This is great for shelving. It's smooth so that the primer and paint coats, even if applied with a brush, look great. Caution, it's 12 and 1/8" wide, not 12", so account for that in your plans. I found half of the pieces were identical on both sides. The other half, I could tell that one side was slightly smoother than the other, so I used it for the top of the shelf.