APA Panel Grades, Veneers & Finishes

You can identify APA plywood panels either by their veneer grade on the face and back of the panel e.g. A-C or B-B, or where the trademark identifies the panel’s end use such as Rated Sturd-I-Floor, Rated Sheathing, Rated Siding (cladding) or Underlayment.

See choosing the right plywood panel grade for specific applications.

For exterior plywood, the grades range from A to C.  The D grade  is only for applications protected from long-term exposure to weather. There are six veneers in the US PS 1-19 standard – N, A, B, C plugged, C and D.  These equate to the  E, I, I/II, II/III, III  and IV grades in EN 635-3.

APA panels have  three finishes  – sanded, touch-sanded and unsanded.

Sanded: Factory-sanded for applications where smoothness and appearance are important.  Face veneer is at least B-grade.

Touch-sanded: Panels which are ‘sized’ to uniform thickness by a light surface sanding during manufacture. Sander skips are permissible. Touch sanding is normally applied to panels with a C-Plugged face.

Unsanded: Sheathing grade panels are designed for utility applications. Left unsanded.