The unpredictable weather patterns here in the Philippines expose our homes to more elements that they could handle. The Climate Reality Project reported a few years ago that “on the average, about 20 tropical cyclones enter Philippine waters each year, with eight or nine making landfall. And over the past decade, these tropical storms have struck the nation more often and more severely…”

Now should be the right time to inspect for damage or weakened spots and do the necessary fixes just to make sure that it can take on the next spell of bad weather.

If roofs, walls, floors and ceilings are still good, reinforcing or weather-proofing the home using marine plywood is not a bad idea to make it fail-safe, especially with family coming over for their upcoming (summer) vacations/reunions.

While mainly used for building fishing boats or bancas, marine plywood is also standard material for building houses and making furniture. It is ideal for wall and ceiling panels, and as base for asphalt shingle roofing and wooden flooring. It is also the material used for furniture, particularly those that often get wet or get soaked in water, such as kitchen cabinets, countertops, and tables.

Marine plywood is thicker, harder and sturdier than ordinary plywood. A roof base made of ordinary plywood easily rots and splits from constant softening and hardening during cold and hot weather compared to marine plywood. Using marine plywood in place of ordinary plywood may help your roof (and other parts of the house) last the distance.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Changes in temperature causes wood to expand and contract. Under such condition, the plies in plywoods separate. Marine plywood is perfect for walls, ceilings, kitchen countertops, bathroom cabinets, floors and outdoor shed.

• A leaky roof usually wets ceilings. If the ceiling is made from plywood, water is easily absorbed by the wood and soon goes through it, causing slippery floors. By using materials such as marine plywood, the ceiling becomes like a boat body that gets wet but doesn’t easily absorb water. That keeps the ceiling solid for a long time.

• The kitchen countertop is the part that usually gets wet especially during occasions when a lot of food preparation is to be done. Countertops made of ordinary plywood may chip, break, soften or sag slowing down cooking chores. A worn out one that retains dampness is even a breeding ground for germs. Replacing it with marine plywood assures a stronger surface that can also be cleaned by washing every day without degrading it.

• Of course, the bathroom is the part of the house that is wet most of the time. Still, a wooden cabinet for storing towels and toiletries can be nice furniture there. To make that cabinet last longer even if it gets a daily spray of water when showering, marine plywood should be the material used. Again, this plywood is used for boats so it can deal with water exposure without breaking up.

• Marine plywood is also suited for floors, especially in the kitchen or dining area, where water spill can more likely happen. While spills can be easily taken care of by mopping, it may take its toll on wooden flooring because water degrades wood. With a marine plywood floor or floor base, there is less worrying that water spill will seep through it and weaken the core.

• For an outdoor shed, it is obviously not advisable to use ordinary plywood. It would just be a waste of money as just one monsoon season can cause it to rot from rain exposure and crack when the wood dries and expands on a hot day. Marine plywood can withstand the elements just as a boat made from such plywood can withstand corrosion from salt water.

• If heavy rain coincides with a get-together, there is no leaking ceiling to worry about. A strong floor can carry the weight of a family gathering. Cooking and other kitchen activities can flow fast as countertops can be promptly cleaned by washing. A waiting shed outside will be intact to give visitors a cozy spot.

Using a marine plywood like Santa Clara Marine Plywood, ensures you get the best performance out of plywood that is proven durable. SMWPI Wood Products, Inc. started producing Santa Clara Marine Plywood in Davao in 1923.

The SMWPI plant in Toril, Davao City, follows an established manufacturing process from selection of high density raw materials, modern production techniques, and stringent quality control tests. While ordinary plywoods are made by gluing together plies of wood veneer; SMWPI uses high density wood veneers, the right adhesive and correct pressing temperature. Quality control workers manually inspect each finished plywood sheet.

With a home weather-proofed with Santa Clara Marine Plywood, there’s no faulty ceiling, wall, floor, kitchen cabinet or shed to spoil any family gathering inside the house rain or shine.

The post Tips on weatherproofing your homes appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

This article first appeared on www.manilatimes.net