Message Thread:
Home Depot Plywood problems
10/6/15
Website: cmsdisplays.com
We have been using Home depot Plywood for some time (Columbia Forest Products).
We have always had problems with it but we liked the price. A few months ago we started seeing large areas that were lacking glue. We had someone from HD that came in and looked at what we had and was going to try and work with Columbia to see what the problem was.
It seems to be getting worse today we had a spot that was 8"x16" where the ply just pulled apart and there was no glue what so ever. So far we have not heard back from HD but we have fairly large areas with almost every sheet. we find it mostly on 1/2 and 3/4 oak. Anyone else seeing this?
Thank you for your time
View higher quality, full size image (2592 X 1936)
View higher quality, full size image (2592 X 1936)
View higher quality, full size image (2592 X 1936)
10/6/15 #2: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
As the saying goes, " sometimes you pay for what you get and other times you get what you pay for ".
Sorry, no compassion here.
10/6/15 #3: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
Hi Knick,
I see several issues in your pictures, all of them can be attributed to poor manufacturing. Home Depot, being what they are, a retail outlet, probably has no one on staff that would have the faintest clue what is wrong, or how to get it fixed. Nor are they likely to go back to the manufacturer, unless they have droves of people coming in with the same complaint.
If I were you, I would search around for a local plywood distributor, they aren't hard to find. They will be able to supply quality material and should be ready to replace (at no charge) quality issues like what you are seeing. They should also have someone on staff who can interact with the manufacturer to get the problems resolved. They also may have plywood from more than one manufacturer and you can ask them about the differences, in price and quality.
When you calculate the "cost" of purchasing plywood as you do now, through retail, you have to add the cost of quality (or lack thereof) to the over-all cost of the product. Sure the "price" may be low, but add rework, lost time, tooling wear & tear, employee complaints (they have to hate that stuff) and all of a sudden the "cost" of that plywood doubles or more.
Don't be "penny-wise and dollar-foolish" take the time to find a good product at a good price that suits your needs. Maybe the "price" will be a little higher, but the "value" is the important element to focus on. If you buy a panel for $50 but throw half of it away, is that better than paying $75 and using all of it?
10/6/15 #4: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
I buy Columbia through a distributor and in a pinch when we had lost local distribution I had bought some from HD (at a ridiculously high price) and I can honestly tell you its not the same material. Its of no suprise to me that HD could (and would) spec a lesser product that they can sell to their customers at a higher price and increase their profit margin.
The fact that you are buying material from a retail outlet in the first place opens you up for endless nightmares. They are in no way pricing your product appropriately, they are never in any way going to maintain a supply of a product you like, want, need. And they are never in any way going to stand behind their product in a manufacturing environment because, well, they are what they are. They are a retail outlet. When your sheet rolls out on your cart, they are free.
How in the world your operating buying material from a home center is beyond me, but you are.
Youve likely just learned a valuable lesson. Stay away from home centers unless your a homeowner working on your own home.
10/6/15 #5: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
I've got to agree with all the above posts. We buy from distribution yards. Most of them have sales people that have some idea of what they are selling and a motivation for not causing you problems. On the panels from HD, look @ the edges and see if the word, "shop" is stamped on them. If so, what you are getting is rejects from the manufacturer's regular product line. That is some crappy looking core! If you feel you have to use plywood, get the stuff with the hardboard layer just below the face veneer. It doesn't telegraph and makes the panel a little closer to MDF or P. Bd. cores in quality.
10/7/15 #6: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
I agree with Mark B, that is no doubt different Columbia Forest Products plywood than you would get through distribution. I have a strong feeling that is Chinese imported plywood.
Working in the woodworking industry I have looked into Chinese plywood numerous times, because the price is so low that someone in my company always comes to me and says "you have to try this, it will save us millions". I try to convince them the quality issues will out weigh the price, but "you have to try it", so I do. To this day, after twenty years, I have yet to place a second order for the stuff.
If you want high quality, you need to pay for high quality. It's up to you to calculate the price/quality/value equation that's right for your company. Obviously the plywood in your pictures has no value, it is unusable. Step 1: find another supplier with quality you can use.
10/8/15 #7: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
We've always bought thru distributors. Always domestic product, never Chinese.
Over the years we have had some problems with the plywood. In the early days of Purebond the manufacturers were still figuring out how to get the soy bean based glue to stick. We would have delamination regularly.
Whenever this would happen our rep from the distributor would come in, act generally concerned, take a half sheet back with them to show the factory then forget all about it. It didn't matter who the distributor was. It was like they learned in salesman school, "just ask for a sample, act concerned, then burn it or give it away".
10/8/15 #8: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
You guys need to update your considerations on the Chinese plywood it is not as bad as it used to be. It still is not great but much better than it was.
10/8/15 #9: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
I've been using Columbia for years and I can tell you there have been problems for years. Poplar core has more and more undulations (sometimes looks worse than fir core), delaminations, veneer peel at ends of sheets AND from the middle of the sheet once cut into, bowing in both directions (like a dome, though that's exaggerated), finish is bumpy sometimes, heavy discoloration at ends of sheets, etc. I tried states and mt storm and some other maker (roseburg?) less problems but less pretty sheets usually. These are C panels in prefin maple I'm mentioning from 2 very reputable hardwood dealers. I'm assuming Home Depot gets the off fall from what the wholesalers are selling but Columbia has become marginal on many occasions. My rep came by today and replaced 3 sheets of 3/4" prefin maple....veneer peeling after cutting. FYI
10/8/15 #10: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
Website: cmsdisplays.com
I found out today we are now dealing with Columbia direct on the problem. We buy C grade from HD and we were told its the same as we would get from anywhere else. We buy from HD because we save about $10 a sheet. I will update this as I get more info. Please remember I am not the lead on this problem, so I may not get all the details.
I did make the comment that if the C grade we are getting is the same as our distributors are getting lets see if there having the issues we are.
Thanks for all the input!
10/8/15 #11: Home Depot Plywood problems ...
We gave up on Columbia. As their rep said when we complained about the crappy sanding job on maple veneer panels. "We are aware of some issues with the sanding and are working to correct them." Why then, if they are aware, did they go ahead and ship? We sent 3 units back to the distributor.
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