What is Marine Lumber?
Marine Lumber is a UV-stable marine-grade polymer with excellent resistance to sun and saltwater. It is an ideal material for adding accessories or replacing wood, laminates or plastic products on boats.
Marine Lumber Features
- It will not rot, delaminate, swell or splinter
- The matte texture requires no painting, finishing, or maintenance
- It will last the lifetime of your boat
- Marine Lumber can be easily cut, routed, shaped and drilled with standard woodworking tools
Marine Lumber Project Ideas
- Electronics boxes
- Ski Locker lids
- Shelves
- Chartholders
- Table tops
- Bait boards
- Ladder treads
- Sink covers
- Transom doors
- Trim
- Sliding Door / Track
- Arm rests
- Counter tops
- Backsplash
- Rod Holder racks
- Cabinets
- Hatches and doors
- Instrument panel
- Tool holders
- Consoles
- Leaning posts
- Bait Wells & covers
- Shower floors
Tools & Supplies Needed
- TACO Marine Lumber Sheets
- Drill & Drill bits
- Screws, Nuts & Bolts
- Tape measure
- Carbide tipped table or Circular Saw with 50-70 teeth
- Clamps
- Wax pencil
- Posterboard or other pattern material
- Jigsaw for curved cuts
- Hole saw bits
- Countersink bit
- Screwdriver or Screw gun
- Router bit with 1⁄2" carbide bit with at least 2 flutes
- Silicone or 3M 5200
- Sander with 120 grit sandpaper
- Rubber mallet
- Goggles
Choose Your Projects
- Projects using Marine Lumber range from replacing damaged wood, laminates, and plastics, to adding personalized accessories
- To Replace Worn or Damaged Wood- Remove the old part. Use the old part as a template by clamping it to Marine Lumber.
- To Add New Accessories, choose the accessories you would like to make. Determine where they will be located on the boat and create a pattern if you don’t have one, including the location of the attachment holes.
Plan Your Projects
- Calculate the size of the Marine Lumber Sheet you will need by laying out your patterns.
- Contact our Technical Support experts for any questions you may have here.
- Choose the tools and hardware you will use for each project including screws, nuts and bolts needed for attachment, screwdrivers, saws, drill bits, countersink or counterbore tools, hole saw blades, etc.
- Purchase the appropriate size Marine lumber sheet at your local marine store or through Buy TACO Direct.
TACO Handy Tips:
Draw out the size of the Marine Lumber you are going to use on poster board. Map out multiple projects on the poster board first to ensure that all the components will fit. If not, go to the next available size of Marine lumber.
Check these Frequently Asked Questions about Marine Lumber and Marine Starboard.
Q. How should Marine Lumber be supported?
A. Marine Lumber should be supported every 15 inches in both directions
Q. Can Marine Lumber be used to replace a deck?
A. Marine Lumber is not recommended for decking because its expansion and contraction rate would cause any caulking material used to seal it to break free.
Q. Can Marine Lumber be painted?
A. Marine Lumber was designed so that virtually nothing will stick to it and that includes paint.
Important Notice: Marine Lumber is not a structural material. The framing or structure it is attached to must be able to withstand any stress or load it may be subject to. It should be supported by a sub surface or a load bearing framework every 15” in both directions. Use wood or TACO's tubing in large spanning applications.
Create Your Accessory
- Clamp your old part to the Marine Lumber, or tape your template to it with scotch tape and make an outline using a WAX PENCIL.
- Cut the outlines of the wax pencil using a table or circular saw for straight cuts, a jigsaw for curved cuts and a drill with hole saw blades for large holes.
TACO Handy Tips: Never use lead pencil, ink pen, magic marker, etc. on the unprotected surface of Marine Lumber. These items will permanently stain the marine lumber. Cut holes and notches in the components first before cutting them out of the Marine Lumber sheet. All cutting tools should be carbide tipped if possible. Circular blades should have 50-70 teeth and run at approximately 1200 rpm. When drilling, Marine Lumber gets hot. Stop frequently to let it cool down.
- Finish all edges using a router with a 1/2" carbide bit with at least 2 flutes or an orbital sander with 120 grit sandpaper.
- If you are bending the Marine Lumber to create a corner, you can place it on top of a piece of plywood so that the bend line is just past the edge. Heat it with a heat gun across the bend line allowing the part extended over the edge to bend downward. If you are bending it in place, secure with clamps and apply heat with a heat gun. Start at the clamped end, gradually apply pressure and work in one direction.
TACO Handy Tips: If you want to create sharp corners, you can make a V shaped notch on the inside of the bend line with a router before bending.
Drill the attachment holes in the Marine Lumber using a drill bit slightly larger than the mounting screws or bolts will allow for expansion and contraction of the Marine Lumber. Marine lumber contracts and expands at the rate of (6×10-5) in/in/°F changing approximately 1/32" for every linear foot of length or width, over a 40° temperature range. For best results, use a sharp, high-speed drill bit. Countersink the holes with a countersink bit to allow the screw heads to be flush with the surface of the Marine Lumber. If you are going to counterbore the holes, it should be no deeper than 1/3 of the thickness of the Marine Lumber.
Installation
- Hold your accessory in position and drill through the mounting holes into the surface you are mounting it to. Make sure the drill bit is smaller than the mounting screws or bolts so the threads will grip, unless you are through-bolting.
- Install your accessory using fasteners. Coat the threads with a silicone sealant or 3M 5200 before installing them to create a watertight seal.
TACO Handy Tips: Most sealants and adhesives will not adhere to Marine Lumber. 3M makes one that will work. It is called Scotch-Weld DP-8005. If you are bolting Marine lumber to another surface and need to make a water-tight seal, you can use 3M 5200 or one of TACO's weather seals. Both will act as sealants only, not adhesives.
Care & Maintenance
- Clean Marine Lumber with a mild solution of liquid soap or boat wash and water, and a synthetic/nylon “scrub” brush
- Remove stains with Citrus Cleaner, Mineral Spirits, or Alcohol
- Avoid contact with chemicals such as Teak Oil, which can cause permanent stains
- Lead pencil, Ink pen, or permanent markers will stain Marine Lumber
- Furniture polish or products such as Armor-All® can add an attractive luster to the finish
TACO Lumber Lite Sheets
Lumber Lite is a cellular marine grade utility sheet designed to withstand harsh marine environments. 40% lighter than Marine Lumber sheets, Lumber Lite is an ideal product to replace wood. Can be used as upholstery backing.
