Marine Board is a form of HDPE plastic made specifically for use in marine and outdoor applications. This material is even stronger than typical HDPE and is specially formulated and designed to withstand harsh marine environments. Marine board is perfect for use on outdoor storage, boats, docks, and other equipment that needs to weather the elements.
These basic features of marine board make this plastic a popular choice for boats and docks. However, marine board has a wide-range of additional benefits when used for boating applications.
Strength
One of the most appealing traits of marine board is its strength and durability relative to its thickness. Having sturdy building materials is critical when selecting materials to build outdoor or marine structures, as the elements can wreak havoc on typical building materials like plywood. Marine board’s durability can hardly be matched by competing wood-based materials. It has high impact and tensile strength, meaning that you can trust it not to break beneath you. Despite its toughness, marine board has considerable flexibility and buoyancy.
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Marine board is also heavily resistant to a wide variety of substances that are encountered outdoors. It is resistant—meaning that its color won’t fade from long hours in the sun. It is no wonder why marine board is replacing wood in a wide variety of naval uses.
These low maintenance traits have an overall positive benefit on the environment. Marine board is built to last, and needing to make fewer repairs and replacements creates less waste then wood does. Not only that, but HDPE is one of the most recyclable plastic products available.
Safety
Most importantly, marine board is one of the safest materials to build a dock or boat out of. Even with proper treatments, wood that is marine-grade will slowly rot and decay over time. This can lead to incidents where weak, rotting wood can break or collapse. For example, stepping on a weak piece of plywood on a dock can result in a future safety hazard, or even an immediate injury.
As well, building a hull out of marine board can provide it additional protection against many different kinds of debris found in the ocean. While hulls made from competing materials often require patching on comprised, sea-torn areas, marine board will stay strong and sturdy. This way, you can set sail with greater peace of mind.
Boating Applications for Marine Board
With marine board being stronger, safer, and lower maintenance than wood-based alternatives, it is a good fit for many areas on a boat. To experiment and learn first and the benefits of marine board, try installing it incrementally around your existing boat or dock. Here are a few examples of boat parts that would especially benefit from switching to marine board from wood:
Handles and Hatches: At best, the consequences of a broken handle or hatch could be small accessibility impairment. At worst, being unable to access area of your boat can create a huge safety hazard.
Railings: Most railings are critical to ensuring the safety of passengers. Wooden fragments of these rotted structures could cause scratches, or an unexpected break could cause injuries by falling.
Outside Cabinets and Furniture: As previously mentioned, marine board resists filth and damage more effectively than wood. While wood can become odorous and infected with mold and algae, marine board resists odors, rot, and most chips and scratches.
Motor Covers: This area often experiences significant degradation due to the elements. As the protector of your boat’s engine, keeping the cover in tip-top shape is important for the life of your boat’s motor.
As a warning, if any handles, outdoor cabinetry, or motor covers are currently rotting on your boat, then consider installing marine board across most of your boat. These are usually the first structures to decay, and more vital parts of your boat may be rotting as well.
Final Thoughts
Marine board is one of the most reliable materials for building outdoor or naval structures. It weathers the elements far more effectively than marine plywood due to its unique formulation. When building a dock or boat, consider using marine board for superior strength and safety. To learn more about Acme’s marine board offerings, visit our marine board product page or contact a marine board specialist.
