![]() If your ceiling height allows it, a similar rack, which allows you to stand the plywood on end, would be a space saver, while still providing the support necessary to prevent your plywood from warping. The space under the triangle is used to store other materials. I have a metal rack I built for this, which has worked well to protect my plywood. As long as the plywood even supports all across the sheet, its weight will not pull it into a warp. To keep it from warping, build a rack, which will provide it with support, as it leans against the wall. If you don’t have the space to lay the plywood flat, you can still store it upright. Four or five stringers, running across the width of the plywood, will provide good support. The more support you can provide the plywood, the better. But don’t just support it at the two ends, as often happens in lumberyards and when shipping the plywood. Rather than laying it directly on the floor of your workshop, use pieces of lumber to create a platform, albeit a makeshift one, for the plywood to sit on. The best way to store plywood, to prevent it from warping in the first place, is to lay it flat. This means that the weight of the plywood itself will work towards drawing the plywood into a warp. Therefore, they store plywood and other sheet goods on edge, usually leaning against a wall. Most woodworkers have limited space in their shops to store material. While moisture and heat cause plywood to warp, the way we store it provides the opportunity. Always start cutting with the biggest pieces needed, so that you can pick them out of the best possible sheets. Often, bowed plywood can be used for smaller pieces of a project, while the flattest sheets are used for the large ones. The structure itself will hold the plywood straight, allowing the moisture content of the two sides to equalize and the sheet to flatten. ![]() In cases where the amount of bow or warp is slight, the plywood can still be used, especially if being attached to a strong structure. In cases where both sides are covered equally, it is very rare for plywood to bow or warp. ![]() Generally speaking, the way that the board was laid allowed one side to be exposed to moisture or heat, while the other side was covered. The sun causes moisture to leave the wood, while excessive humidity will naturally be absorbed by the wood grain itself. This can come about from plywood sitting in the sun or sitting somewhere where there is excessive moisture. That difference in moisture is what is causing the bow or warp, regardless of how it happened. If you were to measure the moisture content of the outer veneer on both sides, you’d find that the concave side has a considerably lower moisture content than the convex side. Warping and cupping in plywood is caused by a combination of moisture and heat. Pressure treated exterior plywood is less likely to absorb moisture, helping keep it from warping. Likewise, many types of cabinet grade plywood are void free, especially those with more layers of veneer in them. These two processes help to make it highly resistant to both rot and warping. Marine plywood is specifically made to be void free. However, there are some types of plywood which don’t warp as readily as others. Even so, it can still warp, especially lumber cored plywood. One of the characteristics of any plywood is that it doesn’t warp as bad as lumber boards do. People ask for plywood that doesn’t warp all the time. For this reason, plywood should never be stored outdoors or directly on the workshop floor. However, as with all other wood products, plywood should be protected from moisture and especially water, as it will soak that water up. It is also harder to flatten than veneer core, with a greater chance of the plywood breaking during the flattening process.Įven though plywood will warp, it doesn’t do so as badly as dimensional lumber which is one of the reasons why plywood is so popular. Lumber core plywood is worse for this than veneer core, so if you are not going to use the plywood immediately, you’re better off avoiding lumber core plywood. However, it is possible to straighten warped plywood and use it, just as if nothing had happened to it. It seems that just about any sheet of plywood is likely to bow or warp, even if stored the “right way.” Once bowed, it’s hard to work with and at times needs to be replaced, as it can’t be used for its original intent. ![]() Anyone who has had plywood sitting around their garage or workshop for more than a few days knows about the problems of warped plywood.
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