How To Install Plywood Countertop

Hither's a footling tutorial on how to install plywood walls, but showtime… a little backstory. This summer nosotros moved our leather store up to Washington state and into a new workshop space. The workshop was bare-basic and definitely needed a little help, and part of what needed to be done was sheathing the walls in plywood. I chose plywood simply considering I actually only had 2 options… Drywall or Plywood. Drywall is notoriously a pain in the behind and I have no real experience with it. I also think drywall is not a bang-up choice for a workshop since it does non function well in being able to install shelving, brackets and hangers wherever you need them. Truth exist told plywood was actually my second choice. I originally wanted to install aged wood boards to lend a niggling character to the infinite, but reality dictated that this would be a poor choice due to non-uniformity in wall thickness, warping, smells, and insect infestation.

That said I suppose we should become on to information technology, so here's a quick tutorial on how to install a plywood wall. Once you lot have these basics down for measuring, cutting to width, cutting holes for obstructions and securing…you tin just repeat over and over until your project is done. Oh – for those with workshops in their garages attached to the house, make sure to refer to your local lawmaking to see if plywood is allowed. In many places you can employ it – just not on the wall that is shared with the house.

PART ane: Tools and Materials

You won't need much to become this projection going. I should note that the tools I utilize, I purchased on my own accordance and I do not receive any compensation for showing them off (similar tools from other brands will piece of work quite well too). The image at the height of this mail – from the top downwardly I have a track saw and track (used to cut the plywood to width or length, or other odd angles), battery operated jigsaw (cut out holes or other obstructions), deck screws #9 10 2″ length GRK make, drill with bit for screws, drill bit slightly larger than width of the blade on jigsaw, piece of work gloves, t-square 36″, pencil, notepad, measuring record, protective glasses, sparse wood shims (to raise plywood off ground level).

Then of grade you lot will need to choose the right type of plywood. Typically most volition base of operations this on price, I did too since I had to buy around xl sheets of the stuff! I actually really dislike the look of the typical cheaper plywood you find in most abode stores. It'south not the most pleasing stuff to look at. I ended up going up a notch in price for something called 'Sande' plywood. From researching it online information technology doesn't announced to be the best type if you are building finer cabinetry, however for a wall in a workshop I recall it will do quite well. A lot of people had issues with 'voids' in the plywood – that's something you don't want in a woodworking project. I ended upwardly choosing this blazon for two reasons – information technology was still towards the cheaper end, and it has a very apartment look to it. The grain blueprint is non very pronounced so information technology kind of blends right in.

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I went with the i/ii inch version as this should exist plenty thick for a wall and the weight is still manageable for one person to deal with.

When you purchase your plywood it is best to go out information technology in the room where you will exist installing it for 24 – 48 hours before starting time. This helps the wood adapt to the temperature and humidity level and will give you less problems downward the route. I call back y'all are supposed to lean them confronting the wall, but I didn't do that – I have too many pieces and I felt that leaning them would create a bit of a bow in the woods.

Here'south a nice niggling trick for cutting the plywood lengths and widths using a track saw… 2″ foam insulation. I used information technology as a sacrificial cutting board that I left on the ground. It makes the task very easy since you don't have to lift the boards up onto a tabular array every time and struggle getting things aligned.

two inch thick foam insulation should do every bit long equally your track saw is prepare to but cut a few millimeters below your wood.

Another useful thing to have around, but not required, is two saw horses used as a table for the plywood. This aids in cutting out the holes with the jigsaw. If you don't have sawhorses, yous can always just lean the boards against the wall at an bending and cut holes out that style every bit well. Above I am using two Toughbilt sawhorses with ii 2x4s as rails. These sawhorses work quite well as a table and the legs are adjustable.

Part 2: Planning for Obstructions

On every wall you will eventually come across an outlet, pipage, or other obstruction that you have to plan around. For this tutorial I chose a department where at that place are two obstructions. Above information technology the outlet nosotros volition need to make a hole for.

