advice - putting wood veneer on steel insulated garage door

[Bob Cooper]

my goal is to veneer a garage door w/cypress. Any big concerns with the approach. See pictures below but the current though is to put down about 20 6" x 21" x 1/4" vertical pieces down first. Glue these to the steel. I was planning on ship lapping them (sideways) with a 1/8" gap between then and a 1/4" overlap.

Then I was going to glue the other dominant pieces -- shown in a darker color in the pictures -- directly on top of these. These other pieces are roughly 8 x (length) x 1/2". ignore the line in between the two angled pieces...i just couldn't not figure out how to join them into a single piece with the free version of sketchup.

Questions

1) any big concerns? I know people clad doors in the field and i'd be surprised if they used a lot of fancy M&T joinery
2) what type of glue? Seems like i'd want something with a little bit of give to it. Contact cement? Liquid Nails?...
3) any concerns w/the 1/4" or 1/2" thickness of the major components. I'm trying to keep the wood as light as possible in order not to make the finished product too heavy.

Buying door like this cost about 4500/each vs. 800/each so i'm pretty motivated to make this work. I'm resawing the cypress for 4/4 rough cut wood and it's quick and easy. As you can see there are 5 sections to the doors and the lower 2 are 21" tall and the upper 3 are 18" tall.

Thanks and i'll let you know if/how it turns out,

Bob C

[Mel Fulks]

The idea makes my head hurt... Is the cypress going to look like bare wood? Or are you looking for something durable that will be painted? I hope this is a design you really like and and can live with the maintenance. Please don't be influenced by the expense of the commercial products. Good luck to you ,please keep us informed of progress.

[Bob Cooper]

Mel...well the current house has much exposed Doug Fir -- timber frame house -- that i've been upkeeping but i do appreciate the your headache. The 4500 doors are pretty much the same from a maintenance perspective...yes they are bare wood (well stained and coated w/a cetol or other penetrating finish). Those 4500 doors have a 1 year warranty so i'm not sure they be any less maintenance.

[Marc Jeske]

#1 - Make sure your door springs/ lifter/ etc will handle the extra load.

Will the added thickness of the facing wood mandate mounting changes for the door such as shimming track from wall the thickness of your veneer.. will you be able to maintain a decent weatherseal against the side and top jambs, etc,... any other stuff like that.

You've probably done the above, soo..

Then ...

Absolutely NOT contact cement, NOT any of the Big Box Liquid nails brand adhesives or any other cheap construction adhesive like PL, etc.


I would do study at caulk gun applied adhesives from manufacturers like Sika, Henkel,3M, used for applying exterior skin on Busses, aircraft, etc.

You will spend quite a bit $ per tube, but won't need that much.


My main concern would be long term adhesion to both the wood and door.

I may be getting too fussy, and I'm sure someone will recommend a suitable adhesive here - I'm just saying select your adhesive after careful study.

Actually, I have had very good success w using common cheap Silicone RTV bonding various non oily woods to painted steel, and I might be comfortable using just that for this at least after a test piece that cured a few weeks.

Especially since your veneer backside may have a rough resawn surface, I would be very comfortable w the adhesion to that, so that leaves testing adhesion to your existing finished steel surface.

I'd consider going out and RTV a scrap to inside of door or somewhere not obvious, and let it sit a week or so while you ruminate this other stuff... then try to pull/ pry it off.. and see how it sticks.

Make sure you include prying it away starting at an edge like trying to slide hammer in and pry w a stiff putty knife..

Marc

[Jeff Bartley]

Bob,

Get another quote on those doors. I found that the price of garage doors can vary a good bit.

You'll have no warrenty whatsoever if you do this to new doors. As well, your $800 dollar door will not cost $800 because you'll need to purchase the stronger tracks, springs, etc.

I recently purchased a pair of CHI doors and have been very pleased! R-17, two rows of glass, check out CHI if you haven't already.

[Peter Quinn]

The wood is going to move, your adhesive has to let it. I'd be looking at either a polyurethane or silicone for adhesive. Something like 3M 5200 might also be a good adhesive choice if you go the direct bond route. Cladding one side of anything may lead to warping, no idea if this will affect the performance of your steel door panels? Cypress tends to check and crack when it goes through wet dry humidity cycles up north, not sure you have the same issue in SC? I mention it as I always build with failure in mind, thinking how would I repair this if necessary. I saw something a while back where the skins were adhered to marine grade plywood and each of these panels attached to the steel door panels with Z clips used in the semi truck box fabrication, so an individual panel could be removed/repaired/replaced as needed. Interesting alternative to gluing right to the steel.

[Mel Fulks]

I would consider painted faux grain. No weight problem. Bigger than life shows better from street. Reversible...so later
upgrading to Brazilian rosewood will be easy. And the old growth tight grain quarter sawn cypress is easier to fake than the slab cut.

[Vince Shriver]

Good call on the faux grain if you get the right person to do it.

[Marc Jeske]

Ya, very good comment on mandate for flexible adhesive.

Exterior exposed to changing variables, daily, seasonal, rainy season dark wet days, direct dry hot sun days.

Combined w relative thinness of stock... basically Major Movement City.

I love the original idea.. sounds like something I would do.. but only proceeding after much logical deliberation.

I think it CAN work, and at low cost.

You got me excited ! Cool project !

Marc

[johnny means]

I would build each panel on a plywood frame substrate. Each panel would then get screwed onto the steel door from behind.

[johnny means]

I would build each panel on a plywood frame substrate. Each panel would then get screwed onto the steel door from behind.

In fact, I'd skip the steel door and fab up the entire thing.

[Marc Jeske]

I would build each panel on a plywood frame substrate. Each panel would then get screwed onto the steel door from behind.

Interesting concept... maybe T nuts in the ply, 1/4" or #12 bolts from inside.

A bonus would be - Future removal could be done w just small holes remaining that could be plugged w like White or whatever matching snap in plugs.

Mebbe, anyway.

Marc

[Bob Cooper]

I would build each panel on a plywood frame substrate. Each panel would then get screwed onto the steel door from behind.

Johnny...you thinking 1/4" plywood? i'd be concerned anything thicker may be a weight issue. Clearly there would be an advantage of replacement but is there other inherent advantages in this approach? This would help clearly if the wood to steel adhesion is an issue.

[Bob Cooper]

Ya, very good comment on mandate for flexible adhesive. Marc

i too think so but curious what a good really strong yet flexible adhesive would be.

[Bob Cooper]

The wood is going to move, your adhesive has to let it. I'd be looking at either a polyurethane or silicone for adhesive. Something like 3M 5200 might also be a good adhesive choice if you go the direct bond route.

Peter...i just looked that up and it does look like it would be a good choice -- it's very strong and flexible.

• Tough and flexible polyurethane polymer forms strong bonds
• Capable of retaining strong bonds during vibration, swelling, shrinking or shock