1/4 inch treated plywood.

Does anyone have a source for 1/4 inch green treated plywood in the Twin Cities area? I’m looking for places that have it in stock. I got a blank stare at Menards and Home Depot. I know some guys who used to special order it at Menards, but when I asked the lumber guys didn’t even seem to want to look as if they know it wasn’t possible.

I’d like to use this stuff for the walls of a deer hunting box blind. I’m trying a new design and I want something that’s very light for sheathing.

Anyone know a place to get this? Thanks.

Grouse

This is what I used for my son’s tree house. The price is right, in stock, and I am sure it is lighter than green treated.
Fiber Panel Siding

It’s not a sure bet but you might try one of the lumber shops in NE Minneapolis. Youngblood’s?

You probably won’t find quarter inch treated. You could get 3/8 inch soffit plywood, Menards and Home Depot stock it

How about cheap plastic sheeting like fluted polypropylene (chloroplast) – it is the stuff that political yard sign are made from. Weighs nothing and will stop wind just as well as plywood. I have seen other fiber boards at Menards and Fleet Farm that would probably suit your needs as well.

I would look at LP soffit panels or cedar breckinridge panels. 1/4″ treated would probably be quite prone to warping.

I would look at LP soffit panels or cedar breckinridge panels.

It’s looking like various 3/8 inch sheet materials are going to probably be the way I have to go with this. I was REALLY looking for a way to cut even more weight out of this project.

I’m not worried about warping, with studs, the plywood will be stretched out and screwed down tight. I just thought with all the 1/4 ply products out there, funny there’s no 1/4 treated.

I’m trying to cut down the weight so that it’s less top heavy and therefore I can reduce the base structure and weight. I want to build this blind with a “sled” base so it could be moved simply by dragging it behind a tractor.

Thanks for the replies.

Grouse

Cedar will be your lightest but more expensive option.

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

Cedar will be your lightest but more expensive option.

Gotta be way cheaper than cedar, though. At that price it would be cheaper to upsize everything to handle more weight.

My original plan was to use pole barn steel but that stuff isn’t exactly light if you compare a 4×8 section apples to apples with plywood products.

I’m doing a steel roof for durability and obviously weather resistance, but steel cladding is too much weight.

I think I’m going to try 1/2 treated and sticker it in a stack with weight on the top to see if I can dry out some of the moisture before assembly. That stuff is just sopping wet out of the stack, but I’d have to think you can dry several pounds of moisture out of each sheet if you sticker it and let it dry?

Grouse

I just helped my brother build a movable shooting stand with the base being out of an old hay wagon running gears. The deck was already rotted away. It works great.

Hi Grouse, we used tan outdoor carpeting to wrap our box stands. Going on 10 years and no issues with it rotting etc.

You might check out this plywood option. No it is not green treated however it IS constructed with exterior grade glue and will NOT delaminate. just one spec sheet Many wooden boat builders use it in leu of Okoume plywood. I use it for many marine applications. Yes, I realize an outdoor blind is not the same as a marine application, but it may have the qualities you are looking for.

huntinforfish wrote:

How about cheap plastic sheeting like fluted polypropylene (chloroplast) – it is the stuff that political yard sign are made from. Weighs nothing and will stop wind just as well as plywood. I have seen other fiber boards at Menards and Fleet Farm that would probably suit your needs as well.

∆∆∆ This ∆∆∆

3/8″ Fir soffit ply is less expensive, nicer looking, easier to work with, weighs less and has a lower moisture content than 1/2″ treated ply.

Cedar soffit ply is spendy twice as much as fir ply.

Huntindave – That is interior grade flooring underlayment, that wouldn’t last long in an exterior application.

Stupid question, but why isn’t 2″ insulated foam board an option? Might have to beef up the wall framing a bit.

You could call marvs in Princeton. any project we’ve had so far they’ve came through.

B-man wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>huntinforfish wrote:</div>
How about cheap plastic sheeting like fluted polypropylene (chloroplast) – it is the stuff that political yard sign are made from. Weighs nothing and will stop wind just as well as plywood. I have seen other fiber boards at Menards and Fleet Farm that would probably suit your needs as well.

∆∆∆ This ∆∆∆

X3
You can buy the corrugated plastic in 4×8 sheets in a few different colors from Uline, however I believe they have a minimum order. Plastic supply houses should have it as well. Would work great for this purpose, weighs almost nothing and just as strong as 1/4” plywood. Just make sure you use fender washers with the screws to attach it, otherwise the heads will tear through.

Try siwek lumber in Jordan. They always have odd stuff…we are building a fence and bought all 2nd hand cedar from them, from rainbow playsets. Just an example

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Huntindave – That is interior grade flooring underlayment, that wouldn’t last long in an exterior application.

eelpoutguy,
Your statement is incorrect. Did you read the spec sheet I linked?

Exposure 1 EG/LWP exterior grade laminated wood panel.

