If you flip over a sheet of plywood at the lumberyard, you’ll find a cluster of letters, numbers, and logos inked onto the back or edge of the panel. Most buyers ignore it. That’s a mistake, because knowing how to read a plywood grade stamp answers more questions than any salesperson will — the stamp … Read more
Exterior plywood is plywood carrying an Exterior bond classification, meaning the panel is manufactured for long-term exposure to weather or moisture. It uses moisture-resistant exterior adhesives, but the panel’s construction also affects its long-term bond performance. The Exterior stamp does not mean the wood itself is waterproof or resistant to decay. Untreated veneers can still … Read more
RTD is an abbreviation for Rated — “RTD Sheathing” and “RTD SHG” are shorthand for Rated Sheathing, a performance classification used by APA – The Engineered Wood Association. It is not a special manufacturing process, a glue technology, or a separate grade of plywood. Rated Sheathing can be plywood or OSB and may be manufactured under either the … Read more
Buying a basement dehumidifier looks simple until you realize the square footage number on the box was measured under conditions that look nothing like a basement. That single misunderstanding is why so many people spend a summer listening to an undersized unit run 24 hours a day while a $12 hygrometer stubbornly reads 62% — … Read more
I’ve been in enough basements — my own and other people’s — to notice a pattern: many finished basement wall failures begin with moisture-management decisions rather than visible carpentry defects. Framing went up before anyone checked whether the wall was dry. Insulation went in before anyone thought about where moisture would go. The drywall looked … Read more