AC and BC Sanded Plywood
AC and BC plywood are sanded plywood with premium faces that are specially designed for cabinetry, furniture, paneling, shelving, and other applications where a knot free product is required.
Available Sizes:
Features & Benefits of AC Radiata:
-AC Radiata plywood will be a mostly clear face with only a few eraser sized knots
-Underlayment grade
-Lays flat and is lightweight
-Provides an excellent finish for paint or stain
-Extremely good value for the price
Features & Benefits of BC Yellow Pine:
-BC Yellow Pine plywood will be a mostly clear face with knots up to 1" in diameter
-Fully sanded face
-Roughly 5-10% less expensive than AC plywood
Features & Benefits of AC Fir:
-AC Fir plywood will be a clear face with any knot imperfections repaired with a boat patch
-Fully sanded face
-Stronger and stiffer than BC Yellow Pine and AC Radiata
PDF: AC & BC Sanded Plywood Sell Sheet
APA Specifier's Guide - Sanded Plywood
BC Pine
B-grade sanded veneer face, C-grade cores and back, exterior glue. BC plywood Pine will have a repaired face that has removed any knots or other defects. Applications include exterior sheathing, soffits, cabinets, shelving, and paneling.
AC Radiata Pine
A-grade sanded veneer face, C-grade cores and back. Radiata Pine is a plantation pine species from Chile, South America that naturally has very few knots. AC Radiata is often used for cabinets, shelving, furniture, and other applications where the highest quality face with no defects is needed.
AC Radiata is also always approved as an underlayment grade
AC Fir
-A-grade veneer face with a C-grade back. Used for cabinets, soffits, furniture, countertops and other applications where a premium face is required. A-face has any imperfections and knots removed and replaced with boat patches.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is the main difference between BC Yellow Pine, AC Radiata, and AC Fir
A: Each of these has similar characteristics. All have a premium face with limited knots. All are sanded for a smooth finish and consistent thickness. All are intended for stain or paint grade applications. However, all are also slightly different. There are differences in price, grain, knots/patch structure, and availability.
Q: Will I see any knots with these products?
A: With a BC Yellow Pine, you may see a few small pencil-sized knots. With AC Fir and Radiata, any knots will be removed and repaired with a boat patch.
Q: What is a boat patch, or a football patch?
A: A boat patch, or football patch, is a football-shaped patch that gets inserted into the plywood veneer when a knot is removed. These patches are clear and remove the knot from the surface. They are undetectable when painted, but when stained the difference in grain can be seen.
Q: What species paints the best?
A: Radiata tends to be the best surface for painting. It evenly soaks up paint and leaves a flat and even finish.
Q: Are these one-sided panels or reversible?
A: There is only one primary face for each of these products.