Miura Board® FAQ

Miura Board® is a 100% recycled fiber-plastic composite panel made from commingled waste plastics and natural fiber. It works for most applications where plywood, marine plywood or plastic sheet is used, but it never splinters, rots or needs replacing, which lowers your cost of ownership and maintenance.

About 70% commingled post-industrial and post-consumer plastics (HDPE, LDPE, PP, polyurethane and others, but no PVC) and about 30% natural fiber, mainly sawdust and rice hulls. We add no pigments, compatibilizers or other additives, and we use no water in manufacturing.

No. Most wood-plastic products are blends: wood flour mixed into plastic. Our patented process creates a true composite, in which the fibers bond with the polymer at the molecular level and act as a scaffold. The result is better strength, much lower thermal expansion and resistance to organic solvents. There is no slippery vinyl cap either, so the surface stays textured.

Our panels are continuously extruded, then rolled to thickness, trimmed and cut to length. Because no mold is involved, there are no injection marks, and we can make panels in almost any length.

Our panels are currently made on a continuous-extrusion line in Chile and imported into our US warehouses in Miami, Florida and Pilot Point, Texas. A US plant is planned.

The standard color is a natural slate gray. We add no pigments, which keeps the product 100% recycled. Off-white and brown can be made to order at a premium, with a longer lead time. Painting the standard panel is usually the easier and cheaper route, and polyurethane paints work well.

Not yet. We sell direct and ship nationwide from our warehouses in Miami, Florida and Pilot Point, Texas. We are actively looking for dealers and distributors, so if you’re interested, get in touch.

Our standard panel is 4′ × 8′, and the maximum width is 4′. Because we extrude continuously, custom lengths such as 10′, 16′ or 20′ are possible.

From 1/4″ up to 2″. We normally stock 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 5/8″, 3/4″ and 1″. Thicker panels are made to order.

Yes. Custom widths and lengths can be scheduled at the plant, and large-volume orders can be pre-cut to your dimensions, including cutouts and rounded corners. We can also arrange cutting of smaller jobs in the US for a fee.

Weight depends on thickness. A 4′ × 8′ panel weighs about 39 lb at 1/4″, about 118 lb at 3/4″ and about 164 lb at 1″. Our price list and data sheet show the weight for every thickness.

Yes. We stock a heavy-duty board, nominal 2×6 (actual 1.5″ × 5.8″), 16′ long, that is popular for decking and planters.

Yes. We’ll send our technical data sheet, MSDS and the University of Miami College of Engineering test report on request.

Yes. The University of Miami College of Engineering has tested it for compression, flexure and screw pull, and the report is available on request. Compressive strength is comparable to red oak, and tangent modulus is comparable to plywood. Flexural stiffness is lower than wood’s because the fibers aren’t aligned.

It is heavier and somewhat more flexible than dry plywood, but flimsy it is not. Used vertically there are no issues. Used horizontally, it may flex depending on support spacing, so we recommend building a prototype first. For applications like trailer decks it should carry the same load as the plywood it replaces.

No. It doesn’t absorb water, rot, swell or delaminate. Mold, bacteria, fungi, termites and other insects can’t digest it, and it tolerates freezing.

Yes. It can be pressure-washed and steam-cleaned, which makes it easy to keep clean and sanitary.

Thermal expansion is up to about 80% lower than plain polyolefins such as HDPE, PP and PE, thanks to the fiber and the molecular bond. Like any dark surface it gets hot in direct sun. When fastening, drill slightly oversized holes to allow for lengthwise movement, and prototype if heat is critical to your application.

Some panels can show slight cupping from stresses built in during continuous extrusion. We keep reducing it and cull the worst panels. Screwing a panel to its frame normally flattens it.

Tested to ASTM E-84 without any fire retardant, our panel scored a flame spread of 110, slightly better than common plywood. Fire-retardant formulations are possible for specific standards; tell us which one you need.

Very well. It is unaffected by water, moisture, freezing, bacteria and fungi, and it holds up to weather exposure for many years.

Yes. It resists organic solvents and is chemically non-reactive. It contains no formaldehyde and no PVC.

The natural fiber gives the surface a texture that is less slippery than HDPE or capped composites. If slip resistance is critical, test it in your application.

Because our panels are made entirely from waste, an occasional pebble or metal particle can be present. We work hard to remove them, but we can’t guarantee zero. Water-jet cutting goes right through them.

