Is it OK to use Baltic Birch for outside projects?

[Ron Kanter]

I am building two Little Free Library boxes. Would like to avoid the "Plywood-Look" of regular exterior plywood and I have some Baltic Birch/Russian Plywood.
Would Baltic Birch that is painted be safe to use outside or would it start to come apart in a season or two?

[Grant Wilkinson]

I built a few planters with offcuts of baltic birch plywood several years ago. They are till going strong. The key to using any plywood outdoors, other than perhaps pressure treated ply, is to seal all the surfaces very well. I used exterior primer and exterior paint, and made sure that the edges in particular were very well coated.

[Paul F Franklin]

IIWM, I'd use MDO (medium density overlay). It's plywood with a thin phenolic overlay that makes the faces very weather resistant. The faces are also flat and smooth and it takes paint very well. Best to choose a method of construction that doesn't leave the edges exposed, since they are not overlaid, but that's pretty much standard procedure for plywood projects anyway. MDO is fairly easy to find at lumber yards and some home centers, at least in my area. Both 3/4 and 1/2 thicknesses are common.

[lowell holmes]

IIRC, white oak is good for outdoors. Maybe someone else will chime in on this.
Old men often remember things that is not true. :)

[Mel Fulks]

You can glue light weight canvas (or any cloth) on it then paint it . There is info on you tube. One is called redneck siding.

[Jim Becker]

I suspect that most, if not all, BB uses interior rated glues, so I'd be wary of using it outdoors. MDO might be a better choice since it was developed for sign work and truly is designed for harsh, outdoor conditions. It also paints up beautifully.

[lowell holmes]

Check this link. It might help.

https://www.tablelegsonline.com/tloblog/9-wood-species-for-outdoor-projects/

Baltic birch is not mentioned. You might explore making your on plywood.

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/apr17/make-your-own-plywood

[Mel Fulks]

MDO is a great material, it can be hard to find,and will be expensive. If you are not in the trade you will probably have to add a few bucks to "expensive".

[Jim Becker]

MDO is a great material, it can be hard to find,and will be expensive. If you are not in the trade you will probably have to add a few bucks to "expensive".
Interestingly, the local lumber yard I frequent for my home improvement materials carries it with all the rest of the sheet goods they stock. It's been awhile since I asked them about the price and I don't remember what the answer was, but I know it wasn't shocking. Industrial Plywood out of Reading PA also stocks it.

[Ron Kanter]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.
I didn't know about MDO and wanted to get a better finished/painted surface than regular exterior plywood.
In Philadelphia, Teague Lumber had only 3/4" good two sides at $110 for a 4x8' sheet. WOW. The guy I talked to there was trying to find out why they didn't have any 1/2" available.
Lowes has 1/2" MDO. but Home Depot doesn't carry it in any form. Strange.
Thanks again everyone.

[Dave Cav]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.
I didn't know about MDO and wanted to get a better finished/painted surface than regular exterior plywood.
In Philadelphia, Teague Lumber had only 3/4" good two sides at $110 for a 4x8' sheet. WOW. The guy I talked to there was trying to find out why they didn't have any 1/2" available.
Lowes has it but not Home Depot. Strange.
Thanks again everyone.

I was getting 3/4 MDO for around $65 a sheet in Washington a year or so ago, but that was from a vendor that mostly sold to the trade and being a shop teacher I generally got good pricing. Since moving to Utah I haven't found anywhere locally that carries it and the two building suppliers in town hadn't even heard of it. They do have HDO (high density overlay) which is almost exclusively used for concrete forms, and has a more shiny surface (and logos printed on it) than MDO. The local HD doesn't carry it, of course, but I haven't checked Lowes. I'll do so one of these days.

[Mel Fulks]

With the painted canvas, common good one side plywood is fine. No need for the Baltic birch, unless you already have it and want to.

[Wayne Cannon]

Another voice for MDO. Check your local sign company, as they use MDO for signs. It has a great, smooth, surface. I get mine from a local distributor of plywood and trim for cabinet shops.

I used MDO with no finish for a temporary gate. It was fully exposed to the weather for three years with no sign of warpage or delamination.

[rudy de haas]

Birch, oddly enough given where it grows, doesn't stand up well to water and neither do the glues used in non marine plywood. However.. if you want to use baltic birch for this and want to keep the birch look you can: just soak (slather?) the finished box in the clear polyurethane - the kind they sell for hardwood floors. You get an everlasting, mostly transparent, and totally waterproof finish.

[lowell holmes]

see this reference:

https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/lumber/outdoor-lumber

[lowell holmes]

See this reference.

https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/lumber/outdoor-lumber

[andy bessette]

The baltic birch plywood we get uses exterior glue. I also use MDO on boat projects.