Protecting Plywood and Extending it’s Life
Plywood is great
One of the materials we get asked a lot about at Durabak is Plywood. Because of it’s price, strength and weight Plywood is an extremely popular material. Plywood structures are designed to last many years, but often the wood itself will decide the fate. So, protecting plywood means protecting a larger structure, like a boat or a trailer or even a house.
Plywood isn’t perfect
Plywood is more expensive than other types of wood, because of greater strength, waterproofing and lighter weight than others. The best way to protect plywood involves adding as little weight as possible whilst protecting the wood itself. Although good plywood is often water-proof, it is not water-repellent and will eventually give way because of water damage, rot or mold.
Whilst Plywood is very strong it isn’t unbreakable and, after repeated impact, will eventually snap.
Plywood can be improved
Customers reach out to us to lengthen the lifetime of plywood and protect it against all these abuses with Durabak. Designed to embed itself into the wood, and not just lay on top of it, bringing you years more use, Durabak is the product you have been waiting for.
Whilst you can simply roll other paints onto the wood, Durabak requires a heavy scuff of 40-grit sandpaper. Durabak will seep into the fibers as the wood absorbs the polyurethane. With another 2 coats of Durabak you have effectively created a wood-polyurethane alloy. The Polyurethane of Durabak acts as a rubber membrane embedded into the wood and reaching out onto the surface of the panel.
How Durabak works
As the Durabak cures into the wood forming incredibly strong chemical bonds, your wood has been enhanced with an embedded coat of super-strength rubber. Durabak cures to form a completely flexible material. Imagine the difference between a pair of cotton pants and a pair of cotton pants with 5% lycra. Durabak is like the 5% lycra which adds movement, flexibility and impact resistance. Durabak cures to form a water-resistant impermeable membrane, when painted on all sides, it’s almost like wrapping the plywood in a rubber balloon. Durabak seals the wood so that water, acid, chemicals, salt-water spray, gasoline and more cannot get through.
Durabak for Plywood
Let’s just see what a veteran wood worker, Cat Meier, says when she discovered Durabak. After 21 years of professional wood-working, and experience with every product on the market, she was so blown away with Durabak that she just made this video about it!
Durabak is perfect for kitchen cabinets, wooden floors, boat floors, enclosed trailers, stairs and furniture. Durabak is available in indoor and outdoor formulas, Durabak 18 will protect wood from the elements, sun and UV rays for many years. Available in 16 colors, self leveling and resistant to so many hazards, Durabak is the treatment you are looking for to save or protect your plywood.
