Installation Of StarBoard®

How Should King StarBoard® be Fastened?

Use standard fasteners, drills and bits to attach StarBoard to a surface. Wood screws are an excellent choice.

Start by drilling oversized holes in the StarBoard®. Then, drill pilot holes in the surface receiving the screw threads, sizing the holes as with wood, even if you are fastening to another piece of StarBoard®. Counter-bore StarBoard® to set screw heads below the surface and prepare it for plugs. Press-in threaded inserts should be installed where there is repetitive motion like on a door hinge. These inserts are pressed into undersized holes and are available in stainless steel, brass and aluminum.



StarBoard® installs easily around curved surfaces. Gradual bending is achieved by pulling the piece into position with screws or clamps, starting at one end and working in one direction. Application of mild heat will help installation. Sharper corners must be permanently heat-shaped in advance, or notched and bent after heating.

Allow for Expansion and Contraction

StarBoard differs from wood because it reacts more to temperature changes. StarBoard® contracts and expands at the rate of 6 x 10 (-5) in/in/°F, changing approximately 1/32 inch for every linear foot of lenth or width, over a 40° temperature range. Drilling oversized holes for screws or fasteners prevents problems. For example, to attach a 3-foot length of molding to a wall, allow 1/32 inch extra around screws spaced one foot apart. The head of the fastener will easily cover oversized holes. If oversized holes are not used, StarBoard® installed in low temperatures may bow when it warms. Material installed at warm temperatures may crack when cooled and fasteners may bend or shear. In extreme cases, special allowances may be needed. The rate of change concerning an adjoining material may be important.

Plugs Provide a Finished and Professional Look.

Fabricators can hide fasteners with a StarBoard plug. The process is the same principle as for wood plugs, using slightly oversized plugs held in place with friction and StarBond® adhesive. Experimentation with plug sizes will help develop the correct degree of "press fit", but a plug .002 to .004 inches larger than the hole size works best. A small amount of adhesive completes a flawless, permanent plug installation.