I’ve been asked to recover the children’s playhouse. Essentially a small shed. The finish has to be smooth and will be painted. It should resist warping and weather. The covering will need to offer rigidity to the frame. My guess is I need some sheets of water-resistant plywood. Suggestions of type and thickness? Or another material entirely?

Half inch marine ply would be my suggestion.

Thanks. To Jewsons…

WBP PLY, Or you can get pre painted and water proof ply from B and Q, they also offer a cut to size service at a lot of stores.

Water and boil proof = WBP

WBP (water, boil proof) not marine. Marine ply is v expensive and overkill for a shed. I used 12mm WBP cut into 300mm sheets on the kids shed about 7 years ago and it’s fine. I fixed it with stainless steel screws. Bit overkill for kids shed but it’s pretty bomb proof. You could try OSB which is cheaper especially as you are painting it.

Oops as project says!

Everyone says Marine, they mean WBP.

Try to get hardwood ply such as Birch, the cheap stuff is spruce/pine.

I covered a horsebox ramp with 18mm softwood WBP ply, it crunched and creaked every time we loaded a horse, six months later I ripped it out and it was sodden, broke apart like polystyrene. Didn’t even need to take the screws out.

Recovered it with 18mm Birch ply, been going strong for about three years and much more solid.

Thanks. Hardwood WBP it is then. 12mm.