Using pressure treated plywood on exterior of carriage doors
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| Posted in General Questions on
After reading the article on building carriage doors I would like to build some using that technique but would like a less fancy / expensive approach. There would not be any window required. Could I use ½ inch pressure treat plywood that would be sealed and stained? This would eliminate the meranti trim and cap. It would also be much easier to construct. I am not concerned with insulation as the garage is not heated.
Thanks
Jay
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Replies
Jay,
I assume you are talking about the article in a recent issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine?
If you want to build your own garage doors, it is, of course, possible to substitute simpler materials. If you eliminate the 3/4 meranti face frame, you can expect your 1/2-inch plywood to warp, however.
You can either address the potential warpage by substituting some other type of lumber for your frame, or you can beef up the sturdiness of the door with a frame made of thick plywood or steel, or you can even use cables and turnbuckles to try to counteract warpage as it occurs.
It's your garage -- you get to build the doors any way you want, as long as you like the way it looks.
Would 3/4 inch pressure treated plywood do the trick?
Jay,
I wouldn't build a garage door without a frame. Stick a piece of 3/4 plywood in the sun for a month. When you come back, it will look like a potato chip.
I guess that I wasn't clear. I plan on using the frame you described in the article with the 1/4 inch plywood on the inside and the 1/2 inch preassure treated plywood on the outside.
Thanks
Jay,
I wasn't the author of the article, first of all.
I'm glad you are planning to include some type of frame. I'm not sure how stiff your door will be, but eliminating the meranti frame will clearly make it less stiff than it would have been.