I noticed a shop using the wrong grade of plywood for a deck job in Portland

Last week I walked past a job site off Burnside where they were putting CDX plywood on a second story deck. That stuff isn't rated for outdoor moisture exposure like that, it'll delaminate within a year. I wanted to say something to the foreman but didn't want to step on toes. Has anyone else seen builders skip to the cheap stuff and regret it later?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_fiona21d ago

Yeah but "held up fine for 5+ years" isn't exactly a lifetime warranty. In Portland's rain, CDX just isn't built for that kind of long-term exposure, even with good flashing.

thomas10521d ago

Honestly, I'm gonna push back on this a little. CDX is rated for exterior exposure if it's treated right and not sitting in standing water. I've seen plenty of decks in Portland that used CDX with proper flashing and overhang and they held up fine for 5+ years. The real problem is usually bad waterproofing, not the plywood grade itself.