Although MDF is a fairly durable material, it still compares rather poorly to plywood. Offering few to no core voids, more plies, and a competitive price, Aquatek is a lower cost alternative to … Plywood is a type of engineered wood that is made from gluing several layers of wood together. We also don’t guarantee that it’s the best one, as we assume that all these brands use their own signature process and set of recycled materials. This means that EKO Ply is a no-maintenance material that is uniquely suited to municipal projects and youth centers that are usually rife with graffiti. I enjoy running when I'm not thinking about tech. The wood used in plywood layers can also vary depending on the desired characteristics of the final product. The fact that plywood is made of different types of wood means that it’s possible for it to be made of both high-grade and inexpensive types of wood. Subscribe to Maritime Reporter Email News. “3M Reinforced Polyurethane Foam not only gives manufacturers a longer-lasting alternative to plywood, but one that delivers weight reduction as well.”. Looking for alternative to plywood - Lightweight and cheap? This alternative has the characteristics that everyone has been waiting for—strong, light-weight and rot-free, offering lifetime performance,” says James Keay of Pacific Paint and Fibreglass. Marine composite panels (aluminium honeycomb composite panels) by BCP are engineered to provide boat builders and naval architects with lightweight, strong and durable components that are quick and easy to install, reduce costs and increase the speed of production. Although the strands are still considered wood scrap products, they are processed through specific methods to make them suitable for creating OSB boards. Not only does this make plywood resistant to splitting, but it also enhances dimensional stability so that it doesn’t expand or shrink significantly when exposed to different conditions. EKO Ply is just one of several recycled board products out in the market today. Through some inventive use of wooden scraps, special plastics, or recycled materials, these plywood alternatives have been able to bridge the gaps that plywood cannot fill in. “Plywood is currently used in many applications where water causes it to degrade over time,” said Nick Harris, global business leader for 3M Engineered Products and Solutions. I am looking for an alternative to plywood for a car-bed project I'm working on. Since it’s made with plastic, it is not susceptible to water damage or splitting due to moisture absorption. Whether you’re looking for something that’s a bit cheaper or something that has a better resistance against moisture, you no longer need to limit your options to good old plywood. The scraps that come from woodcutting activities are organized and classified according to size, and then dried and treated with wax or resin. That’s not to say that plywood is going to fade into irrelevance – that is still a very remote possibility. They are also lighter than both plyboards and MDF boards. The main issue with using a non-marine plywood is the eternal problem of time. automotive. The wood used in plywood layers can also vary depending on the desired characteristics of the final product. We pomise.). 3M introduces its new 3M™ Reinforced Polyurethane Foam, a lightweight … Since I've done a fair amount of fabrication with PVC Foam Board, I felt that this might be worthwhile to others who may have missed it on the bulletin board. This structural marine panel is made to the slightly less stringent specification 6566. Despite the ubiquity of plywood, there’s no material that cannot be replaced, especially with all the modern manufacturing methods we have nowadays. While plywood has been a top choice among homeowners for furnishing home interiors, a variety of alternatives have sprung up offering a cheaper price, better appearance, etc. No other core building material is more versatile than Sing Core. Plywood – everybody knows what it is, what it looks like, and probably has it in their homes. Plywood is a strong and durable type of wood, and much of this strength comes from the way that each layer of wood is assembled. Plywood is so-called because it is made of thin layers of wood veneer or “plies.” These layers are glued together to achieve the desired thickness. Right now, you can pick a plywood product based on how thick you need it to be, whether you want it to be flexible or rigid, or according to the finish you’re looking for. Even if plywood remains the king of wooden construction panels, it’s still liberating to know that there are perfectly viable alternatives out there. Still, these substitutes may appeal to you based on their unique benefits. Plywood has been a staple of construction projects and furniture because of how inexpensive and versatile it is. Your email address will not be published. To enhance the durability and consistency of plywood, the grain of each layer is oriented in a different direction. Lightweight laminated poplar plywood. Compared to a similarly sized slab of solid wood, plywood will almost certainly be much cheaper. ST PAUL, MINN. (June 28, 2:25 p.m. Since polyurethane doesn’t absorb moisture, they are easier to apply adhesives compared to wood. You might still be able to come up with tables and cabinets using a particle board but building a wall with particle boards would be unwise. It can be easily cut down to size, nailed to a frame, or bonded with an adhesive. Why would you want to replace plywood anyway? June 27, 2012, 3M™ reinforced polyurethane foam offers lightweight alternative to plywood for marine construction & general use. Reinforced Polyurethane Foam is sold in 4-foot by 8-foot sheets and provides users with a perfectly straight, level board that has no risk of warping and is easy to work with. It’s also generally safe from termite attacks because of the chemicals used in its manufacturing process. Get You will find Marine Plywood & Panels and Marine Plywood & Panels 3M Reinforced Polyurethane Foam, a lightweight and rot-resistant alternative to plywood for use in structural and semi-structural applications. Polyurethane boards can also be cut down to any desired shape or size using standard woodworking tools. Making an OSB board takes more than just applying an adhesive to these strips of wood. There are two major issues with