How To Make Plywood Doors Look Good: Here's How

Plywood is a convenient and cost-effective solution for the home builder. But the no-nonsense simplicity that makes it a go-to material across a range of applications also brings on a blandness. Plywood doors can look like unglorified wood curtains, sapping the charm from an otherwise beautiful interior.

Plywood doors are made to look good by designing and building with care. They are finished by paneling, painting, and color coordinating the fixtures. Maintenance of chips, holes, and warping preserves the door’s look. This includes preventative maintenance.

We will consider the phases adding up to pretty plywood portals.

How To Design And Build A Plywood Door

The door’s first impression derives from its design. Plywood doors are prone to blandness on account of their plank-like structure. Embellishing this basic design gives character to an otherwise featureless structure. Fitting a handle and modifying the frame to match the door seals the basic design elements.

How To Make Plywood Doors Look Good: Here's How

A door that has been shoddily constructed will have internal stresses that are not visible to the eye, but that will show in wear on the parts of the wood where the stress is concentrated. Properly building the door limits the damage through wear over time.

Designing A Panelled Door

Paneling is a feature that instantly adds charm to a door, and faux panels added to plywood make them look less like upright ironing boards. Adding paneling is cost-effective and easy, following these simple steps:

Dismount: The door will be painted after the paneling and so should be dismounted. For new doors, fit the panels before sealing and painting.
Trace: Mark the areas where the edges of the paneling will be. This is a matter of creative expression. You may refer to existing doors for inspiration.
Cut: Cut light wood like balsa, thin pine, or meranti to fit the panel edges in your design. Each cut should be tailored to the specific segment where it will be fitted.

Glue and Screw: Each panel should be glued in place and then screwed with sunken screws. Filling the screw tops with wood filler and sanding will neaten the finish.
Seal and Paint: Follow the sealing and painting instructions below to finish the paneled design.o

Adding A Mirror

Fixing a mirror to a plywood door is an effective way to instantly de-bland it and add volume and interest to the room at large. Follow these steps:

Dismount: We’re going to work with the door flat on the floor.
Trace: With the door facing front (mirror-side) up, mark the outline of the mirror, having measured it before.
Sand: The traced area will have glue to mount the mirror. Sand the area to provide tooth for the glue.

Glue: Obtain made-for-mirror glue. This is adhesive that will bind glass but is also sensitive to the reflective paint at the back of the mirror. Other glues are liable to interact with this paint, leaving marks that become visible through the front of the mirror over time.
Dry: Glue the mirror as per the instructions on the glue tubing. Leave the door to dry for over seventy-two hours.
Trim: Find matching trim to contain the mirror. Be guided by the hints above for bevelling and consistency with the door frame. In choosing the trim, be guided by the thickness of the mirror. The lip of the trim should sit neatly over the mirror’s edge.

Fitting: Us a miter saw to cut the trim to size. Attach it with glue and nails, and tape it down while it dries. This should consume another day of drying. If you feel confident that you can work the trim without budging the mirror, you may start on the third day of the mirror drying.

Building The Plywood Door

Building the body of the door falls outside the scope of this post. If you’re procuring a pre-built door, inspect it for signs of damage.

Finishing Handles And Frames

The frames and handles are an integral part of the door. Their design elements offset those of the door and should be set in harmony with the door. The following tips apply:

Embellishment: The styling of the decorations should match the door. The first prize would be to give the planks that make the panels match bevelling.
Proportions: Size the proportions, including the segment width of the panels, to match the dimensions of the jambs. This will create a pleasing coherent effect.
Color: Painting the door in colors that match the surrounding décor and gel on the door will enhance the appeal of the plywood door.

Handle: Picking a non-standard door handle that matches your target color scheme and design look and feel is an effective touch.

How To Paint A Plywood Door

Plywood doors are painted with latex-based paints. But first, they need to be properly sealed. Sealing is critical for preventing the warping that affects plywood once moisture enters. The two-step plywood painting process is:

Polyurethane Coating, or:Epoxy Sealing.

Latex-Based Painting.

Coating A Plywood Door

Polyurethane varnish is highly recommended as a primary coat for plywood doors. It acts as a protective barrier by covering the wood in a hardy layer of microscopic resin with tight bonding. This resin repels water, also making the door less prone to abrasion.

If it has already been fitted, the door must be removed from the jamb. This reduces the risk of having untreated areas and streaks forming from liquid running down the length of the door.

There are three methods for applying the polyurethane:

Painting with a brush.
Wiping on with a cloth.

Applying with a sprayer.

Brushing is the recommended method for covering the plywood door with varnish. An initial layer of polyurethane varnish should be applied to all surfaces and edges of the unhinged door.

The first layer should be given at least half an hour to dry. Check carefully with a dried tissue to confirm that the layer has dried. Only after confirmation apply the second coat.

The advantages of using a brush become evident in the application process. Cloths have a tendency to absorb some of the varnishes. Sprayers are harder to control as they give invariant pressure and quantities.

After polyurethane prepping, the wood will darken.

