Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | Many metal doors have a foam core of insulation materials. Hopefully they also have a thermal break in the frame, so that the cold isn't transmitted into the door's interior. Because most aluminum doors have a paint on the inside layer, it's fairly easy to prepare the surface for an adhesive. With a non woven material like Scotch Brite, lightly abrade the painted surface. Don't try to remove the paint, you just want to make microscopic scratches all over it. Wipe the area with a solvent and rag, removing any finger prints, greases and oils. Turn the rag often, using new areas of it frequently. The veneer can be glued directly to the door's surface, using contact cements intended for kitchen counter top laminants. Initially cut the veneer slightly over sized, and after it is affixed, trim it to fit. The only tools you need are a wall paper roller, a wide ice scraper or a common squeegee, and a utility knife with a brand new blade. Most veneers come with installation instructions, or they can be found on the internet. Practise staining and applying your finishes of choice on the scrap veneer pieces, before you attempt to finish the door panel. Veneers are very thin, and you must be careful not to sand through the "money" layers, when the finish is applied and smoothed. Steel doors are less of a problem to prepare, but they must be absolutely free of any rust before the laminate is installed. Other wise, any moisture will cause the surface metal to rust, and the veneer will be lifted from the door. Any rusty areas should be first sanded, treated with a converter and then a primer applied to the bare metal. |