Dave,
This is a interior – underlayment panel and is not intended to be use as an exterior wall panel.

Exposure 1 – means it can withstand getting wet during construction.

There is a big difference between exterior grade and Exposure 1.

Pulled alot of that stuff out of floors in restoration work Dave, it does hold up to water(not fall apart) but man, seems that underlayment always molded up alot more than other materials. Just my observations.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Dave,
This is a interior – underlayment panel and is not intended to be use as an exterior wall panel.

Exposure 1 – means it can withstand getting wet during construction.

There is a big difference between exterior grade and Exposure 1.

Spec sheet says exterior grade laminated wood panel. Are you saying the spec sheet is incorrect? I’ve always went by the manufactures specs. This product performs well in a marine environment. I included the spec sheet so that Grouse could draw his own conclusion as to if this product would suit his need.

I’m saying the spec sheet is misleading.

Look up 1 EG/LWP vs Exterior grade.

If you use this panel as an exterior grade sheathing and had warranty issues with it the manufacturer’s rep wouldn’t even get out of his vehicle to inspect it.

Appreciate the suggestions.

I wouldn’t be comfortable trying any product that’s not spec’d and designed for full time exterior exposure. There’s a lot of things I know I could get away with for 3-5 years, but I have enough to do at the farm, so I don’t want anything I’m going to have to re-do in a few years potentially. At that point the “cost of labor” exceeds the weight and cost savings from the build.

I think I’m pretty much stuck with 1/2 inch treated at this point. Only thing I can think of to do to cut the weight is sticker all the sheets and let them air dry to remove as much of the water weight from the treatment process as possible.

I know I’ve done this with a load of treated dimension lumber once and cut the weight of each 2×6 by over 5 pounds in just 2 weeks of drying. The key is to sticker it and keep weight on the top so it can’t warp. PITA, but seems the only cost-effective solution.

Grouse

Grouse,
I would think twice about that process. That green treated will end up looking like Pringles potato chips by the time it dries out

Eelpoutguy wrote:

I’m saying the spec sheet is misleading.

Look up 1 EG/LWP vs Exterior grade.

If you use this panel as an exterior grade sheathing and had warranty issues with it the manufacturer’s rep wouldn’t even get out of his vehicle to inspect it.

I looked it up.

What does the “1” in the designation stand for? It is the exposure durability classification (see note below)
The exposure durability classification gives the plywood’s ability to resist water and moisture, where most plywood is “Exterior” or “Exposure 1” — glued with waterproof adhesive for exterior use.

What does the “EG” in the designation stand for? Answer; exterior glue.

What does the “LWP” in the designation stand for? Answer; Laminated Wood Product = (plywood)
This product has no voids within the inner plys. How many voids might you expect in a sheet of A-C exterior ply?

I use this product building boat hulls. My boats sit outside 24/7 and are in the water for days on end.
I trust my life with it.

YMMV

Dave,
This is from the APA (American Plywood Association’s) website.

Avoiding Confusion
Structural I is unrelated to the bond classifications, also known as exposure durability classifications, Exposure 1 and Exterior. These two designations signify only the moisture resistance of the panel adhesive bond appropriate to its intended end use. Structural I Rated Sheathing may carry either an Exterior or an Exposure 1 designation.

Bond classification relates to moisture resistance of the glue bond, and thus to the structural integrity of the panel. Exterior panels have bonds capable of withstanding repeated wetting and redrying or long-term exposure to weather or other conditions of similar severity, provided they are properly finished and maintained. Examples of panel applications with Exterior bond classification are signs, siding and closed soffits. Exposure 1 panels are suitable for uses not involving long-term exposure to the weather but are intended to resist the effects of moisture due to construction delays, or other condition of similar severity.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Dave,
This is from the APA (American Plywood Association’s) website.

Avoiding Confusion
Structural I is unrelated to the bond classifications, also known as exposure durability classifications, Exposure 1 and Exterior. These two designations signify only the moisture resistance of the panel adhesive bond appropriate to its intended end use. Structural I Rated Sheathing may carry either an Exterior or an Exposure 1 designation.

Bond classification relates to moisture resistance of the glue bond, and thus to the structural integrity of the panel. Exterior panels have bonds capable of withstanding repeated wetting and redrying or long-term exposure to weather or other conditions of similar severity, provided they are properly finished and maintained. Examples of panel applications with Exterior bond classification are signs, siding and closed soffits. Exposure 1 panels are suitable for uses not involving long-term exposure to the weather but are intended to resist the effects of moisture due to construction delays, or other condition of similar severity.

Grouse said the intended use is “sheathing” as such, it will not be exposed long term. If he wants something that will be exposed, then he probably needs to stay with the treated ply he is seeking.
I’m just saying this product can be successfully used as a lightweight sheathing, whether it be sheathing on a blind wall or sheathing on a boat hull.

I’d like to use this stuff for the walls of a deer hunting box blind. I’m trying a new design and I want something that’s very light for sheathing.