Only above the outlet is a steel bar that helps support the structure of the store. The bar attaches just below the pinnacle virtually point where the wall volition be attached.

At flooring level the plywood will need to rest on top of the steel base which happens to be almost a quarter of an inch off the ground. I volition need to use woods shims to assistance continue the far side of the plywood to a higher place the floor and so that everything stays level. Y'all volition want to shim all of your walls this mode so that the plywood does non wick up moisture from the cement. It also helps if you spill something well-nigh the wall, it won't get right up into the wood.

Part 3: Measuring

In my example I decided to cover the walls with plywood up to the 8 human foot mark. This made sense just because the plywood sheets are viii feet long and I don't have much of a need to cover the walls above that point. When y'all start the measurement make sure to identify the shim right under any obstructions you lot will be making holes for. Above I placed the shim correct below the electrical outlet – information technology'll requite an authentic height measurement since the plywood won't touch the floor.

Using the measuring tape I placed it up confronting the edge of the steel structural beam where the plywood will start.

From there I measure out to virtually three/16 of an inch from the edge of the outlet.

So make notation of almost iii/xvi of an inch across the outer edge of the outlet. These 2 measurements volition requite y'all a skillful pigsty width to use.

Side by side I placed the measuring record on the shims that are about equal pinnacle to the steel base mentioned earlier.

Measuring up from there I took notation of 3/16 of an inch beneath the outlet and iii/sixteen of an inch above.

A stepping stool or minor ladder comes in handy for measuring the next obstruction too as when you will need to screw the plywood in at the pinnacle.

Following the previous measurements I did the same to mensurate the altitude from the edge. This piece of steel comes in at an angle, so the hole for it will exist larger than yous might imagine. Since it's a workshop I usually just crude in the measurements.

Next I measured from the top of where the plywood will attach down to about 3/16 " below the steel support.

While measuring I make sure to write down everything on a notepad. All measurements are based on starting from the right edge or bottom (with the exception of that top pigsty).

Office 4: Cutting to Width

In my case I did not even so demand to cut the plywood sheet's width shorter since it was the first section, but I will show you how y'all would do this. Once you get to the end of a wall you will need to cut the sheet downwards to fit – or maybe your wall wont be sheathed up to 8 feet similar mine. In either case you need to first mensurate how broad of a piece you volition demand. Then, using the record measure near the bottom of the plywood board, brand a mark at the width you need.

Motility upwardly to the top of the board and mensurate the aforementioned width and make a marking. The idea here is that you lot now have 2 marks to apply to line up the track for your track saw cut.

Fix up the track so that the sacrificial edge is right on the marks at both ends.

Set your rails saw on the runway and plug in the dust collection hose.

Set your blade depth so that information technology will cutting all the fashion through the board plus about 1/eight inch deeper.

Make sure other settings on your rail saw are fix and tightened, including the angle gauge. Then with the plywood sheath sitting on your cream insulation, you tin brand the cutting. In the beginning I had some issues with the dust hose getting defenseless or tangled, so try and make sure it will motion freely before you beginning!

PART 5: Cutting the Holes

With the plywood slice cut to the width or summit needed, the next step is to cut out and holes needed for the electric outlets to fit through, or any other piping etc.. For holes in the middle of the board, hither is the technique I used. Basically I transfer the measurement I took earlier for the height of the electrical box from the ground (shim) up starting at the lesser edge of the board and very close to the side.

Make a mark at the kickoff lower measurement, then at the upper measurement which you recorded earlier.

Using the T-square I lined it upwards at the lower measurement..and so looked to transfer the distance from the border onto the plywood.

Unfortunately it was around 37 iii/8 "  which is longer than my T-Foursquare. This presented a problem since doing math using the regal organisation can sometimes be confusing. But there is an easy workaround, peculiarly if you find yourself in this situation often.

