We have purchased a 1973 43′ Gulfstar Trawler which is in need of interior refurbishing. We are interested in cork or bamboo products for flooring and wall paneling. Would these products be acceptable for the marine environment? Thank you- Kathleen and Rufus
Sounds like you have yourselves a project. Cork will work fine as long as it is well sealed. But there are lots of other materials which are inherently stable – and might be better – depending on how you intend to use the boat. As far as wall coverings, same issue – bamboo will work, but you have to be careful sealing it. There are many types of striated vinyls with a lovely texture that are impervious to the elements. We’ve had very good success with vinyl wall coverings for many years. Regards – Steve
PS-There’s a lot of data on this subject in our Offshore Cruising Encylopedia.
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 30, 1999)
