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You are here: Home / DIY Projects / DIY Woodworking Projects / Shiplap Walls Using Plywood- 5 Reasons to Use Exterior CDX Plywood Instead of Luan Underlayment

in 1915 Bungalow master bathroom· DIY Projects· DIY Woodworking Projects· Most Popular Posts· Remodeling

Shiplap Walls Using Plywood- 5 Reasons to Use Exterior CDX Plywood Instead of Luan Underlayment

Before I share our post on how we installed shiplap walls using plywood in our bathroom, I wanted to go over the reasons why we chose exterior plywood instead of luan (aka underlayment). After using this type of plywood, I’ll never go back to luan!

These are 5 great reasons why you should use 3/8" exterior plywood, aka CDX plywood, instead of 1/4" underlayment, to shiplap walls. If you’re a fan of Fixer Upper, then there’s a 75% chance you’re also a fan of shiplap walls.

I know this girl is.

Very few of us are blessed enough to find authentic shiplap under our existing wall surfaces like you see on the show. And not all of us can afford to buy actual shiplap (the kind that has a special notch cut on the edges of the board)…that’s if you can even find it in stock at your local home improvement store.

**This post contains affiliate links**

Most DIY shiplap tutorials I’ve seen use 4’ X 8’ sheets of 1/4″ luan underlayment ripped down to 6” to 8” wide planks. We’ve used 1/4″ underlayment as faux shiplap before and were happy with the results.

Regardless, we knew we wanted to use 3/8″ exterior plywood, also known as CDX plywood, instead of luan underlayment when we were ready to plank our bathroom walls.

This is what you need to look for at Lowes. 5 reasons why you should choose exterior plywood to shiplap walls instead of luan underlayment.

These are 5 great reasons why you should use 3/8" exterior plywood, aka CDX plywood, instead of 1/4" underlayment, to shiplap walls. Shiplap walls -texture difference between exterior plywood and luan underlayment

So, what made us choose to use exterior grade plywood to shiplap our master bathroom instead luan underlayment (or even authentic shiplap)?

Here are 5 reasons:

1. Texture

The reason we’ll go back to using exterior plywood to shiplap walls in our house time and time again is that it has so much more texture than the luan which makes it look more like the real thing. You can see in the comparison photo above the difference in the wood grain but it’s even more noticeable in person. We used a satin finish paint for our bathroom walls but a semi-gloss would show off the texture even more.

2. Humidity Resistance

The “X” in CDX means the plywood can withstand exposure to the elements over a short period of time before it’s painted or sealed. The main difference is that they use an exterior-grade resin glue to hold the layers of the wood together. Since we’re “shiplapping” our bathroom, we wanted something that would withstand the humidity and be less likely to delaminate over time. After putting the boards up, we covered the planks with primer before we painted. Speaking of humidity, it’s important that you have an adequate exhaust fan. We used this calculator to see what size fan we needed and ended up ordering this one.

3. Cost

The cost difference between exterior plywood and luan underlayment was only a couple dollars per sheet…$13 for luan and $15 for plywood. Either way, you go, it’s inexpensive. When you figure the cost of real planking at $2.20 per square foot, using exterior plywood at $0.47 per square foot will win my vote every time.

4. Durability

The 3/8″ exterior plywood is less likely to warp over time compared to 1/4″ luan. It’s also less likely to split when cut or nailed.

5. Thickness

The thicker the plywood, the more noticeable depth the gap is between the planks. This makes the faux planks feel more authentic. Also, having 3/8″ thickness of wood compared to 1/4″ gives more wood for the nails to hold onto. But, you can also run into problems if you go too thick. Actual shiplap planks are usually an inch thick which means you’ll have to take off the window and door trim. The 3/8″ thickness is a good compromise although we did had to remove the trim below the window sill because the profile would’ve been hidden.

This tutorial goes over the 5 reasons why you'd want to choose exterior plywood to faux shiplap your walls instead of luan underlayment or even real shiplap planks
This tutorial goes over the 5 reasons why you'd want to choose exterior plywood to faux shiplap your walls instead of luan underlayment or even real shiplap planks

There are some drawbacks to having shiplap walls using plywood that you need to consider too:

Exterior plywood needs a little bit more prep work. Even though it comes pre-sanded, the surface of the CDX plywood is what I would call “hairy”. The fibers tend to stick up a little bit. Fortunately, sanding gets rid of the hairiness.

Also, you run into the occasional problem with having knots on the surface. The knots can be filled with wood filler and then sanded. Spot prime over the knots with B-I-N Zinsser shellac primer to seal the knots and prevent the from sap bleeding through the paint. Then, use an all-purpose interior/exterior primer for the rest of the walls before you paint.

5 reasons to choose exterior plywood over luan underlayment for faux shiplap walls
I can’t imagine this bathroom without the shiplap. I’ll be posting a tutorial on how we shiplapped our walls this coming week. It’s easier than you think!

