What do you pay for a sheet of 3/4 Baltic Birch?

[dltflt]

I just went to the wood store to get a couple sheets of Baltic Birch for a table and chairs for my grandchildren.  When I went to pay he said $109.00 and I almost fell over.  I thought it ran about $26-$28 per sheet.  So I was curious what everyone else is paying.

Regards,
Don

 

[tjbier]

Box store (green one) has it in stock and I think it was $85 (4'x8') last time I had looked. Most lumber yards don't stock it , they will have 1/2" in a 5'x5' sheet that's around $58 I think.
Plywood is not cheap!

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I think I paid 65 a sheet the last time.

 

[mastercabman]

Sheet of Birch is about $55-$60 at HD  Check out the price of MDF,it is $30.00 for 3/4"

 

[BobKovacs]

I pay $28 at the local hardwood supplier for "shop birch" which has some filled knots but is great for painted cabs. The cleaner stuff that could be stained runs about $32 at the hardwood supplier, or $45 at Home Depot. True Baltic Birch runs $30 for a 5x5 sheet at the hardwood supplier. I can also get  prefinished 4x8 white birch sheets for $39. 

 

[peter halle]

Baltic birch at HD?  Certainly not in my area - approx 100 miles from you.  Might you be thinking about regular birch veneer plywood which is different?

Peter

 

[Theshipstore]

I buy from a local  wood distributor and for cabinet grade 3/4" birch I am paying $72.00 a sheet. 
I prefer to buy from them as I know its not imported sheet goods and I can count on it being square cut.

Sal

 

[peter halle]

Just for clarification, baltic birch plywood is not the same as "cabinet" grade plywood here in the US.

peter

 

[Theshipstore]

Peter      You are right I apologize for not making myself clearer, I just don't like the HD and Lowe's Sheet goods. I find they delam as they are being used.  I was off topic

Sal

 

[Frank Pellow]

All the "real" Baltic Birch plywodd that I know about comes in 5 ft by 5 ft sheets.

I bought 5 very good 18 mm thick sheets a couple of weeks ago at a local lumber dealer for $49.60 a sheet.  

18 milimetres is as close as they come to 3/4 of an inch.  

$49.60 converted from Canadain to Us Dollars is $51.46.

 

[Corwin]

I buy from a local  wood distributor and for cabinet grade 3/4" birch I am paying $72.00 a sheet. 
I prefer to buy from them as I know its not imported sheet goods and I can count on it being square cut.

Sal

Actually, you want your Baltic Birch to be imported...  [wink]  Just not imported from China.  [scared]

 

[Kevin Stricker]

Baltic Birch comes in 5x5 and 4x8, the 4x8 is often termed "Russian Ply" but is practically identical.  Baltic Birch is graded BB and BBB for quality of face veneer on one or both sides.  BBB has a clear face, BB will have donuts.  In Denver, CO 5x5 BB runs $40 and 4x8 at $60, for BBB grade one side it's around $75 for 4x8.

I would consider looking into Skyply or Appleply if you can find it.  Appleply is a domestic equivalent to BB, Skyply has some quality plywood as well.  It used to be that BB was the best bet for a stable high strength plywood, but I feel the quality has gone down considerably in the last 5 years at least with what we get locally.

 

[dltflt]

Thanks guys.  I feel a bit better now.  I always thought Baltic Birch was cabinet grade, the sheets I bought today are EEG good quality.  I will never buy the birch ply from HD again, it delaminated th last time.  I would much rather pay the higher price.

 

[junk731]

Don

Just to add to what Kevin posted about sizes and grades. In my area we pay between 50.00 to 65.00 per for 3/4 / 18mm. Also be careful sheets are not always square. Here's a link to sizes and grades.

http://www.thomescanada.com/baltic_birch_plywood.php

John

 

[mastercabman]

Baltic birch at HD?  Certainly not in my area - approx 100 miles from you.  Might you be thinking about regular birch veneer plywood which is different?

Peter

Peter,you're right! I read the title a little too fast.At HD they have a birch hardwood plywood.I was just there this morning and the price was $45.00.It was over $50.00 a while back.
But,at one point,HD did have Baltic birch(at least that's what it said on the sticker)I did look at it and seems like it was.I never got any so couldn't tell you how good or real it was.

 

[dltflt]

Don

Just to add to what Kevin posted about sizes and grades. In my area we pay between 50.00 to 65.00 per for 3/4 / 18mm. Also be careful sheets are not always square. Here's a link to sizes and grades.

http://www.thomescanada.com/baltic_birch_plywood.php

John

Thanks John for the good information.  I saved that into my archives.

 

[dltflt]

Baltic birch at HD?  Certainly not in my area - approx 100 miles from you.  Might you be thinking about regular birch veneer plywood which is different?

Peter

Peter,you're right! I read the title a little too fast.At HD they have a birch hardwood plywood.I was just there this morning and the price was $45.00.It was over $50.00 a while back.
But,at one point,HD did have Baltic birch(at least that's what it said on the sticker)I did look at it and seems like it was.I never got any so couldn't tell you how good or real it was.

The last time I bought the Birch from HD it was on sale for $25/ sheet.  I though that was a great deal until in sat in my garage or a while and warped and delaminated.

 

[Frank Pellow]

Baltic birch at HD?  Certainly not in my area - approx 100 miles from you.  Might you be thinking about regular birch veneer plywood which is different?

Peter

Peter,you're right! I read the title a little too fast.At HD they have a birch hardwood plywood.I was just there this morning and the price was $45.00.It was over $50.00 a while back.
But,at one point,HD did have Baltic birch(at least that's what it said on the sticker)I did look at it and seems like it was.I never got any so couldn't tell you how good or real it was.

The last time I bought the Birch from HD it was on sale for $25/ sheet.  I though that was a great deal until in sat in my garage or a while and warped and delaminated.

About 10 years ago I, too,  made the mistake of buying a sheet of birch plywood from Home Depot.  I learned from that mistake and now I only purchase plywood from real lumber yards.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I still have some sizable left over pieces of birch ply from the Depot that are a year and half old, no warping, no delaminating.  It's the purebond stuff, paper thin veneer but still much, much better over the Chinese ply of a few years ago.  If you don't have a good source for quality ply in your area give this stuff a try.

In regards to the super low prices you sometimes see mentioned on forums, well, the average person isn't going to get this pricing.  Remember shops or other professionals buy ply wholesale or get volume discounting, the guy buying a few sheets a year is going to pay more, a lot more.  Beside, the absurdly low prices you see are either what some once paid years ago or a plain old lie.....   

 

[RONWEN]

Do you suppose china actually does make quality plywoods but doesn't export & keeps for themselves?  The china stuff at my local HD is always garbage.  [sad]