I'm considering this for my shepherd's hut interior, as an alternative to the usual tongue and groove lining. Has anyone any thoughts on whether this is a good material to use? There is no wood stove, only a standard cooker, so is there any more fire risk than if using actual timber cladding? Does it need a special finish? Is it very expensive in the right quality?

 

Thank you!

Been used in narrowboats for decades.

There are different grades of ply, and different surface finishes.

You can get fire retardant plywood.

https://sheetmaterialswholesale.co.uk/sheet-materials/plywood/fire-retardant-plywood/

+1, ply is more tricky to fit than T&G but is clean, neat and very durable

Thanks. Similar but cheaperer, https://sheetmaterialswholesale.co.uk/18mm-chilean-radiata-pine-softwood-plywood-2440mm-x-1220mm-8-x-4/ I wonder if it is adequate quality.

You can get ply with a known face quality and material - sapele etc - the kind of thing that boatbuilders use for cabins. I wouldn't order online unless I had seen the quality before. The best shed I've found for standard ply is Wickes - at least you can see what you're getting.

 

Wouldn't 12mm do - 18mm is awful heavy? Also 'exterior' ply to deal with damp well. You can also protect any bits you're worried about getting too hot with thinnish (say 1 or 1.5mm stainless sheet).

The nice thing about T&G is that any mistakes or damage affect only a limited area, and it can be fairly easy to swap out for a new length.

With ply it's a much bigger area you're dealing with.

If you look at the boatbuilding suppliers (e.g. Robbins of Bristol) you'll find all sorts of veneer options- sapele, teak, mahogany, or teak and holly strips for flooring. Just make sure you're sitting down when you see the price.

I was in a house a while back that had wall to wall ply inside. And I mean ply everywhere. It was beautifully done. However it was too much wood. Plus they daren’t put pictures up etc as it’s not so easy to fill holes and paint over. Be nice in a smaller area like your hut. It’s so expensive though. I have a bunch of sheets left over from the roof to use in the garage as mounting points for all my plant equipment. 

Thanks, several things I'd not been aware of. Naively thought it might be easier than tongue and groove, but most importantly for me the need to treat with fire retardant. I'm trying to be as green and chemical free as possible. However would this also be a concern for tongue and groove - or is it the glue or some other characteristic that makes the ply more flammable?

11 hours ago, Grian said:

I'm trying to be as green and chemical free as possible

Burning wood is not green, or chemical free.