Gluing Wood Veneer To An Exterior Door
“Can I glue a wood veneer to an exterior door”
You can glue a wood veneer to an exterior door, but there’s a lot to consider.Be forewarned: Unless have a vacuum bag or a veneer press, and you can use a waterproof glue, you are in no man’sland. If you can’t use a waterproof glue, there is no guarantee that the veneer will stand up to an exterior environment. It might.It might not.
Do not use a paper backed veneer to cover an exterior door.A better choice would be a wood backed veneer, but the best choice is a phenolic backed veneer.Wood backed and phenolic backed veneers are available on the internet from Veneer-Factory-Outlet and Wood-Veneer-Factory Outlet. The wood backed veneer is readily available.The phenolic backed wood veneers can be purchased on a special order basis.Both of these veneers come with or without a psa peel and stick adhesive.
Before you decide to veneer an exterior door, be aware that the harshness of the exterior environment is a major consideration. The less that your door is exposed to the weather, hot and cold temperatures, humidity, rain, sunlight, the more your chances of a good outcome over time.
If you are fortunate enough to have a vacuum bag or a veneer press, you can glue the veneer with a waterproof glue such as Titebond 3.Otherwise, you will need to use contact cement or a PSA peel and stick veneer.
If you use contact cement, purchase the best contact cement that you can find.Solvent based contact cements are better than water based contact cements.
Method 1.) Apply a couple of coats of contact cement to the door and a couple of coats to the back of the sheet of veneer.Let dry between coats.Work in a well ventilated area with low humidity and temperature above about 55 degrees.Check the can for directions.
Wait an hour or 2 (no longer than 3 or 4 hours), stick the veneer down to the door and apply pressure all over everywhere with a blunt piece of wood or a 1” wide wallpaper seam roller.This helps the contact cement get a good bond.
Method 2.)Prep the door surface as described here in this video at www.wood-veneer-factory-outlet.comHere’s the link:https://wood-veneer-factory-outlet.com/how-to-use-psa-peel-and-stick-wood-veneers/
Stick the veneer down to the door surface and use a blunt piece of wood or a 1” wide wallpaper seam roller to apply pressure all over the surface.This helps the veneer bond to the surface.
Method 3.) Apply a couple of coats of contact cement to the surface of the door.Let the second coat dry thoroughly for a couple of hours.You will use a peel and stick veneer, but DO NOT apply contact cement to the peel and stick adhesive.Peel off the release paper and stick the veneer directly down on the contact cemented surface.The peel and stick adhesive will stick like crazy!
I like gluing method 3 the best.However, please remember, you are in no man’s land and there are no guarantees!
Finishing the veneer on an exterior door: Do not use a penetrating finish, Danish oil, linseed oil, shellac or lacquer to finish an exterior door.These finishes will not hold up to the environment.
Your best bet is to use a catalyzed conversion varnish to protect the veneer from the environment.If you don’t want to use a catalyzed varnish, you should use a varnish that has UV inhibitors in it.A spar varnish is more resistant to the sun and the environment than a “regular” varnish.You may need to re varnish your door every 2 or 3 years.
Prepping the door surface:Remove any loose veneer.Patch any holes or voids using Bondo (available from an automotive store). If you are using contact cement, read the directions on the can for proper prepping of the surface.If you are using peel and stick veneer, check out the tutorials and videos at Veneer-Factory-Outlet.com and Wood-Veneer-Factory-Outlet.com
Bob Morgan
Wood Veneer Factory Outlet, Veneer Factory Outlet