* Update: Here’s our tutorial and tips post on faux shiplap

If you have any questions about how to shiplap walls using plywood, please feel free to leave a comment. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll research it for you.

We also used exterior plywood to plank the walls and ceiling in our cottage shed guest house. Click here to see the reveal of our guest house or click the picture below.

The cottage guest shed reveal

Catch up on all the posts and projects that went into our master bathroom remodel here:

So Long, Spare Bedroom…Hello, Master Bathroom, Walk-in Closet and Half-Bathroom

Eclectic Farmhouse Master Bathroom Inspiration and Mood Board

Progress with the Master Bathroom Remodel: Up Goes the Drywall. Down Goes the Popcorn Ceiling

Shiplap Walls- 5 Reasons to Use Exterior Plywood Instead of Luan Underlayment

Shiplap Walls for the Master Bathroom: Tutorial & Tips

The Modern Farmhouse Master Bathroom Reveal: Turning a Bedroom into an En Suite Bathroom

Master Bathroom Source List, Paint Colors & Budget

Knockoff Restoration Hardware Bristol Flat Mirror

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Filed Under: 1915 Bungalow master bathroom, DIY Projects, DIY Woodworking Projects, Most Popular Posts, Remodeling Tagged With: 1915 bungalow

« Seasonal Simplicity Spring Home Tour 2017
Tutorial and Tips: Shiplap Walls in the Master Bathroom »

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  1. MaryLee Kersten says

    August 31, 2017 at 9:08 pm

    I’m so glad I found your post. I will be using the exterior plywood rather than the 1/4″ underlayment. In a different post that I have read, they say to paint the boards before putting them up. I noticed you didn’t. Do you have strong feelings either way about this? Also, any other suggestions/tips would really be appreciated.
    ML

    Reply
  2. Gloria says

    March 18, 2017 at 6:46 am

    I will be trying this in my kitchen and I really appreciate this post. Pinning it for later use. Thank you!
    Warmly, Gloria

    Reply
  3. Pamela-FromMyFrontPorchToYours says

    March 14, 2017 at 7:29 pm

    Looks great! We have planked our walls in our previous home. Cant wait to do it here at the new house.

    Reply
  4. Kate Hollingsworth says

    March 12, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    I’m definitely trying plywood for our bedroom. Thanks for the comparison pic – I had no idea the plywood would show so much grain. I love it! Cheers, Kate xx

    Reply
  5. Cristina says

    March 11, 2017 at 3:11 pm

    I’ll be giving it a try in my next shiplap project! I’ve used the 1/4″ Luan and also think it’s too thin, many times the nails just go thru, and I hate to use adhesive.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tutorial and Tips for Using Shiplap Walls in the Bathroom says:
    July 9, 2017 at 9:44 am

    […] exterior-grade plywood, also know as CDX plywood, for our master bathroom walls. I explain why we chose that type of plywood in this post. For future projects, we’ll be using CDX plywood anytime we plan to plank our walls […]

    Reply
  2. Master Bathroom Paint Colors, Budget + Source List - Simplicity in the South says:
    June 11, 2017 at 10:14 pm

    […] Shiplap Walls- 5 Reasons to Use Exterior Plywood Instead of Luan Underlayment […]

    Reply
  3. Progress with the Master Bathroom Remodel: Up Goes the Drywall. Down Goes the Popcorn Ceiling says:
    June 10, 2017 at 6:25 pm

    […] Shiplap Walls- 5 Reasons to Use Exterior Plywood Instead of Luan Underlayment […]

    Reply
  4. Master Bathroom Inspiration and Mood Board says:
    June 10, 2017 at 6:22 pm

    […] Shiplap Walls- 5 Reasons to Use Exterior Plywood Instead of Luan Underlayment […]

    Reply
  5. So Long, Spare Bedroom...Hello, Master Bathroom, Walk-in Closet, and Half Bath! says:
    June 10, 2017 at 5:54 pm

    […] Shiplap Walls- 5 Reasons to Use Exterior Plywood Instead of Luan Underlayment […]

    Reply
  6. Tutorial and Tips: Shiplap Walls in the Master Bathroom - Simplicity in the South says:
    May 13, 2017 at 9:23 pm

    […] know as CDX plywood, for our master bathroom walls. I explain why we chose that type of plywood in this post. For future projects, we’ll be using CDX plywood anytime we plan to shiplap walls […]

    Reply
  7. ORC Week 3: Shiplap Walls, Painting & Lighting - Simplicity in the South says:
    April 19, 2017 at 10:07 pm

    […] Recently, I wrote a couple blog posts on tips and tricks on how to hang faux shiplap and 5 reasons why we’ll always go with CDX plywood instead of luan for faux shiplap. […]

    Reply

I'm Tricia and I'm so glad you’re here. My goal is to help inspire and guide you in making your own home cozy and well-designed without spending a lot of money. Follow along as I share do-it-yourself projects, crafts, and organization tips that anyone could incorporate into their own home on a real-life budget. Read more...

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