term “grade” may refer to panel grade or to veneer grade. Download >. Find top brands, compare products, read reviews & get the best deal for your plywood. OSB + bathroom + time is a bad combination. Grade Marks. The 7 ply construction makes the panel stronger, harder and more deflection resistant than typical 3-ply 3/8 inch softwood plywood panels. Underlayment (Common: 3/16 in. Rated Sheathing’s first number is the maximum span in inches for roofs, and the second number gives the maximum span on center for subflooring. x 47.75 in.) Generally no repairs. Like Sturd-I-Floor, Rated Sheathing may be plywood or OSB. Udek ® panels are made by a single mill to assure consistency from panel to panel every time. You’ll find facts about plywood uses, grading and specs. APA-trademarked plywood is suitable for a variety of end uses including subflooring, single-layer flooring, wall and roof sheathing, sheathing ceiling/deck, structural insulated panels, marine applications, siding, webs of wood I-joists, concrete forming, pallets, industrial containers, mezzanine decks, and furniture. © 2018 - 2020 APA – The Engineered Wood Association. For 1/2-inch and thinner Underlayment grade plywood (over subflooring), use 3d ring-shanks. They haven’t been repaired, and the flaws can be a little larger and more noticeable. The term plywood underlayment is not interchangeable with the term sub-floor. Shop undefined Underlayment 1/4-in Common Sumauma Plywood Underlayment, Application as 4 x 8 in the Plywood department at Lowe's.com. For 1/4-inch panels use 3/4-inch or 1-inch brads, 3d finish nails, or (if no objection to heads showing) 1-inch blue lath nails. Plywood panels conforming to either PS 2 … Plywood panels sold in the United States are stamped with grade marks in a format specified in National Plywood Standard PS 1-83. When referring to thickness, exterior grade plywood is nominally smaller than the referred to dimension e.g.