Sealing A Plywood Door

An alternative to polyurethane is the epoxy sealant. The advantage is that it preserves the color of the dour, which might be required if you do not intend to paint over the door. In addition to ensuring the door is against warping through moisture, the epoxy strengthens the plywood door’s outer layers.

Before application, ensure that the door is in good condition, clean, and free of dust. Light sanding to remove grime from a used door is recommended. It will also provide tooth for faster and firmer absorption of the epoxy.

Before commencing the seal, equip yourself with protective apparel. A mask and gloves will prevent damage by the toxins in epoxy. As with polyurethane, be sure to cover all edges and surfaces of the door with even strokes.

Epoxy is fast-hardening upon contact with other materials. This necessitates quick application, as the sealant may begin to harden on the brush. A small thin foam roller can be used for faster application.

Epoxy generally does not require a second coat. After the door has dried, it is ready for hanging.

Painting A Plywood Door

Latex-based paint provides further protection against warping and is to be recommended for the decoration of plywood doors. In addition, they’re pleasing to the eye.

Latex paint works by sealing the pores on plywood, which keeps water from penetrating. It is a low-cost material for beautification and added protection.

As with epoxy, a light prior sanding for extra teeth improves the quality of the job. Apply an initial layer of latex paint primer. This helps with adherence to the final finishing coat. Primer removes the risks of wood grain interfering with the paint’s finish.

Some latex-based paints still leave your door with a risk of warping. This exacerbates the need for prior coating and priming. Using sprayers for exterior-facing doors is not recommended, as it is harder to achieve thick coating with a sprayer.

How To Repair Damage To Plywood Doors

Damage to plywood doors is a leading destroyer of their good looks. The three main causes are:

Warping.
Chipping and abrasion.
Trauma.

Fixing Warped Plywood Doors

Warped plywood is caused by differential exposure to heat and moisture. Warps are removed from plywood by applying the same process in reverse. Time and pressure are added if the warp is severe.

Four methods for straightening warped plywood are:

Sunlight.

Pressure.
Ironing.
Glue.

Fixing Warped Plywood With Sunlight

Use this method with thin plywood that has a single warp or multiple bends which are convex on the same side of the board. Start by immersing sponges or tack cloth in hot water. Then sponge the concave surface of the warps(s) thoroughly, allowing that side of the board to soak up moisture.

Now place the board with the wet concave surface facing down on a firm outdoor surface exposed to the sunlight. This differential exposure to light and moisture will prompt corrective warping in the opposite direction.

Check on the progress every twenty minutes. If necessary, reapply moisture when after an hour, there still are warps.

Fixing Warped Plywood With Pressure

The sunlight method can be inverted by applying pressure to the concave hump. This can be done by applying clamps after the bulge has been prepared. Be sure to steady the weights, keeping them in place.

To begin, ensure that there is light and heat in the area of application. Doing this in cold, wet conditions is ineffective. Lay the plywood on a hard surface with the concave side facing upward.

Apply wet cloths, as in the sunlight method, to the humped area. It is advisable to cling-wrap the towels to the wood to prevent evaporation and ensure that the application of moisture is limited to the warp.

Now clamp the board onto a flat, hard surface. This method takes a while. Inspect the towels from time to time to ensure that the moisture control is intact.

Fixing Warped Plywood With Ironing

Similar to the sunlight method, ironing involves an interplay of differential moisture and heat. In this case, the heat is brought by a steam iron. The steam is critical as it compensates for the moisture lost through drying.

Bring the iron to heat at its highest temperature. Leave it aside for five minutes that the heat may reach its peak. While this happens, soak enough rags in warm water to cover the surface of the board.

When ironing, cover the entire board with water-soaked cloths. These must be applied to the convex as well as concave sides of the board and must cover the board entirely. Again, place the board on a firm surface with the convex (humped) side facing up.

Now iron out the warp. The method is to place the iron on the part of the warp for ten seconds and then move onto an adjacent area. Allow overlap between the areas and proceed systematically so that the entire humped area is covered.

After the first pass, remove the rags to consider progress. The warp should be almost gone. Two or three more iterations may be required.

Fixing Warped Plywood With Glue

An alternative to setting plywood boards separately is to glue them into panels. This is suitable when the warped wood is in the shape of a bow as it can be shaped into an edge and flattened for gluing. Gluing the panel will create a large stable surface more conducive to the removal of warps.

Take care not to use clamps to force bows and twists against the glue joints in a vertical position. Clamped pressure in this position is prone to create tension within the panel. While the tension will initially be invisible, it will lead to weaknesses that emerge later.

How To Prevent Damage To Plywood Doors

In addition to the tips on sealing, have regard for the following:

Where possible, prevent outside deployment of plywood doors.
Carry out regular checks for damp and leaks in the area where the door hangs.
Use dehumidifiers to address any dampness pre-emptively.

Carry out regular checks for early signs of damage to the doors.

Conclusion

Imaginative design and diligent construction create plywood doors that match the structure and character of old-school panel doors. A finish of your choice cements the charm at a fraction of the cost.

By exercising preventative maintenance, you block out moisture, sealing the cost-saving and overall convenience of building with plywood.