Here at J. Gibson McIlvain Lumber, we have plenty of Teak in our lumber yard. Even if you’ve seen how much we have, you may not realize that we’re actually one of the largest importers of FEQ Teak in the entire United States! Luxury boat builders are, undoubtedly, our primary customer base for this impressive species. For many years, we’ve supplied some of the most impressive yacht builders with golden brown Teak to meet their every need — from wide cover boards to toe rails.
When we purchase Teak, we typically purchase it with the unique needs of the luxury boat builders in mind. If you’ve ever looked for premium FEQ Teak, you know that’s always an easy prospect. Add to that the kinds of particular widths and thicknesses of a specific project, and the difficulty certainly escalates. Representatives from J. Gibson McIlvain literally go to great lengths in order to meet the challenge by traveling to Southeast Asia regularly in order to source precisely what our customers require.
In addition to Teak for exterior surfaces, luxury boats require premium-grade lumber for all kinds of interior applications, ranging from exterior surfaces to interior details such as millwork, cabinetry, mouldings, veneers, and marine-grade plywood. Sometimes solid wood or veneers in Ash, Cherry, Mahogany, Maple, and Walnut are sourced for those purposes.
Whatever species is used for the veneer, marine plywood must be used for substrates, and all of those must meet the British standard 1088; for that purpose, we supply Okoume plywood for facing surfaces as well as Douglas Fir plywood for non-visible ones. Because Okoume finishes appear as smooth as glass, the wood can easily take paint, veneer, or a fiberglass finish without telegraphing inconsistencies in the surface. Because Douglas Fir offers water resistance as well as toughness but has a face that’s less even, that species is perfect for substrates that will remain unseen.
Marine-grade plywood is currently in great demand for use in light crafts such as canoes, kayaks, and rowboats. To answer this demand, several companies have been building kits to allow individuals to use Okoume plywood, Sapele, Sitka, Spruce, or Yellow Cedar, to build their own vessels. The result is a gorgeous, lightweight craft, and we’re glad to help provide bulk shipments of wood used for those applications.
Whether you’re looking for long Teak for use in cover boards or marine-grade plywood for substrates, or anything in between, you can be sure that J. Gibson McIlvain will be able to meet your lumber needs for boat building. We specifically set apart extra-wide and extra-long Teak boards for use as solid countertops and cover boards, sometimes including 24-inch widths and 16-foot lengths! You can rest assured that we’re just as dedicated to details and quality as you are, and we understand the strict requirements of your industry.