The workaround is to place the top markings on the other edge of the board instead. Then use the t-square to depict straight lines out from both markings.

Then yous tin apply the measuring tape from the edge you lot originally started with and measure all the way out to 37 3/8″ along the line you lot just fabricated. In that location you lot get – math free!

Brand the width measurements on both height lines, then connect the lines using the dorsum of the t-foursquare.

In order to cut out this section we need to go the jigsaw started by drilling a hole. I matched the saw blade width with a 5/16 drill bit.

Apply that drill fleck correct on the inside corners of the square and try to make information technology so the edge of the drill bit will make a pigsty touching the border of the square (or any shape you are making).

Here'south what it should expect similar above.

Next I fit the jigsaw blade into the hole and was about to starting time cutting…

When I decided to take a look under the plywood and make sure I had proper clearance. I didn't. I would take cut right through the 2×4 rail supporting it. Glad I had second thoughts!

Afterwards moving the plywood on the table for better clearance, I then used the jigsaw to cut out the hole. I tried to stay close to the edge of the drilled holes, sometimes stopping a cut and repositioning the jigsaw for a better angle.

Next I transferred the measurements for the steel support obstruction at the top of the lath. First marking out how far from the side border.

And so marking how far down the cutting will go. After the marks were fabricated I roughly connected them in a square shape with the pencil.

I then drilled out the corners.

Again – using the jigsaw to cutting information technology all out and making certain I have clearance under the board.

When I went to put the board in place, it was getting caught on the bottom side of the steel bar.

This was preventing the plywood from making it upwards over the steel bottom piece. I ended upward using the jigsaw and removing another 1/2 inch from the cutout at the summit.

One time I placed the plywood dorsum on the wall in the right position, I noticed a small angle gap on the side nigh the steel axle. After checking with a level I confirmed that the beam itself has a slight twist to it. A perfectionist would go back and cut that bending into the side of the plywood to make it fit perfectly…just for me – since it was adequately hidden next to the beam, I decided to leave it be and motion on.

Here's the cutout for the electric box, just slightly off, just I tin hibernate that by using a mudring to bump the outlet outwards, and then a comprehend plate to hide the hole.

Brand sure your plywood is nonetheless resting on the shim. The one you see in the center is but an actress slice that currently isn't supporting it.

My studs are horizontal in the shop, spaced every ii feet. They are hidden behind a vapor barrier, simply by pushing on it I can expose them and make a mark on the plywood for each screw placement on the side of the plywood.

I placed the first screw most 1 inch in from the side.

In an platonic world, your studs are straight. Apparently I do not live in this ideal world. My studs accept a squeamish gentle curve to them. And then first I will explain the method used to place screws in an platonic world: use a t-foursquare and bring it up to that first screw mark. Then – brand a marker every 12 inches from the border of the board. This will give you lot 5 screws per stud (for horizontal studs). At present for the imperfect world scenario: make a marking at the other border of the board where the stud is. Now you have a mark at either finish. Use a long straight ruler, or nicely cutting plywood chip piece and connect the dots with the border of the scrap piece. You can now make the same 12 inch spacing but information technology will exist more in line with the actual stud curve.

I used #9  ii inch deck screws because it is the easiest matter to install, plus it pulls the plywood tight to the stud correct at the stop…and they are self drilling so no demand to pre-drill. That saves a ton of time for a project like this.

Merely in case I later decide to paint over sure walls, I made sure to sink the spiral slightly below the surface. If I need to, I tin can later place some wood putty in at that place and sand chop-chop before painting.

Here's the finished plywood sheath. On the bottom row of screws information technology's more apparent that at that place's a curve going on with my stud.

For the side by side sheath you simply measure from the edge of the current ane and echo. Fairly easy piece of work!

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Source: https://www.mrlentz.com/2018/10/how-to-install-plywood-walls-in-a-workshop/

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