The sea breeze is in your hair and the smell of salt surrounds you; there’s nothing quite like the serenity of being out on the open water. The only way to make this picturesque scenario even more perfect is if the boat you’re on board was made out of Plyco’s Marine Plywood, and was handcrafted by you.
Here you’ll find a treasure trove of valuable information about navigating your way around Marine plywood, setting you on a course to make the above a reality!
Here’s what we’ll cover:
In short, Marine Plywood is a type of Plywood specifically designed to handle water and moisture, which resists warping and decaying under these conditions.
For a product to be classified as “marine grade” it must: (a) have a waterproof glue to ensure the sheet won’t delaminate, (b) have core gaps eliminated to keep water from leaking inside, and (c) use a face quality of a high standard.
There are two categories of Marine Plywood boards; British Standard Marine Plywood, and Australian Standard Marine Plywood. Meeting British Standards is much easier, which means Australian Standard Marine Plywood products are the top-end when it comes to buying Marine Plywood.
Plyco's Hoop Pine Marine Plywood
Here at Plyco, we stock four different varieties of Marine Plywood: Eucalyptus, Pacific Maple Marine Plywood, Gaboon Marine Plywood, and Hoop Pine Marine Plywood.
Each of these Marine Plywoods differs in their aesthetics and characteristics, as well as their pricing and sizing/thickness they’re available in. Our Hoop Pine Marine is our top of the line product in terms of both pricing and quality. You won’t find another Marine Plywood product on the market that beats this for quality.
On the other hand, our Eucalyptus and Pacific Maple Marine Plywood options are at the cheaper end of the scale but are still perfect for exterior jobs, especially if you’re not looking for a top of the line aesthetic finish.
The perfect Marine Plywood boasts a number of key properties. Without these properties, your Plywood is going to wither, falter, and fail when placed under the stress of having to deal with the conditions it’s intended for.
Waterproof glue is the first component of Marine Plywood that comes to mind, as it is quite literally the “glue” that keeps everything together. Without this glue, your plywood would struggle to last the day in areas that are seriously exposed to the elements.
Other properties that have a huge impact on setting Marine Plywood apart from other types of Plywood are its density, high-quality veneers/faces, the absence of core gaps, bending strength, and impact resistance.
Our Marine Plywood comes in a number of different dimensions. Plyco’s Eucalyptus Marine Plywood is available in 2500 x 1220mm sheets, with thicknesses ranging from 6mm to 18mm. Our Pacific Maple Marine Plywood, on the other hand, is available in 2440 x 1220mm sheets and in thicknesses from 2.6mm to 25mm. Our Gaboon Marine is also available in these same dimensions.
Our Hoop Pine Marine Plywood comes in your more traditional 2400 x 1200mm sheets, with a thickness ranging from 4.5mm to 25mm.
Plyco's Hoop Pine Marine Plywood is perfect for cabinetry in moisture-prone areas
There are plenty of uses and applications for Marine Plywood thanks to its ability to better withstand the natural elements than other options. However, there are a few applications we see that are most common when utilising this type of Plywood.
One of the most common, and in our opinion, one of the coolest uses for our Marine Plywood is that it’s commonly used in boatbuilding! We like to talk a big game about our Marine options, and seeing it used so often to build boats is proof of how well these products can withstand moisture.
Beyond boatbuilding, we also see our Marine Plywood used for nearly any outdoor application that requires it to withstand the elements.
Marine Plywood and MDF share one very important characteristic; they’re built to last. Both boards are strong in general use, which is why we see MDF being used for construction purposes most often. However, where Marine Plywood differs is that it’s strong when exposed to the elements. MDF is likely to falter if left unprotected, however, if you properly seal a Marine Plywood board you have the safety of knowing it will be able to stand the test of time.
Plyco's Hardwood Exterior Plywood
Navigating and understanding the differences between Marine Plywood and Exterior Plywood can be tricky and a little confusing at first. Initially, it can seem at first glance that Marine and Exterior Plywood sheets are the same products just with different names. However, the differences between the two are crucial to know.
The major difference is that Exterior Plywood is a broad term that can be given to any sheet of plywood that is bonded with 100 percent waterproof adhesive. There are a number of extra steps required in order to receive the Marine classification, such as having a B face grade or better, the maximum core gap cannot exceed one-eighth of an inch, and both outer panels must be sanded.
While you can go out and buy Bunnings Marine Plywood or a similar product from other hardware stores, you’re not going to find an option better than purchasing your Marine Plywood directly from Plyco. Not only do we have the highest quality Marine Plywood for the best prices, but we also have the widest range and a team full of experts who can handle any of the questions you may have about the product or the project you’re working on. Click above to learn more on the differences between the two Marine Plywood Suppliers.