All You Need To Know About Finishing Baltic Birch Plywood

Baltic birch plywood is a wonderful material that can be utilized for a wide array of home projects; from cabinets to bookcases. Using it also offers a lot of advantages, which is the reason it is such a popular building material.

Thanks to its inherent strength, carpenters and DIYers love using Baltic birch plywood for the reason that screws hold better to it than with other types of plywood. Its strength and stability also make it less likely to warp, which is another huge advantage.

In addition, the uniform layers of wood allow the edges to look good even when left exposed. With all this said, quite possibly one of the biggest advantages is the light-coloured birch veneer and natural woodgrain look that many people find attractive.

How to Finish Baltic Birch Plywood

Regardless of the project you make a decision to use Baltic birch plywood for, one of the last important steps will be to apply a finish. Finishing Baltic birch can be done a few different ways, but to begin, you will want to start with a clean surface.

First, gently clean the plywood with a damp rag to remove any dust and debris. Since most furniture-grade birch plywood is already sanded, sanding is not necessary. If you do want to sand, make sure to do it lightly, or you will sand past the thin veneer. A light sanding of the edges will get rid of any splinters from where the plywood was cut.

Best Finish for Baltic Birch Plywood

The majority of people make use of Baltic birch plywood due to its light color and beautiful grain. So, the methods described below are intended to help you retain the natural beauty of the wood. If you would like to paint your plywood, it is best to select one that is not as expensive, since you are going to cover the natural wood grain anyway.

To keep the light colour of Baltic birch it is better to select water-based wood finishes. The majority of oil-based wood finishes tend to turn yellow over time.

The following are the four best types of finishes for Baltic birch:

Clear water-based polyurethane – It can be sprayed, brushed, or rolled on. It is one of the most durable finishing options available.
Soap finish – It is inexpensive and easy to apply, but maintenance and reapplication is key to maintaining a long-lasting finish.
Clear lacquer – It is more difficult and time consuming to apply but provides long-lasting protection.
Stain – If you want to add some color to your Baltic birch project, make sure to use a pre-stain conditioner. Gel stain is also preferred since Baltic birch plywood tends to absorb stain unevenly.

Making a decision to which finish is the best is really a matter of personal preference. Therefore, the specialists at Ply Supply recommend making use of a piece of scrap plywood to apply each type of finish. This will help you find out how long it takes for each finish to dry and what the final result looks like before you spend all your time and effort on something you do not love.

To conclude

Baltic birch plywood is one of the finest and most sturdy plywood supplied by Ply Supply Inc. We are popularly known for premium products and customer satisfaction. Are you also in search of high-quality Baltic birch plywood in Ontario? Feel free to get in touch with Ply Supply Inc. today!