Poplar for roof decking

chemicalFam | Posted in General Questions on September 16, 2019 04:59pm

Would poplar lumbar be a good alternative to plywood for roof decking?

Looked into Magnesium boards (Dragon board) but seems that might corrode metal shingles.

Anyone have any experience with those products?

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Michael Maines | Sep 16, 2019 05:09pm | #1
Poplar lumber is typically Liriodendron tulipifera, or the Tulipwood tree, especially when bought at lumberyards. Small northern mills might offer Populus tremuloides, a type of aspen sometimes called Popple. Either one would work fine for roof sheathing but your municipality may require a material graded for sheathing. Here in New England it's somewhat common to use white pine or other softwood for sheathing, and it used to be the only way to sheathe a building.

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