APA RATED SHEATHING PLYWOOD

APA rated Sheathing (pronounced sheeting) grades define veneer appearance in terms of natural unrepaired growth characteristics and allowable number and size of repairs that may be made during manufacture

Sheathing is a layer of plywood sometimes installed on floors (as subflooring), walls (keeps the neighbors from seeing what you are doing) and roofs (a buildings blanket). The plywood sheets range from 3/8ths to 5/8ths of an inch thick and come in 4×8 sheets.

To make plywood sheathing, layers of wood are shaved from trees in the same way the government removes money from our wallets: one layer at a time until there is nothing left.

If you examine plywood closely you may notice a repetition of the wood grain pattern. These patterns are similar in nature to the patterns in clouds. With some imagination, you can make out interesting images. I once found a board that looked uncannily like President Coolidge.

The growth of a global economy has generated great needs on American industry to build containers of all shapes and sizes and since a plywood sheathed crate is the most effective, it is also the most commonly used packaging product. A plywood sheathed crate is often easier to design, more durable, and costs less because it has a lower tare weight and cubic displacement. Since a plywood crate does not require diagonals, the material and installation costs of diagonals may be weighed against the packaging cost.