Last Updated on January 1, 2023 by Will Sabel
Plywood is an essential that is used for different types of structural work, such as seething roofs and walls. It is also super useful in crafting furniture. How about moving a sheet of plywood from the store to your working space? How are you gonna carry these wooden materials?
If you have a car with a roof rack, then this article will help you. Plywoods are very much carryable on top of a car if you know the right way to do it. We have jotted down the procedures on how to tie plywood to roof rack successfully. Hope it works for you. Keep reading to know more.
How To Tie Plywood To Roof Rack
If you are planning to carry plywood on top of your car, first you will need a roof rack, only then you can either tie the plyboard or screw them against it. Let us see how to fasten plywood to roof racks.
Step 1: Things You Need
- Roof rack
- Wooden boards
- Plywoods
- Ropes
Step 2: Place The Plywood On the Top
Start by placing the plywood on top of your roof rack. If you have several Ply boards, stack them together and let them sit on top of the roof rack.
Step 3: Place The Ropes
Place two ropes on each end and let them slide from one end to another. Make sure both the ends of the board have something to knot against.
Step 3: Use Wooden Boards For Support
It’s ideal if you can find several wooden boards and line them up against the plywood on top. The wooden boards are there to put pressure on the wooden plywood and affix them to the roof rack frame. Make sure you put the extra wooden pieces on top of the ropes.
Step 4: Loop The Rope From One End To The Other
Now that you have two ropes lined up on each end of the plywood, you would want to create a knot against the boards sitting on top. To achieve that, throw each end to the opposite side and fasten the loose rope to the roof rack frame.
Make sure the wooden boards sit on top of the plywood and form a pyramid shape so that it applies more pressure on the plywood. You can do this by placing the wide boards at the bottom and the thinner ones on top. This allows more weight on the center.
Step 5: Form Truckers Hitch On Each Side
A trucker’s knot is something that helps to fasten load bearing on trucks. This is what you will have to do on every side of the frame.
Step 6: Pull To Apply Pressure
Now on the trucker’s knot, apply pull force to tighten the ropes and then tie off the ends onto the corresponding frame. Use double ties so that the boards are secured and not moving in any way. Do this on the opposite side as well.
Not to mention you have to tie the trucker’s knots and fasten the ropes on 4 sides of the frame. This will allow the ropes to grip the wood and not let them move.
Step 7: Final Step
To make sure that the plywood is affixed properly, you will have to test it by pushing and pulling the boards and the ply underneath.
If you see the plyboards slipping, then you probably have loose ends on the tuckers knot on each side. Try to fasten the ends to ensure proper attachment.
Alternative Method To Tie Plywood To Roof Rack
To tie up plywoods on top of a car, you can use ratcheting straps to secure the plywood to roof racks. To do this properly, you will need two wooden pieces to sit onto the roof rack frame and provide a base. This is what you must do.
1. Take the wooden pieces and line them against the roof rack. See where the rack meets the board and use a pencil to mark the notches.
2. Cut out the markings so that the two boards sit onto the frame perpendicularly.
3. Take the plywoods and rest them against the lined-up wooden frame you just created.
4. Now it’s time to fasten the plywood with the luggage rack. To do this you will need ratchet straps on every end. Make sure you line the ratchet straps in a way that they can be fastened on the frame and catches the plywood into a fixed position.
5. Make sure the plywoods don’t move in any direction. If it moves while you are driving, there can be a possible accident. What you can do is, attach two extra ratchet straps from the front bumper to the rear bumper of your car.
This might be a little messy and distract you while diving, but we can assure you that this method will fasten the plywood to the roof rack conveniently.
FAQ’s
Does Roof Rack Have Weight Limit?
Yes, they have a weight capacity. You better see the instruction manual of the rack itself, before you load any items. For instance, plywood or a stack of ply boards might seem light to you, but it can exceed the limit of your rack and damage its functionality.
So, always check the maximum weight limit of the rack before you load anything.
Is It Necessary To Have A Roof Rack To Load Plywoods?
You can load plywoods on top of a car without a roof rack, but that will need critical attachments. There are chances that the plywood will bow out when you try to tighten them without a roof rack frame. So it’s ideal to have a roof rack for transporting wooden boards.
What Is The Best Way To Transport A 4×8 Ply?
You can strap the board directly on top of the roof rack but what we suggest is to create an underframe at first. You can do this by lining two wooden pieces that match the length of the roof rack and cutting grooves to make them sit on top.
Now setting plywood on top of this frame will give you a better strapping experience and the chances of slipping will be minimal no none.
Conclusion
Can you transport plywood on top of your car? Yes, you can, this is why knowing how to tie plywood to roof rack might come in handy. For proper fitting, you will need a roof rack on top of your car. The roof rack makes it easier to attach plywood and other equipment such as bikes, luggage, etc.
You will need ratchet straps and the skill to fasten the ply boards into place. You can try making frames for the plyboards by lining up two wooden pieces and fitting them into the grooves of the frame. Check out the methods we highlighted in this article for a better understanding.
The next time you plan to carry plywood in your car, let this guide assist you to fix the wooden materials properly.
