Replacing White Veneer On Exterior Doors

[Lean Wolf]

I stripped down the doors on my F44 and the bottom panels are (were) covered in a white material like a masonite or something.
I do not want to paint the panels for the wood is not smooth.
I was thinking of covering the wood panes with laminate although am not sure how that will hold up when wet and over time. Has anyone done any work like this? Any thoughts on what to use and where to get it?

Thanks again.

[todd brinkerhoff]

Any laminant will need a stable substrate. What is the current substrate? What condition is it in? Did the current laminant delaminate? Will the door have outside exposure? Veneer is used all the time in outside applications. It should have a good substrate, be completely sealed (epoxy), and UV protected (varnish).

[Lean Wolf]

The current substrate is what appears to be marine grade plywood that has grooves in it and it is not perfectly smooth. It is in good condition however is not smooth. The old stuff on there started to come apart at the corners then when I hit it by accident with a heat gun while stripping the varnish it bubbled. The doors are exterior doors.

[todd brinkerhoff]

Sounds like the current veneer delaminated. It shouldn't come off that easy. How bout creating new doors. There's been a lot of debate about using plywood for substrates with veneer. It tends to expand and contract with moisture, which creates an unstable bond for the veneer. I think if u seal the wood with epoxy (CPES or similar) you can create a more stable board. Putting regular clear epoxy on your veneer will also keep moisture from delaminating your wood

[todd brinkerhoff]

Sorry, I tried to write the above when I was half asleep. Could the grooves in your plywood be troweled glue?

[lawyerdave71]

How about Starboard? I've seen it used in many different applications. Looks nice.

[Lean Wolf]

I decided to replace the panels with oak panels painted with numerous coats of white with high-gloss paint. Took the easy way out...