Anywhere plywood or plastic sheet is used and moisture or wear would destroy wood. That includes trailer, truck and van floors, concrete forming, climbing walls, planters and garden structures, parks and municipal projects, greenhouses and agriculture, pallets and pallet sheets, waste containers, and art and architectural installations.

Yes. Plywood forms typically last about 6 uses, and Miura Board should at least double that. At end of life, the panels can be ground up and re-extruded.

Yes. This is one of its main uses. It never rots or swells, and it needs no special fasteners.

Yes. Panels have been successfully bonded to polystyrene foam for structural insulated panels.

Yes. It is impervious to water and won’t rot. On its own, though, it isn’t designed to be a waterproof flood barrier.

For many uses that don’t require transparency, yes. It can be a much more affordable alternative, and it can be thermoformed into parts.

It has a distinctive industrial slate-gray look. It can be sanded, routed, polished, painted or laminated, and designers have used it as-is for art installations and parklets.

Yes. It works like wood: cut, drill, sand, rout, screw and nail it. It can also be CNC-machined, laser-engraved and water-jet cut. Water-jet cutting gives excellent detail with no dust, and you can stack sheets to cut several at once. It won’t crack or split.

Standard screws and nails. Pull-out strength is better than plywood’s. Drill slightly oversized holes to allow for thermal movement.

Yes. Unlike plain HDPE or PP, Miura Board can be glued. Epoxies work very well, although they can be costly over large areas, and other adhesives have been used to bond it to foam.

Yes. It needs no finishing or priming, so you can paint it, coat it or use it as is. Polyurethane paints and epoxy coatings work well.

Yes. Heat it, shape it and let it cool. To make a fold, heat a strip along the fold line.

Yes. It can be plastic-welded and laminated, either to itself or to other materials.

Yes. We mail free samples, 6″ × 6″, by USPS Priority Mail, usually within a business day, with tracking. Send us your mailing address, the thickness(es) you’d like and your intended use. We can include several thicknesses in one package.

For qualified projects, yes. Larger cut pieces or full panels are available. Shipping is usually at your cost, and shipping a single full panel is expensive, so ask us about the best option.

Panels are priced by thickness, since our price is based on weight. Request a quote with your thicknesses, quantity and delivery ZIP code, and we’ll send our current price list and a freight quote.

Yes. Full-truckload and full-container orders ship direct from the plant at significantly better pricing. Mixed thicknesses and partial containers are welcome.

No. You can buy a single panel. Freight makes very small orders expensive, though, and a pallet shipment starts to make sense at about 1,000 lb. Orders below a full pallet carry a small picking/palletizing fee.

Yes, case by case, for larger quantities and for nonprofit and educational projects. Ask us.

We’ll send a quote and invoice, or you can send us your own purchase order. We accept Zelle, ACH, check, or credit card through a secure payment link. Payment, or a deposit for larger or made-to-order orders, is due before shipping.

Only on Florida deliveries and Miami pickups, unless you provide a resale certificate. Texas orders, including Pilot Point pickups, are not charged sales tax.

In-stock items ship from our Miami, FL or Pilot Point, TX warehouse within 24–48 hours of payment. Custom sizes, colors and container orders come from the plant and typically take 6–10 weeks, sometimes longer depending on ocean shipping.

Yes. We stock panels in Miami, Florida and Pilot Point, Texas (north of Dallas) and ship anywhere in the continental US by LTL freight or full truckload. Hawaii and international orders are quoted case by case.

It depends on weight, destination and services such as a liftgate. For an exact quote we need a street address and ZIP code, and to know whether you have a forklift or loading dock. Business addresses with a dock cost less than residential delivery. Freight on one or two panels can cost almost as much as a dozen, so consolidating your order pays off.

Typically 4–9 business days by truck from our Miami, FL or Pilot Point, TX warehouse, depending on destination. We ship from whichever location is closer to you.

Yes, at either of our warehouses: Miami, Florida or Pilot Point, Texas. Give us at least 24 hours’ notice and pay in advance, and we’ll load your truck or trailer.

Panels ship strapped on 4′ × 8′ pallets. Flatbed delivery is another option, and the panels don’t need protection from the weather.

We’re not set up for boxed parcel shipping. Cutting panels down to 40″ × 48″ or smaller can lower freight costs, and there is a cutting fee.

Yes. It is made from waste plastics and natural fiber, with no virgin resin and no pigments in our standard color.

Yes. Panels and offcuts can be ground up and re-extruded into new panels, and we take product back.

Our technology is remarkably agnostic. It uses commingled, unwashed waste plastics (no PVC) without sorting or washing, which saves energy and water.