Marine Plywood Alternatives | What Else You Can Use

Last updated on October 15th, 2022 at 09:26 pm

The cost of marine plywood, also known as extruded marine plywood, marine paneling, and marine ply, has been steadily rising in recent years. The issue is that it is not only the cost of marine plywood that has increased, but marine plywood itself is also changing. For example, the species used to make marine plywood has changed in the past ten years. They made the old generation of marine plywood from a specific species of trees. A new generation of marine plywood is being made using different trees and even different wood species. After the change in species, the new generation of marine plywood is still more expensive than the old one. You can route plywood.

Plywood

Standard plywood makes good marine plywood if you make it waterproof. It is of the same adhesive that bonds the core and plywood veneer sheets together. 

What bonds the above is the Type A Phenolic Bond glue line. Make sure you get high-quality glue so your boards become strong and durable. The plywood edges must be sealed by oil or wax products, seal, and varnish. 

The varnish must be water repellent to qualify as marine plywood. As you make the plywood marine material, select a good quality plywood and look for the best waterproofing method. 

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Fiberboard 

Fiberboard is a great marine ply alternative. It is a medium-density board that is durable and strong. It does not contain 100 percent wood since it is of softwood fibers bonded by a wax resin. Resin makes the fiber moisture-resistant. 

The wood fibers made are cut into wood sheets of standard sizes. They are put under high pressure and high heat for durability since it is for marine use. It has to withstand the pressure that comes with boat making and water. 

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Outdoor Plywood

Outdoor plywood is wood for exterior use, although it works as interior wood. Being outdoor wood means it has features that make it stronger under natural elements that have the probability of affecting its performance. These include rains, storms, ice, and sunlight. 

That makes it a marine plywood substitute. It is not smooth, making it tough enough to survive marine. It has 100% waterproof glue as a coat, sealant, and varnish. These features tell the user that the wood withstands building constructions exposed to multiple weather conditions. Be careful when choosing this kind of wood since it cannot have defects. 

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Fiber Cement Board

Fiber Cement Board is another great marine ply alternative. It is a combination of wood fibers and cement. The wood fibers are small and bond together with the cement without using glue or resin. That breeds a durable and robust material that is moisture resistant. 

The way houses do not get destroyed by the rains is the same way the material withstands marine. The material is strong enough to build exterior marine walls. It is versatile since it is for multiple tasks and boat building. 

Cement is known for being heavy, but surprisingly, the material is lightweight. The weight does not compromise the durability of the material. It works just fine on boat floors as it endures high traffic. It is also flexible and workable, as shown in how it works on curved surfaces and parts of the boat. 

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Birch Plywood

Birch plywood is for boar parts that are not going to be fully covered by water full time. It is of premium B/BB grade timber-framed Northern Europe birch trees. 

The trees grow in cold climates, and they grow rings that make them stronger and durable. These natural characteristics make it ideal for marine life. 

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Ribbon Grain Plywood 

This type of wood has grains that appear in ribbon patterns on the surface. It has vertical stripes of grains that run along the wood’s length. The smoothness of the material saves you from sanding after installation. 

That saves time during construction and energy. There are stages involved in boat building eliminated. Being strong makes it ideal for marine although it is not as strong as marine plywood. 

It is affordable, and the price does not compromise the quality of the wood. It looks like original wood due to the natural wood cross-grains. The strength of the wood across the board makes it tough and durable. 

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Wax Resin Fiberboard

Wax Resin Fiberboard is an alternative to marine plywood. It is not a high-density material, but it holds water pressure in the boat-making industry. It is not 100% wood since it contains wax resin. 

It is softwood. It is wax that gives strength and solidness to the material. The resin bonds the wood fibers and produces sheets subjected to high pressure and moisture. 

There is also a way to substitute resin, which is hydrogen bonding. It holds sheets together and compresses them. It also involves lignin, a process that reinforces fiber cells together. 

3M Polyurethane Foam Boards

The alternative is rot-resistant, and lightweight, and these characteristics make marine plywood. The boards go through compression with fiberglass, which is good for the marine. 

It is available in different weights, and it is easy to work with. The weight saving from the material ranges from 30 to 60%. That makes it a better material than marine plywood. 

They neither warp nor chip, hence durable boat buildings. They have a low moisture content, better adhesion, and are rot-resistant. That saves your construction time. 

Thermo-Lite Board

These are products from a joint venture between Thermo-Lite Australia and Pacific Paint and Fiberglass. The material is versatile, rot-resistant, lightweight, and strong. That gives an excellent performance to the marine world. 

The boat is of non-absorbent materials, and that amounts to stability and durability. The boards are ideal for DIY users since they are easy to use in repairing boats. ity. They have impressive bonding surfaces, and they do not accept contamination. 

King Starboard

The King StarBoard material is high-grade plywood that contains boards made through a process called K-Stran. That is an improved manufacturing process that produces consistent and flat sheets. 

The boards have an impressive resistance in tough marine conditions, and they are stable. The boards neither change color nor rot. The outside layer does not peel off, and the material is easy to work with.

 Minimal maintenance is required, and a matte finish makes the plywood beautiful. The boards are strong enough to withstand harsh water conditions, and that is how it qualifies to be a good substitute for marine plywood. 

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Okoume

Looking at the features of marine plywood, they meet what Okoume offers. It is one of our favorite marine plywood alternatives. They include strength, resistance to rot, and it holds glue and fasteners well. 

They withstand the aggression with waves and having a boat subjected to water all day and night. Okoume is lightweight and strong in wet conditions. 

It combines epoxy and fiberglass for strength against wet conditions. It withstands moisture and humidity. The lamination process even makes it stronger.