The appearance and texture of your interior walls can be changed with the help of plywood, which is an inexpensive and adaptable material. Sheathing walls with plywood is a useful do-it-yourself project that practically anyone can accomplish, whether your goal is to create a sleek, modern finish or a rustic charm.
We’ll walk you through every step of the procedure in this post, from choosing the best plywood type to making sure the installation goes smoothly and lasts a long time. You don’t need a contractor to accomplish professional-looking results if you have the right equipment and a little perseverance.
We’ll also go over some crucial pointers and strategies to help you steer clear of typical pitfalls and guarantee the longevity of your plywood sheathing project. Let’s get going and transform those boring walls into something really amazing.
Using plywood for wall sheathing is a simple and useful method to enhance the strength and appeal of your interior walls. This post will walk you through all of the necessary procedures and guidelines for doing it yourself, from choosing the appropriate plywood to guaranteeing a safe and efficient installation. Whether your goal is to update your walls, add insulation, or build a foundation for additional finishing, these concise and simple instructions will help you accomplish a professional finish without the need for specialized knowledge.
- Types of plywood for walls
- Ordinary
- Decorative
- Sheathing technology
- Installation on the lathing
- Installation with glue
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Types of plywood for walls
Two primary materials are used for work; the boards are combined to get the best outcome.
Ordinary
It consists of glued veneer sheets, with varying numbers of layers.
For work, two brands are mostly utilized:
- FC. Urea compounds are used to glue this plywood. The boards have high moisture resistance, which allows them to be laid in rooms with high humidity. This is an excellent solution for utility rooms and summer cottages.
- FBA. Veneer is pressed using albumin-casein glue. This option is preferable for children"s rooms, since it is one of the most environmentally friendly. Although the sheets do not have good moisture resistance, if the surfaces and joints are impregnated with protective compounds, they can withstand the harmful effects.
Plywood must be chosen with emission class E-1 products for finishing vertical bases. This shows that the cladding is safe for both animal and human health.
The ideal wall thickness ranges from 9 to 12 mm, with the standard size being 1525 x 1525 mm. Given that the standard version lacks a decorative layer, careful consideration goes into the finishing coating.
Applying sheets in accordance with the quality class:
- If the material is used only for leveling walls with subsequent paneling, then plywood of grades 3–4 is suitable.
- Products belonging to the second quality group are used for painting or when working in domestic premises. Due to the presence of cracks on the surface, puttying will be required.
- If the plywood will play an independent role, then it is advisable to purchase products of grade 1.
- There is the highest (elite) quality category, but it is rarely used, which is explained by the price and low prevalence.
Different grades of sheets can be used on different sides to cut costs. There is fractional marking on these varieties. It is important to consider the existence of certificates of conformity when selecting a material. Examining the edges is also crucial because a black inner layer suggests that the raw materials were of poor quality.
Guidance! Slabs can be made from both deciduous and coniferous wood. While spruce is stronger and looks better than pine, pine products are lightweight and reasonably priced. As a result, purchasing combined options is suggested.
Decorative
Made in compliance with GOST 53920-2010. Laminated products are referred to by this name; regulatory documents refer to them as FOF or FOB.
The following variations are included in decorative plywood:
- F/F. The facing layer is applied on both sides, the surfaces are smooth.
- F/W. The coating is also laid over the entire board, but the front side is smooth, and the back side has a mesh structure.
- SP/SP. Processing is similar to the first option. Such surfaces are intended for painting.
- F/SP. An alternative variety that has a smooth side and a coating for applying a decorative composition.
- F/U. A cheaper category due to the presence of a film only on the front base.
Plywood in a single color or with an imitation wood texture is chosen to create a unique design. Options with carved structure and perforation are interesting.
Veneer decorative wall panels of today vary in size based on the manufacturer and type of coating. The most common sizes for laminated products are 1220 x 2440 and 1500 x 3000, with thicknesses of 12 and 15 mm.
Sheathing technology
First things first: the base and the required tool are ready. The series of steps involves clearing out everything superfluous, treating wooden surfaces with unique compounds to prevent the growth of mold and fungus, and also impregnating them with fire retardants. Only after the walls have dried completely can more work be done.
