SurePly vs. Plywood: Which to Choose?

SurePly vs. Plywood: Which to Choose?

Handyman's World is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

If you need high-quality building materials, then you have many options to choose from, and two of those options, which we are here to look at today, include SurePly and plywood. As you can probably tell by the name of them, they do share some similarities, but there are also some notable differences.

Let’s figure out what both SurePly and plywood are, what makes them similar and different, and what both are best used for.

SurePly and Plywood: The Basics

Before we get to talking about similarities and differences, let’s first figure out what both SurePly and plywood are.

What Is Plywood?

Plywood is a special type of engineered wood product, which means that pieces of wood are taken and formed into a solid sheet to form a board. Plywood is made by taking strips of wood, otherwise known as wooden veneers, and creating square or rectangular layers out of them.

These layers are then oriented so that each has the veneers facing perpendicular to the previous layer. This creates what is known as a cross-grain pattern, which makes plywood highly durable, impact resistant, and great at holding onto screws.

These layers are then pressed together using special adhesives, heat, and pressure. Moreover, plywood comes in many sizes, grades, and ratings, and can be used for a wide variety of both interior and exterior building projects.

What Is SurePly?

We then have SurePly, which as you might be able to tell by the name, is also a type of plywood. In terms of how it is made, it’s pretty much the same as regular plywood. You have wooden veneers layered on top of each other in a perpendicular manner, which are pressed together using heat and adhesives.

SurePly is a premium type of plywood product, one that is made out of high-quality birch veneers and hardwood veneers. These are then finely sanded to ensure optimal workability and aesthetic value. The type of adhesive used in SurePly is also very high-quality and tends to be very moisture resistant.

Do keep in mind that SurePly is not actually a type of plywood per se, but rather a brand or line of plywood produced by a company called Patriot Timber. SurePly is most often used for the underlayment of floors in high-traffic areas.

Similarities of SurePly and Plywood

Now that we know what both SurePly and Plywood are, let’s take a look at all of the similarities that they share with one another.

1. They Are Built the Same Way

Although the main components do differ slightly, both of these materials follow the same construction method. With both, layers of veneers are made using that perpendicular cross-grain pattern and are pressed together using heat, pressure, and adhesives. Simply put, both are types of plywood.

2. They’re Impact Resistant and Durable

Due to the fact that both are made with that same cross-grain pattern, both tend to be very durable and impact resistant. That cross-grain pattern allows for a good deal of impact resistance, flexibility, and durability. On that note, another benefit of this cross-grain pattern is that both of these materials hold onto screws very well.

3. They Can Be Moisture Resistant

SurePly, by nature, is designed to be very resistant to high levels of moisture, as it is designed to be used as subflooring in high-traffic areas. Now, it does depend on the type of plywood being used, but there are many types of plywood out there that have great moisture resistance, with some even being almost 100% waterproof.

4. They Can Be Hard to Saw

Another thing worth mentioning here is that due to that cross-grain pattern, both of these things can be somewhat hard to saw apart with conventional power tools without causing them to split, splinter, or crack.

5. They Come in Many of the Same Sizes

Both of these building materials come in a wide variety of sizes. They both commonly come in 5’x5’ and 4’x8’ sheets, as well as other sizes.

6. They Can Serve the Same Purposes

Although plywood as a whole is more versatile, both it and SurePly can serve the same purposes.

Differences Between SurePly and Plywood

Now that we know what makes these two things similar, let’s figure out what makes them different.

1. One Is a Brand, the Other Is Not

Plywood is just a general name for this type of engineered wood product, whereas SurePly is a specific type made by Patriot Timber.

2. SurePly Is Always Hardwood

Regular plywood can be made out of either softwood or hardwood. SurePly on the other hand is almost always made out of high-quality birch, which is hardwood.

3. General Applications

For the most part, SurePly is primarily used as subflooring or floor underlayment for high-traffic areas. Regular plywood, on the other hand, depending on the rating and grade, can be used for a wide variety of interior and exterior purposes.

4. Cost

Due to the fact that it is made with very high-quality birch, SurePly does tend to be more expensive than most regular types of plywood.

SurePly vs. Plywood: Which Should You Use?

If you need a very high-quality floor underlayment material, and you are willing to spend some extra money, then SurePly is the recommended option. However, if you want something a bit cheaper, and something that can be used for more than just subflooring, we recommend going with one of many types of plywood.

Summary

There you have it people, everything you need to know about basic plywood and SurePly to make an informed decision between the two.