# What grades of plywood are weatherproof?



## olddog (15 Jul 2008)

I'm making a new (outdoor) bench for the ( er ) dog

The bench will be left outside winter & summer and wont be painted

Was thinking of plywood for the top ( its about 2ft X 4 ft ) either 3/8 or 1/2 inch thick

What grade(s) of plywood would be suitable for this ?



Olddog


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## murphaph (15 Jul 2008)

If you're not going to apply any paint or other preservative then you must use marine grade ply or similar which is already pressure treated with preservative. Any particular reason why you won't be painting or varnishing the bench though?


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## Guest117 (15 Jul 2008)

Ask for WPB plywood - I think its the most durable - still recommend protecting it with stain or paint - also make sure sloped for water runoff


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## olddog (15 Jul 2008)

"Any particular reason why you won't be painting or varnishing the bench though? "

The previous bench lasted 20+ years without being painted and I was hoping that this one would too.

It seems that marine ply is considered to expensive to stock ( or maybe i'm frequenting to low a standard of plywood supplier    ).  I'm nearly certain that I used it on the previous bench.

I've been offered 'WBP' and also 'shuttering grade' .

What are these,  and would they be suitable ?

Anyone suggest where I could buy small amounts of marine ply around Dublin ?

<edit>  ooops, Badge55, didnt see your post before I posted this. Confirm runoff slope has been provided. Do you think that WBP is the best that I'll be offered ?


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## murphaph (15 Jul 2008)

I also tried to buy marine ply in B&Q and was told "nobody buys it so we don't stock it" and I used WBP or whatever it's called but I was only building a 'boxing' in a bathroom which would be tiled over anyway.


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## Fingalian (15 Jul 2008)

Waller and Wickham in Baldoyle Industrial Estate sell Marine Plywood, as do Noyeks Newman. Like anything with the word 'marine' in its description, it ain't cheap.


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## samm (15 Jul 2008)

wbp is "water boil proof"

its not really waterproof,have used it outside before and eventually soaked in alot of water.it wasnt treated with anything


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## Towger (15 Jul 2008)

Woodworkers in Harolds Cross have both Marine Ply and WBP, will cut it and even have a internet site with Prices [broken link removed]

Or why not treat the dog to a nice bit of hard wood: [broken link removed]

Just another satisfied customer


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## Leo (15 Jul 2008)

Marine ply is a far superior product to WBP, but you'll need to go to the 'proper' builder's providers to buy it.

As mentioned above, WBP stands for water and boil proof, but this refers to the glue, not the veneers. So repeated soaking and drying will result in it delaminating.
Leo


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## Towger (15 Jul 2008)

Looking at Woodworkers web site, they have 8" x 4" 'Birch Plywood Weather and Boil Proof (WBP)' 18mm for € 60.50 and 18mm Marine Ply is cheaper at €53.31. While the 'WBP Chinese Plywood' must be the standard cheap stuff builders use is €29.40


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