Correx - fluted polypropylene sheets as headlining instead of plywood and foam backed vinyl?

Dellquay13

Dellquay13

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Hi,

Has anyone tried using fluted polypropylene sheets (like a plastic version of corrugated cardboard) as an alternative to plywood and vinyl cloth for headlining in the saloon?

Its waterproof, light, flexible in one direction, cheap, easy to cut, easy to clean. It’s very good as an insulator.
Its certainly not good in a fire, but neither is foam backed vinyl cloth.

It’s commonly used as flooring protection by builders and sold in UK diy stores, it is crushable, but that shouldn’t be an issue if used on the ceiling. It can be awkward to get smooth edges when trimmed so care or an edging trim would be needed.

Any experience or thoughts.
3E9DF357-7E9A-48F0-BCE8-5D3552D48D97.jpeg
Thanks in advance,
Chris
 
I tried them for walls on my rebuild - they look OK but you have to be very careful fitting them as they are very brittle.
Using screws gives you little leeway as just slightly too tight and they crack.

I eventually used plain 3mm anti bacterial panels.
 
paulajayne said:
I tried them for walls on my rebuild - they look OK but you have to be very careful fitting them as they are very brittle.
Using screws gives you little leeway as just slightly too tight and they crack.

I eventually used plain 3mm anti bacterial panels.
Click to expand...
I’ve used the flooring protection sheets for various purposes and they felt quite soft and pliable, I haven’t had my hands on the correx version to see how brittle it is. The plan with the screws was to carefully fit them through a trim strip where possible, and always in a nylon cup. I would definitely not get busy with my impact driver for once.
I thought about a solid sheet instead, like the type used in kitchens and bathrooms, but tended to the correx for weight, insulation, flexibility for curvature and cost.
thanks for the reply
 
I used PVC tongue and Groove soffit as roof line on my boat I built 10 years ago

kestrel-300mm-hollow-white-soffit-250x250.jpg


300mm PVC-U Hollow Soffit Board - Tongue and Groove

I used the 100 mm wide which made it easer in the detail shapes.

100mm UPVC Hollow Soffit Board - Tongue and Groove

36086441475_da6388c6c2_b.jpg


36046268186_cf95a7845c_c.jpg


35246073304_d5d9e35629_c.jpg
 
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pvb said:
As I recall from using it in POS displays, it isn't easy to achieve a smooth bend with it.
Click to expand...
I know it can crease like cardboard if flexed too much along the grain. I’m only looking at 170cm long by 160cm wide in total, perhaps 3 or 4 strips to help the curve.
Better than looking at the aluminium bubble wrap up there at the moment though, and a quick option when the stay at home rules finally lift and I can get started doing any work on it.
The boat only cost £3k, so I need to keep a tight grip on costs, as it is realistically a starter yacht.
Rogers upvc soffit might not curve enough and looks a bit pricier
 
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Dellquay13 said:
I know it can crease like cardboard if flexed too much along the grain. I’m only looking at 170cm long by 160cm wide in total, perhaps 3 or 4 strips to help the curve.
Better than looking at the aluminium bubble wrap up there at the moment though, and a quick option to get the boat nearer to relaunch, when the stay at home rules finally lift.
The boat only cost £3k, so I need to keep a tight grip on costs
Click to expand...


I've put a gentle curves in my PVC roof but using a heat gun gently. I've also removed slight dings by playing a heat gun over the ding and the ding comes out due to the plastic memory.
 
A previous owner has actually managed (or paid someone...) to get this stuff up as paneling on the inside of the topsides in our saloon and forepeak. Quite an impressive job, as it all lines up and looks 'professional'. I'm not mad keen on the plastic feel (I'd prefer wood strips) - but headlining is a different story if the alternatives are vinyl, carpet, etc.
 
I did the main cabin and forecabinin my cat in the simulated T&G in white UPVC. That was 11 years ago and still no yellowing and looks terrific and is easily cleaned. Also because it is a box section structure it does not give condensation at all. It comes in widths from 600mm wide, 300mm or single "plank" width 100mm. The fixing screws are hidden in the tongues, these are only small as it is so light. It needs good planning to ensure that if you had to remove it you have access to the screws, jusyt needs a bit of thought. The edge and H joint trims (for the centre/lights fitting enable a very neat job. I did about 10 sq metres for about £70 including all edge trims and it is not much dearer now. I used Eurocell who have branches all over. If I were doing it again I would stick it with grab adhesive apart from places near light fittings that I might have to remove.
It will do curves in both directions but is easier across the boards.
 
C08 said:
I did the main cabin and forecabinin my cat in the simulated T&G in white UPVC. That was 11 years ago and still no yellowing and looks terrific and is easily cleaned. Also because it is a box section structure it does not give condensation at all. It comes in widths from 600mm wide, 300mm or single "plank" width 100mm. The fixing screws are hidden in the tongues, these are only small as it is so light. It needs good planning to ensure that if you had to remove it you have access to the screws, jusyt needs a bit of thought. The edge and H joint trims (for the centre/lights fitting enable a very neat job. I did about 10 sq metres for about £70 including all edge trims and it is not much dearer now. I used Eurocell who have branches all over. If I were doing it again I would stick it with grab adhesive apart from places near light fittings that I might have to remove.
It will do curves in both directions but is easier across the boards.
Click to expand...
Just checked out eurocell, not much more expensive than correx but looks a lot more substantial.
 
Dellquay13 said:
Hi,

Has anyone tried using fluted polypropylene sheets (like a plastic version of corrugated cardboard) as an alternative to plywood and vinyl cloth for headlining in the saloon?

Its waterproof, light, flexible in one direction, cheap, easy to cut, easy to clean. It’s very good as an insulator.
Its certainly not good in a fire, but neither is foam backed vinyl cloth.

It’s commonly used as flooring protection by builders and sold in UK diy stores, it is crushable, but that shouldn’t be an issue if used on the ceiling. It can be awkward to get smooth edges when trimmed so care or an edging trim would be needed.

Any experience or thoughts.
View attachment 111061
Thanks in advance,
Chris
Click to expand...
You could try using the technique called "kerfing" , which is used to produce curves in plywood, to achieve a smooth curve in the polypropyelene.
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
You could try using the technique called "kerfing" , which is used to produce curves in plywood, to achieve a smooth curve in the polypropyelene.
Click to expand...
The curves needed are quite gentle and I don’t think Kerfing would be necessary to get a slight bend, it may be more difficult to not accidentally bend it a lot in any one place through rough handling or in transit and end up with creases like you get in corrugated cardboard
 
Dellquay13 said:
Just checked out eurocell, not much more expensive than correx but looks a lot more substantial.
Click to expand...
Yup, that's what was used on our boat (like @Rogershaw's example) - not correx-type sheets themselves.

Can affirm what @C08 says about condensation, yellowing and cleaning. It looks brand new. Just wish it wasn't uPVC! ? (but we've got lots of teak/vaneer so it looks a bit out of place, that's all)
 
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