the_sam•6d agoMost Upvoted

Serious question, has anyone else noticed how much better old school plywood was?

Honestly, I used to think people complaining about modern lumber were just being dramatic. Been building sheds for 15 years now, small company over in Akron. Last month I tore down an old 1970s shed to put up a new one for a customer. That old plywood was heavy, solid, barely any voids in the middle. The new stuff I picked up at the big box store felt like cardboard in comparison. I had to double up the sheathing on one wall just to get the same rigidity. It took a lot more screws and effort than I planned, and the customer asked why it looked thicker than the old shed. Really makes me wonder what we're paying for nowadays. Has anyone else run into this with their own projects?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_avery6d ago

Whoa, hang on a second. I gotta push back a little here. I rebuild vintage furniture as a side gig and I've handled a ton of old plywood from the 60s and 70s. Yeah, it was usually heavier and had fewer voids, but it was also way more prone to delaminating and warping over time. The glue just wasn't as good back then. I've had old sheets literally fall apart in my hands after a little moisture got into the edges. Modern stuff might feel flimsier, but it's usually way more consistent and the glued layers don't separate nearly as easy. I just don't get the nostalgia for lumber that was basically one bad rain away from turning into a wavy mess.

-1

pat_hart6d ago

Good point, but what about the old growth grain patterns? You just can't get that on modern sheets.