Suggestions please for replacing plywood ceiling panels

[StefanSG]

Hi I am replacing the panels that surround the windows on my 1973 Prout Cat



the old ones are vinyl covered plywood, looking for suggestions for a suitable hardwearing, moisture resistant, white material,, melamine type, the original is 3/16" (4.5mm). Could be similar arrangement (stretch vinyl) just hoping for something long lasting and easy to cut

StefanSG

 

[Poignard]

1973 to 2022 is pretty long-lasting. Is what is there now not worth replicating,?

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Hi I am replacing the panels that surround the windows on my 1973 Prout Cat

View attachment 143448

the old ones are vinyl covered plywood, looking for suggestions for a suitable hardwearing, moisture resistant, white material,, melamine type, the original is 3/16" (4.5mm). Could be similar arrangement (stretch vinyl) just hoping for something long lasting and easy to cut

StefanSG

When I redid the headlining in my previous boat, I used 3mm ply (for the longer areas), and plastic election posters, covered in vinyl, (but only those of the parties I disapproved of?).

 

[StefanSG]

1973 to 2022 is pretty long-lasting. Is what is there now not worth replicating,?

Possibly, yes. It looks better in the picture though, the vinyl has been over painted with gloss white. Behind was a horrible mess of mould and stains. I was hoping there would be a wonderful modern substitute.

 

[KompetentKrew]

You can get various kinds of plastic sheet for lining the inside of showers, gyn changing rooms and such, but the stuff I've seen is very thin and flexible so I'm not sure how easy it is to work. Brand names such as Roomliner, WetWall and Selkie - may be different kinds of plastic so DYOR.

I'm just about to use white-faced fibreboard to replace some of my headlining - the inside of my boat is pretty dry and the existing white-faced fibreboard has stood up well and lasted 25 years. I'm only replacing it because new LED lights use a smaller hole than the old ones. I expect the fibreboard to be very easy to cut - just use the old headlining as a guide (will borrow a router as I'm told this gives neat edges).

I don't care about stains behind the headlining, and some mould spots are to be expected over this kind of period.

 

[lauriel]

I tried using expanded foam board 5mm thick. Easy to cut but not so straight forward to replicate the exact shape or match bevel edges. I tried a couple of panels then removed them.
I settled on removing the existing 35 year old varnished, dark ply panels and giving 4 coats of paint. I chose gloss white paint for top coats and now receive positive comments for the bright appearance of the saloon and cabins.

 

[Poignard]

Possibly, yes. It looks better in the picture though, the vinyl has been over painted with gloss white. Behind was a horrible mess of mould and stains. I was hoping there would be a wonderful modern substitute.

Paint on top of vinyl is horrible.

If the old ply is not rotten you can re-use it and either cover it with new vinyl or, do as I have done with my ply panelling and paint it with white Dulux Easycare Bathroom paint . It looks fine and it's easy, quick and cheap to give it another coat when needed.

 

[TonyMS]

Our headlining is made of white PVC, 1.5mm thick. It's lasted 15 years so far, and looks as good as new. I cut it with electric shears bought in Lidl. They've worn out, and I don't know where to get a replacement.
We have big sheets, 4ft X 8ft, fastened to batterns using screws with heads coated in white plastic from Screwfix. Unfortunately not SS, but last quite well, and cheap.

 

[Lomax]

Melamine coated hardboard is light, cheap and easy to work with, but the textured reverse is thirsty and flaky, and it's not very stiff. There used to be a "both sides flat" hardboard which had been pressed between two flat surfaces and impregnated with linseed oil - this was tough as old boots, impervious to moisture and quite stiff; in other words ideal for headlining. But I have been unable to find anyone who supplies this in sheets >A4 size. Perhaps someone here knows where to get it?

Edit: from Wikipedia

Hardboard, also called high-density fiberboard (HDF), is a type of fiberboard, which is an engineered wood product. It is used in furniture and in the construction industry.
...

Hardboard is similar to particle board and medium-density fiberboard, but is denser and much stronger and harder because it is made out of exploded wood fibers that have been highly compressed.
...

It differs from particle board in that the bonding of the wood fibers requires no additional adhesive, the original lignin in the wood fibers sufficing to bond the hardboard together, although resin is often added.
...

