alternatives to wood seat backing

[09zkrankin]

not sure if this is the right place, but i have a 1993 baja islander 180 that i am having the upholstery redone in. when i was taking it apart i noticed i have a couple seats which could use some attention to the wood backing. i am going to take the old peices out to use as patterns as the are still complete just old and weak. my question is, is there an alternative to using wood that is still strong enough to hold the weight. these are small round shaped seats that are maybe 24" at the widest point

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: alternatives to wood seat backing

If you use ext. grade plywood. and seal it with a couple of coats of Spar Varnish or even some Rustoleum Oil Based Paint, They'll last another 40 yrs. The old ones with NO sealer lasted 20.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: alternatives to wood seat backing

I use pressure treated with no sealer as they did originally on my jobs, but if you want to go the extra mile and seal the wood it doesn't hurt. You can also use composite board like Nida board, but that gets pricey, just keep the boat covered when not used and let that wood breath and it should out last the vinyl

 

[kmarine]

Re: alternatives to wood seat backing

I like to coat the plywood in epoxy or poltester resin. Use dry exterior grade or marine plywood only, not pressure treated when doing this.