particle boards that may not make them suitable for a lot of applications. ready to have your mind expanded by the possibilities and taste a bit of the future before everyone else. If you’re concerned about sustainability, then this is a matter you need to look into when you buy plywood. (There won’t be any spam. A lighter alternative to plywood wood plastic composite wikipedia 5 best lightweight plywood subsutes alternative options to marine plywood 5 best lightweight plywood subsutes 5 best lightweight plywood subsutes. EKO Ply has this unusual but characteristic look defined by streaks of gray with a few patches of color. Plywood may resort to different measures to enhance its durability, but it still cannot compare to the strength of a solid slab of wood. Available in five densities ranging from 15 pounds to 26 pounds per cubic foot, Reinforced Polyurethane Foam complements 3M’s existing line of lighter density foam boards and rounds out the company’s offerings in the field. Choosing plywood is pretty much a decision of compromising on strength for the sake of a lighter and cheaper material. It’s also remarkably lightweight and can have comparable durability if reinforced with fiberglass. Uniboard UV-HDPE. It’s consistently strong, is less prone to warping, and even has better water resistance than plywood. Much like MDF, particle boards are also a more environmentally friendly option compared to plyboards because they use recycled materials. Finally, the low cost alternatives are strictly 4 x 8 foot sheets, off the rack, at the local lumberyard or convenience store. The 'piles' or veneers are thin sheets which,An alternative is to wrap the area which needs most bending in towels then pour on hot water.【Get Price】 Marine-grade plywood substitute, TPI offer cut-to-size King StarBoard to replace plywood and teak in boats. To enhance the durability and consistency of plywood, the grain of each layer is oriented in a different direction. However, none of these are perfect substitutes, which is the reason why plywood hasn’t exactly lost a lot of popularity. The adhesive used to bind these layers together is typically made of resin, the specifics which vary from one plywood to another. Compared to slabs of solid wood, plywood sheets can be made much larger. The EKO Ply sheet is one of the more popular examples of this product. Not only does this ma… Oriented Strand Board Oriented strand board, or OSB, is a type of board used as structural panels like plywood, but OSB is made up of small, thin chips or strands glued together. The first is that they have very low structural integrity. Chris-Marine moves to new premises in Miami to serve its customers in the Americas even better. Since these are essentially recycled materials, MDF is both a more environmentally and economical alternative to plywood. These materials can help you construct an economical but long-lasting boat for your fishing and other water adventures. The reinforced polyurethane board is just as suitable for structural and semi-structural works as any piece of plywood. Since MDF no longer has any wood grains, it does not contract or expand due to changes in temperature or humidity. Visit Forest Plywood to view our inventory of particle boards and plywood alternatives. If MDF boards are still out of your budget range, then you can go to the absolute cheapest option – particle boards. It is also called a medium density board or MDB. That is, it's not waterproof. They do say that they use 100% recycled materials, so we’ll just have to take their word for it that these are particularly environmentally friendly alternatives. If you need quickly procure materials for a shelf or interior partition, then plywood is still a solid option. Additional advantages of reinforced polyurethane foam include its inherent rot resistance, as well as the fact that it provides better adhesion than wood due to its low moisture content. Sure, marine plywood has already proven itself in this regard, but it is rather expensive. It works great for any curved surfaces and offers more value to your investment. What makes these recycled board products, such as EKO Ply, hard to describe is the fact that their manufacturers often don’t disclose exactly what materials go into the products. If you want your project to have a characteristic wood grain finish, then you can just as easily set a plywood layer as an outer surface. Required fields are marked *, Subscribe to our newsletter to get interesting stories delivered to your inbox! It is a good-quality, hardwood plywood made with waterproof glue, but since it's not treated with chemicals it is not rot-resistant. Given sufficient time and use it may be that the protective fibreglass layer becomes damaged allowing water to permeate the surface and begin to rot the underlying plywood. Although it’s possible to “cheat” with an artificial finish, nothing compares to the real thing. The best you can do is do staining on the particle board, giving it a nice sheen and a smooth finish. In terms of sheer contrast with plywood, a polyurethane board has to be the most radically different plywood substitute. What are the best marine plywood alternatives in the market? Boat builders report composite materials have been flooding the marine industry for years, but tend to fail under rigorous testing or deteriorate over time. The adhesive used to bind these layers together is typically made of resin, the specifics which vary from one plywood to another. This means that you can expect different MDF products to have vastly different physical properties. You don’t need to build a vessel around a seal. Lightweight veneered plywood BS 1088 Okoume lightweight marine plywood. Better grades also tend to be lightweight, strong, and virtually free of defects. These are then arranged into sheets and subjected to high pressures and temperatures to form rigid panels. Lightweight poplar plywood faced with our standard range of high pressure laminates, or any laminate manufacturer's range required by you. The posts are still fine but the original half inch plywood panel rotted out in about five years. This can be a BIG (pun intended) convenience. Press Release The next step up would be a true marine grade plywood but the expense of that would only make sense if you want to use a clear finish. 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