Chances are that you’ve heard someone talk about CDX plywood, seen it or used one before. Do you know what it means? You’re not alone. Majority of the people who have seen, used or heard about CDX do not exactly know what it means and what the letters stand for. Others do not even know even its qualities. In simple terms, majority of the people are always looking for information about CDX plywood. Fortunately, we’re here to let you in on everything about CDX plywood and what the letters stand for. Read on to discover!
What is CDX Plywood?
First of all, CDX is basically a type of plywood. Glued veneer sheets that are held together with joining plies are what are called plywood. They are best known for their strong resistance to breaking, cracking and twisting. Now let us go straight to the letters.
There are different classes or grades of plywood. These grades are denoted by the letters A, B, C and D. This follows that;
· A is the highest class or grade of plywood and also the most expensive.
· The grade is determined by the number of holes, knots and other repaired defects on the plywood.
· The less the number of holes, knots and defects, the higher the grade of the plywood and the more expensive it is.
As you now can guess, D is the lowest grade and least expensive of plywood.
Understanding CDX
CDX can therefore be construed as the plywood that has the most number of holes, knots and defects. What does this mean? This is the lowest grade or class of plywood. C and D in CDX tells you that one side of the plywood is of grade or quality C and the other side is of grade or quality D. This does not necessarily matter a lot when it comes to the tasks that the plywood will be used for. However, the side of grade C is used on the more visible side of the task surface while that of D is used on the less visible one. On the other hand, X means exposure. This is the type of glue that is used to hold the plywood together.
Note that the plywood grading we’re talking about here has nothing to do with the quality of the plywood, but with its appearance only. In fact, CDX is quite strong and highly resistant to damage. In addition to this, the tasks that require the use of CDX call for quality of the plywood rather than is good appearance.
Where Can You Use CDX Plywood?
CDX is good for both interior and exterior uses.
1. Interior uses of CDX
- Sub-flooring in ceramic floor finishing in bathrooms and kitchens.
- Making garage shelves. In places where appearance is not as important, CDX is good enough in terms of quality. Such places include your garage shelves.
2. Exterior uses
- Making crates and boxes. As mentioned before, CDX comes in handy when it comes to tasks that do not require a lot of aesthetic considerations. Constructing crates and boxes is perfect use for CDX owing to its resistance to water or cracking damage.
- Roof sheathing. During the manufacturing, CDX goes through processes that make it water-resistant and strong. This makes it a perfect and affordable option for exterior uses. Even when in case it absorbs any water, it dries fast.
CDX is therefore one of the most affordable, most available and mostly preferred plywood that you can get in the market today.
Conclusion
You do not need to be an expert in the industry to understand what is CDX. As you have seen, the letters A, B, C and D represents the grade of the plywood. This is the grade and not the quality. This therefore means that CDX may of the plywood of the lowest grade but does not mean that it is of poor quality. In fact, cdx plywood is pretty strong, durable and highly resistant to damage.