Marine-grade plywood is a good-quality, hardwood ply made with waterproof glue. It tends to be lightweight, strong, and virtually free of defects. These qualities are what make this plywood a popular choice for building boats and boat parts. It’s also a smart option for durable outdoor furniture projects in coastal areas, especially after it receives a strong protective finish.

LBI carries Meranti, Okoume and Douglas Fir plywoods in several sizes and thicknesses.

True marine ply:

  1. Has high quality face veneers with few or no patches
  2. Has very few,if any, interior voids
  3. Is made of plies of equal thickness
  4. Has an uneven number of plies

Regular construction grade plywood:

  1. Can have a few or several patches in the face veneers, depending on the grade.
  2. Often has significant voids in the face veneer of the “B” or “C” side
  3. Plies do not have to be equal thickness. Face veneers can be very thin.
  4. glue may or may not be waterproof
  5. can have an even number of plies.

Marine plywood is also a main component in stitch-and-glue boat building. This technique uses marine plywood and epoxy.Ply panels are held together with wire stitching while the seams are “glued” with epoxy and fiberglass tape. 

LBI’s 1102/2105 Epoxy with hardener kits are ideal for this type of construction.  We also carry the non water absorbing fillers needed to make a thicker glue and several

What Is Marine Grade Ply?

In short, marine grade ply is a more water-durable version of regular ply. When exposed to water, it will be resistant to rotting, shrinking and warping due to the enhanced composition; for example, regular ply is typically made using three glued together plies of wood, whereas marinegrade plywood is constructed using as many as five layers, bonded with waterproof adhesive.

Is It Waterproof-High quality plywood is one of the most popular choices for boat-building and nautical parts and the better quality the plywood, the stronger, lighter, and more flawless it will be. Designed to perform extremely well in high moisture conditions, or environments that will be exposed to moisture for long periods of time, plywood is suitable for finishing and is a first rate option for outdoor furniture near coastal areas.

Before using marine plywood or regular plywood for construction, it would be a good idea to understand the difference between marine plywood and regular plywood.

  • Marine ply is primarily made for marine use because it is highly resistant to water. Regular plywood is only moisture resistant.
  • Marine ply has more strength and durability than regular plywood.
  • The ply is more expensive than regular plywood.
  • The plywood is available in a variety of thicknesses its surface is smoother and it absorbs paint well just like regular plywood.
  • Marine plywood doesn’t have as many voids as regular plywood, which makes it structurally stronger.