Heard a guy at the lumber yard say 'cheap plywood is just expensive firewood' and it stuck with me

I was picking up some 3/4 birch ply for a built-in bookshelf last Friday and this older contractor was ranting to the counter guy about how nobody buys the good stuff anymore. He said that line and I laughed but honestly it's true. I've had cheap plywood warp or delam on me mid-project and had to trash half a sheet. The extra $15 per sheet for decent cabinet grade feels painful upfront but I've never regretted it later. Anyone else feel like the cheap stuff costs more in the long run with waste and headaches?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellymurphy12d ago

Spent good money on bad plywood once. Never again.

diana5512d ago

Oh man, @kellymurphy that stings. But here's the thing nobody brings up - sometimes the "bad plywood" isn't actually the wood's fault. I've seen people blame the plywood when it was really their storage or the glue they used that messed everything up. Like if you store it flat on concrete in a damp garage, even premium plywood will warp and delaminate. Or if you use the wrong type of construction adhesive on it, the chemicals can eat through the layers. Maybe that's not what happened to you, but it's worth thinking about. Crap plywood is real too, don't get me wrong, but we're quick to blame the material when our setup or prep might be the issue.