Plywood: How to Cut, Paint, Stain, and Seal
For plywood projects, water-based acrylic-latex paints are generally the easiest to work with. Epoxy paints also offer great durability. Opt for high-quality paint and apply with a quality brush for the best possible results. Wet the brush before painting, and apply in the direction of the top grain.
You'll first need to apply a primer. General-purpose wood primer will give you a smooth, nonporous base coat to work with. The base coat will prevent the pigment in the paint from being absorbed by the plywood, requiring many layers and creating muted colors.
If you live in an area where oil-based paints are prohibited, consider using a urethane-based paint for your plywood instead. Urethane-based paints are nearly as tough and durable as oil-based paints, but they clean up with water and have lower VOCs.
Plywood usually come in 4′ x 8′ sheets, which is a very unwieldy thing to cut with any tool. The size makes it difficult to keep the sheet flat on the table or bench, and simultaneously tight against the fence.
A circular saw, such as our DeWalt DWE560 Compact Circular Saw, or skill saw is a common tool used to cut plywood. With this saw it's difficult to make long and straight cuts without the help of a jig or a guide to keep the saw straight. But simply clamping a board along the length of the plywood to use as a guide for your saw can remedy this.
You should be able to achieve your goals with hand tools if you take your time and work carefully. If you find any step of the process not going quite right slow down and practice till you perfect the skill for that process.
You should be able to cut the plywood with a good sharp handsaw, such as our Jack 880 Plus 20" Universal Handsaw 8 Point Saw. Plywood is a challenge though because you are simultaneously cross cutting some of the wood layers and rip cutting others. Hand saws are typically optimized as a cross cut (across the grain) or a rip (with the grain) type saw.
You must seal your plywood, especially if used in high moisture areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, or outdoor use. So, why should you waterproof plywood? Like other natural materials, untreated plywood is susceptible to rot caused by moisture and water, creating a breeding ground for fungus or mould within the board.
Use polyurethane varnish, such as our Ronseal 750ml Hardglaze Satin Ultra Tough Interior Varnish for dependable waterproofing, wood stain such as our Ronseal 750ml External Walnut Quick Drying Woodstain for weather-proofing, oil for a cheap, light sealant, or epoxy for a more thorough, durable finish. Sand your plywood before applying any sealant. Make sure your sealant of choice coats the plywood completely for total waterproofing.
You may use oil-based or water-based stain. Oil-based stain is best for any projects that will be outside. Pre-stain conditioner can help prevent a blotchy appearance and is an important step for a better-looking finished product. You can also use a gel stain for a more even-looking finish.
Wood conditioner dilutes the stain, helping the plywood absorb it evenly. However, wood conditioner isn't always necessary. First off, hardwoods like oak take stain really well, so if you're using oak plywood, you're probably fine. Pine and birch plywoods are known for absorbing stain unevenly.
Yes. Gluing down plywood underlayment affixes it very firmly to the floor. Many people don't bother to glue down their plywood underlayment. Instead, they just screw or nail the boards to the subfloor. This is fine if you're not worried about the long-term durability of your work. However, Polyurethane-based construction adhesives, such as Gorilla Polyurethane Glue are known for their excellent bonding strength and versatility. They are suitable for bonding plywood to concrete surfaces.
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