" JimH" jimh UNDERSCORE osudad@yahooDOTcom wrote in message
...

"Tom G" wrote in message
news:XO%fg.42$9f2.1@trnddc04...
I'm replacing the carpeting and a couple of rotted deck boards on my
pontoon boat. Marine plywood is pretty much hard to get around here but
I can get MDO plywood (Medium Density Overlay) which has a resin
impregnated (Paper?) layer on each side. This stuff works great for
outdoor signs, etc and lasts virtually forever. However the carpet guy
is telling me that the carpet adhesive won't work with it because
"nothing sticks to it". I've queried the mfg of the adhesive and they
don't seem to have a good idea of what MDO is either. The carpet guy
even tried to tell me that paint wouldn't stick to it. Years ago I had a
commercial outdoor sign painted using it and it lasted for years with no
noticeable weathering or paint loss. So, has any one had experience
using it and applying carpet or glue to it. The Exterior plywood I've
found is really bad quality.

Tom G.


If you are going to install/construct/upgrade something, get the right
hardware and supplies for the job at the onset so you don't have to fix
your mistakes later. With that understanding there is no use messing
around with this MDO plywood if it is not suitable for the application.

I am sure your marina or a local lumber yard can special order you a
couple of sheets of marine grade plywood. You can also order it yourself
off the net. It will cost more but it the right thing to use for this
job.



Marine plywood is just as susceptible to rot as any other plywood. The
difference with Marine Ply is there are no interior voids in the plywood,
giving extra strength. You can get the old pressure treating CCA compounds
in marine ply as opposed to the new pressure treating compounds that are
minus the Arsenate. But just Marine ply will give you no more longevity
than CDX exterior ply. My flooring in my Aluminum Jetboat is 15 years old,
and the plywood is still good. It is PT Ply, one side smooth with Nautolex
covering.