Possible APA stamp forgery?
Debra Graff| Posted inGeneral Questionson
How can we find out if an APA stamp on some plywood is a forgery?
I was looking for some BC quality exterior plywood to use inside my home. This one stack of sheets had an incredibly strong smell AND the APA labels are almost completely illegible. In addition, some of the labels were on the better side of the plywood, which I don’t think is the usual location.
Another stack of almost identical plywood (everything the same, except CD instead of BC, and not sanded) had a much milder smell. Supposedly same manufacturer. The APA stamps on this stack were very legible.
I’ve heard that stamp forgeries are often smeared and illegible. I also noticed that there are some distinct differences in the style of these 2 stamps, too.
And the difference in smell was very noticeable. In fact, the stronger smell gave me a headache within a few minutes after sniffing it.
Any ideas on how to tell if this may be a forgery?
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Replies
Debra,
Where were you looking at the plywood? I've never heard of fake stamps.
This happened to be at one of the big box stores. I've heard of several instances of forged stamps (not sure which suppliers). This is usually discovered when the plywood starts totally falling apart at the first rainfall. When the customer complains and can't get a warranty honored by the store, they sometimes find out that it wasn't real APA plywood.
Older APA warnings:
https://www.prosalesmagazine.com/products/lumber/proceed-with-caution_o
https://www.csengineermag.com/trade-association-applauds-request-for-itc-review-of-chinese-hardwood-plywood-imports/
Debra,
That's very worrying. Perhaps it would be safer to stick with a lumberyard or specialty plywood supplier you can trust.
Yes, I'm exploring other sources for lumber supplies, but I simply don't know who I should trust.
I think the place least likely to end up selling counterfeit plywood would be the Lowes and Depot as they are the most likely to buy direct from the manufacture and have the biggest reputation to protect.
When we had the problem with Chinese drywall a few years ago I understand that product was not sold at the box stores.
If this was widespread problem your links would be newer than 11 and 14 years old.
You could test a few scraps in a bucket of water.
Most builders have a long term relationship with a preferred lumber supplier one that gives them the best price, quality, service and payment terms.
Walta
Thanks, folks.
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