Hardboard is produced in either a wet or dry process. The wet process, known as the Mason Method, leaves one smooth side and one textured side, while the dry processed hardboard is smooth on both sides. Masonite is produced using the wet process only.
...

Tempered hardboard is hardboard that has been coated with a thin film of linseed oil and then baked; this gives it more water resistance, impact resistance, hardness, rigidity and tensile strength. An earlier tempering process involved immersing the board in linseed oil or tung oil until it was 5 to 6 percent saturated, and heating to 170 °C. Tempered hardboard is used in construction siding.

 

[Poignard]

Melamine coated hardboard is light, cheap and easy to work with, but the textured reverse is thirsty and flaky, and it's not very stiff. There used to be a "both sides flat" hardboard which had been pressed between two flat surfaces and impregnated with linseed oil - this was tough as old boots, impervious to moisture and quite stiff; in other words ideal for headlining. But I have been unable to find anyone who supplies this in sheets >A4 size. Perhaps someone here knows where to get it?

Edit: from Wikipedia

I have an old bench covered with "oil-tempered" hardboard. It's very durable..

 

[Supertramp]

I replaced vinyl covered ply with exactly the same where the wood had rotted. Cheap and simple, easy to cut. Foam backed vinyl stops condensationThe only modification was to paint the ply with varnish so that any water ingress doesn't soak in. Issue for me was around tannoy vents.

Mould behind it will be either leaks which need sorted or condensation. Extensive mould behind the boards may be due to living aboard during the autumn and winter months. More insulation desirable for that.

 

[Keith-i]

IMV vinyl covered ply still looks the best. 3mm ply coated in epoxy for moisture protection then vinyl glued on.

 

[StefanSG]

IMV vinyl covered ply still looks the best. 3mm ply coated in epoxy for moisture protection then vinyl glued on.

Epoxy paint or epoxy resin ?

SSG

 

[Lomax]

3mm ply coated in epoxy for moisture protection then vinyl glued on.

As far as I've been able to tell this no longer exists; the thinnest plywood you can now buy is 4mm, which is too thick for my headlining. Some manufacturers of birch plywood list thinner boards, but none of the retailers I have contacted are able to supply it. It seems the thin stuff is only used for laser cutting and isn't sold in larger sizes than A3. There's also aircraft plywood of course, but doing the headlining with this would cost more than I paid for the boat... If anyone has a source for 3mm plywood I am all ears.

 

[Stemar]

Try googling "door skin UK" for thinner ply I came up with a few results, but don't know if they'll be suitable

 

[Keith-i]

Epoxy paint or epoxy resin ?

SSG

Epoxy resin as I had it to hand and is probably cheaper. Paint of any sort would work though.

 

[Poignard]

3.6mm too thick?
3.6mm Hardwood External Grade Plywood B/BB 2440mm x 1220mm (8' x 4')

 

[ean_p]

As far as I've been able to tell this no longer exists; the thinnest plywood you can now buy is 4mm, which is too thick for my headlining. Some manufacturers of birch plywood list thinner boards, but none of the retailers I have contacted are able to supply it. It seems the thin stuff is only used for laser cutting and isn't sold in larger sizes than A3. There's also aircraft plywood of course, but doing the headlining with this would cost more than I paid for the boat... If anyone has a source for 3mm plywood I am all ears.

try these.... Thin Finnish Birch | Birch Plywood Panels | Latham Timber

they do a 1250 x 1250 sheet in multiply thickness's down to 1mm ........

Have you considered bonding Freon ( the blue stuff, I think it was Freon) foam to a formica type material and then bonding that to the grp using the window frame as a clamp at the same time......

 

[dankilb]

3.6mm too thick?
3.6mm Hardwood External Grade Plywood B/BB 2440mm x 1220mm (8' x 4')

Definitely not! Bought a sheet (available everywhere around here) last week for making templates and it was plenty thin enough. It was trying to fold in half in the breeze generated by my walking down the pontoon!

 

[Poignard]

Definitely not! Bought a sheet (available everywhere around here) last week for making templates and it was plenty thin enough. It was trying to fold in half in the breeze generated by my walking down the pontoon!

What do you cut it with?