Spruce Plywood?

[wd4lc]

I'd like to ask a couple of questions please.

I'll be building an insulated dog house this week. I'm building it from a set of plans. I'm still not familiar with all of the varieties of lumber out. I've dealt with some plywood sheets, T1-11, whitewood, MDF, furring strips and such.

This structure calls for "Spruce Plywood". I don't see this listed at any of my mainstream box stores. Is there another term for this or something that would be considered comparable to this?

It also calls for 2"x2"x8' (Spruce). The rest of the structure calls for pine.

I've actually used 2x2 before. It's considered a furring strip at one store. This has smooth sides and rounded edges. The site calls the wood "Spruce Pine".

The other store has this as well but I if I remember correctly the edges are not rounded (and hence the boards a touch bigger). Checking the site, I see they call it "Spruce (Picea)".

Using furring strips from both places I've actually noticed a bit of a difference in color and substance between them.

I ask you, is there a difference between "Spruce Pine" and "Spruce" 2x2 (or 1x3 or 1x2 for that matter). If so, what is it and which do you think is of better use for a small outdoor structure.

I believe the 2x2 wood is going to be used as the framing pieces while the "Spruce Plywood" will be nailed over each side of the frame with insulation installed in between the plywood sheets.

Thank you.

[LCHIEN]

I think the most important factor is the grade of plywood, among them interior, exterior, or Marine grade. You will want at least exterior grade if it to be exposed to the elements, even painted so it will not disintegrate in the rain or damp of Houston.
http://woodworking.about.com/od/plyw...woodGrades.htm

As for spruce or birch or whatever, its the veneer they're talking about - the main difference is the appearance and what you want to pay.

you will likely have to put up with and choose between the types (veener species) available at the box stores (lowes, Home Depot) rather than searching for a specific wood species even though your article specifies spruce - do this based upon project visibility, grain appearance, veneer quality (low defects) and cost and how you are finishing it.

[cabinetman]

Some plans list materials as a choice, like Spruce/Pine, which for lumber could be either. Most all treated lumber available would be safe for that type of structure. You could treat/paint yourself.

As for the plywood choices, calling it Spruce is more of a generic labeling. For exterior plywoods an "X" is usually used with two alpha characters. Labeling like A/C fir, or could be ACX, would be an exterior grade, with an "A" face veneer, a "C" back veneer. For another example "CDX", where the "C" is the face, and the "D" is the back. The face and back grading is based on quality, and allowed defects.

Marine grade plywoods are popular with Douglas Fir faces, and differ from exterior grades by the lack of (or less/smaller) voids in the layers. Exterior plywood may have waterproof or water resistant glue for the layers, whereas marine grade uses a higher grade of waterproof glue.

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[BobSch]

...Most all treated lumber available would be safe for that type of structure.

.

Is treated lumber safe for pets? What if you have a dog that likes to gnaw on things?

[cabinetman]

Is treated lumber safe for pets? What if you have a dog that likes to gnaw on things?

Throw a bone. If a dog has that habit, not too much is safe to ingest including wood pieces.

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[LCHIEN]

Throw a bone. If a dog has that (Gnawing on things) habit, not too much is safe to ingest including wood pieces.

.

Perchance that's why the dog is going to the doghouse...

[wd4lc]

Thanks for the information. I'm thinking about doing sanded BC pine plywood on the interior walls and T1-11 on the exterior walls. Both are listed as exterior grade. The exterior walls will be painted. Any thoughts on this?

[scmhogg]

It worries me when you say, "the exterior walls will be painted." If you only paint one side of the plywood, it will, most surely, warp. I painted one side of 3/4" Birch plywood 4X8, for a project. The next day the board had a 3" cup. It mostly straightened out when I painted the other side.

Steve

[wd4lc]

It worries me when you say, "the exterior walls will be painted." If you only paint one side of the plywood, it will, most surely, warp. I painted one side of 3/4" Birch plywood 4X8, for a project. The next day the board had a 3" cup. It mostly straightened out when I painted the other side.

Steve

Was your plywood fastened to anything? Awhile back I applied a roof coating to only the top portion of a piece of plywood (it was only attached with two hinges on one end, unattached on the other ends) and I experienced the same thing with a somewhat bowing up (which luckily actually made for a nicely decorative slight arch).

I wonder if the fact that this 11/32" t1-11 will be fastened to frame pieces that there might not be any bowing.

There are two sets of walls with insulation in between. As far as I can see the plans only suggest to paint the outer portion of the exterior walls. Maybe they missed something there.