plywood hardener

[Vinko]

I don't know anything about it -- expect I thought it was to repair rotted wood.

But I've got 4 x 8 sheets as flooring on a mezzanine. The sheets have worked out well for 25+ years. But it's time to replace a few. Obviously, good plywood is harder to get (or at least more expensive) these days.

I'm going to finish the wood with Varathane No. 92 oil based varnish. But someone suggested to me that I use a base of plywood hardener first.

Good advice? Bad advice? Unnecessary?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Ivan

 

[tcianci]

I have been doing remodeling for about 40 years and have never heard of a plywood hardener. There is a product that we use regularly called wood hardener. It's a sort of resin dissolved in a solvent that we use to saturate rotted wood. Once the solvent flashes off, the resin consolidates the punky wood fibers and provides a good base for a polyester filler. I am not aware of any coating type of wood hardener. If you were to use the stuff I'm talking about you would go both broke and blind from the cost and the amount of solvents you would be evaporating all at once. Anyone know more about the stuff the OP is asking about?

 

[Kevin54]

I would venture to say it is a clear epoxy over the plywood similar to what they use of wood boats.

If you don't want to flip for the cost of plywood, I'd put some 1" T&G OSB down for flooring, then cover it with a good floor paint. It will last for years.

 

[Frank The Plumber]

You may be able to get a hardwood plywood or a baltic birch plywood that would be harder and have more plys. We use a special shoring plywood that is really tough.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

You have to be careful with birch plywood these days, as it doesn't always have a waterproof glue holding it together.

 

[rlitman]

You have to be careful with birch plywood these days, as it doesn't always have a waterproof glue holding it together.

And who knows what's in the middle.
Hardwood plywood isn't designed to be structural.