Alternative Options to Marine Plywood

Marine plywood is very popular in construction these days. A strong and durable wood, it gets its name because it is often used in the construction of boats. It comes in various different types and grades as well. Marine plywood is used for boats because it will not rot easily even where levels of moisture are particularly high. It has an exceptionally high tolerance to moisture making it ideal for decking or other outside uses. It can be very expensive because of this, but there are various alternatives available which can be just as good as marine plywood itself. Depending on your requirements, certain alternatives have their advantages and disadvantages.

Fiberboard

Fiberboard is a popular alternative to marine plywood. Medium density fiberboard is particularly strong and has high durability. It is actually made in such a way that it is not 100 percent wood. To build up the strength of the wood, it contains a wax resin as well. When the wood is made, broken down fibers of softwood are mixed in with a wax resin. Ultimately, this creates a very strong end product. It is then cut into sheets and treated with extremely high heat and pressure. This makes the wood very durable and an ideal alternative to marine plywood.

Ribbon Grain Plywood

Ribbon grain plywood is called such because of the appearance of the grain. The ribbon appearance in the grain is quite obvious and vertical stripes run along the length of the wood. This kind of plywood is very smooth as well. Because of this, it does not need to have any further changes made to it after installation. This can save you money as well. It is also a strong wood, and while not as strong or as durable as marine plywood itself, is often a good alternative. Mostly attractive due to its price, it is also less demanding to work with.

Fiber Cement Board

There are a wide range of popular applications for fiber cement board. It is used in all sorts of construction purposes including exterior walls and ceilings. It is an ideal alternative to marine plywood and the fact that it can be used in many different types of locations also makes it particularly versatile. As the name suggests, it is made from cement. However, it also combines wood fibers with the cement to create a particularly strong and durable wooden boarding.

Other Alternatives

Depending on your proposed application for the plywood, there are various other alternatives that may be suitable. The most important thing to consider is how durable and strong the wood needs to be. There are many different sorts of plywood, and some are much more durable than others. For example, ordinary plywood is not an adequate substitute to marine plywood yet it still has plenty of uses. For interior usage, laminated plywood can be a good choice to go for.