Installation on the lathing
The most common solution is to create a frame because it allows the bases to be aligned even with significant curvatures. Plywood cladding installation is typically done on a wooden beam. Installing galvanized profiles is an additional choice that is better suited for working with concrete surfaces in colder rooms.
- The lathing parts are prepared: the timber must undergo mandatory drying and treatment with protective solutions. Depending on the type of surface and type of object, additional waterproofing or vapor barrier may be required.
- Conventional marking is performed. The frame posts are positioned taking into account the size of the slab or cut. The main rule is that the edges should not be above the void.
- Fastening the wooden lathing begins with installing the upper and lower beams. The parts are aligned with each other, taking into account the existing irregularities, the required indent from the wall is set.
- If it is supposed to lay slab thermal insulation, then the material is purchased in a larger size to form a gap.
- To attach the timber to wooden walls, screws are used. When working with solid bases, the lathing is fixed with dowels. The optimal step for setting the posts is 450 or 508 mm. For fastening to the wall, the direct adhesion method is used or metal hangers are used. The parts are aligned according to the level, unevenness is corrected with the help of substrates. The internal space between the vertical segments is additionally reinforced with jumpers.
- It is not difficult to sheathe the lathing. Self-tapping screws are used for fixing, the rod of which should be at least 3 times longer than the thickness of the plywood. The slabs are arranged in rows in a checkerboard pattern to prevent the horizontal joints from coinciding. Screws are screwed in with a step of 15-20 cm and an indentation from the edge of 20 mm, the central sections can be fastened at a distance of 25 cm. The caps are immersed flush. If the sheets will play the role of finishing, then countersinking is carried out initially.
When working, spaces between adjacent parts must be adjusted to have a minimum of 10 mm between them and the walls, floor, and ceiling. It is considered that the slabs in a wooden house with slight base deviations can be fastened only with self-tapping screws, and not a frame.
Installation with glue
Covering vertical surfaces with your hands requires more effort because the coating needs to be properly prepared and free of major flaws. Initial priming is required.
The following steps must be taken in order to correctly glue the plywood to the surface:
- Prepare a suitable composition. It is recommended to use special two-component mixtures that provide reliable adhesion. For work, select boards whose back side does not have a facing. It is impractical to use sheets with double-sided lamination, since the coating will need to be sanded.
- To finish the walls in this way, it is necessary to exclude the presence of dust and dirt on the base. The adhesive composition is applied to the back side of the board, the product is pressed. An indentation from the floor, ceiling and adjacent walls is observed. A joint of 2-3 mm is formed between the parts.
- For reliability, after countersinking, screws or dowels are screwed in along the edges.
Maintaining the plane between the fragments is essential, and a level is used to achieve this.
Step | Description |
1. Preparation | Clean the wall, remove old coatings, and ensure the surface is dry and smooth. |
2. Measure and Cut | Measure the wall dimensions and cut the plywood sheets to fit, leaving a small gap for expansion. |
3. Install Furring Strips | Attach furring strips to the wall to create a level surface for the plywood. Space them evenly. |
4. Attach Plywood | Secure the plywood sheets to the furring strips using screws, starting from the top and working down. |
5. Finish | Fill in screw holes and seams with wood filler, then sand the surface for a smooth finish. Optionally, apply paint or varnish. |
Using plywood for wall sheathing is a useful and efficient method of improving the strength and appeal of your interior design. With simple tools and supplies, the process is doable and simple. You can guarantee that the plywood is properly finished and firmly affixed, giving the surface a polished and smooth appearance, by taking the right procedures.
Think about the grade and thickness of plywood that will work best for your project when choosing it. Installation will be simpler and more effective if the walls are prepared and the panels are measured precisely. In order to avoid warping and guarantee a solid bond, make sure you use the appropriate fasteners and spacing.
Applying paint, stain, or varnish to the plywood’s exterior can give it a customized look and shield the wood from deterioration. Plywood sheathing is a cost-effective and adaptable material that can be used to update a single room or the entire house, depending on your preferences and financial constraints.