I believe that it is a Stanley door, but brand probably doesn't matter. The door has a faux wood textured vinyl covering that has begun to separate from the metal finish of the door. I believe that the temperature extremes of summer and winter have taken its toll.

Does anyone know of a repair technique that can help me on this? I have talked to sales persons at my local home repair warehouse and they didn’t have a clue.

At present, from the street, the pealed surfaces appear to be 2 chickens facing eachother. I could let that slide for awhile if our home was a farmhouse, but it is not a good look on a brick ranch style

 

Is it vinyl, or FIBERGLASS??

If indeed it's a Stanley door, "Stanley" will be embossed on the wood edge of the door itself, either on the latch side or on the top. Check all 4 edges of the door -- there's a good chance that whover mfgr'd it put their name on it.

 

This appears to be vinyl. It was bonded to the face (and back) of the metal door. I don't see the brand on the door, I assume that the name in stamped on the bottom. I'm not big on the idea of pulling the door off it's hinges to verify brand. Although the door jam is labled Stanley, so I'm assuming that it is also.

Thanks for any assistance that anyone can offer.

Terry

 

As indicated, the extreme temperature changes have likely caused the delamination of the vinyl on the door. Most thermofoil and vinyl clad door manufacturers tend to offer limited warranties that do not include delamination. I can easily imagine that a westerly or southerly door when suddenly exposed to heat from the sun when the sun crosses over the house, would suddenly heat up and cause rapid expansion of the vinyl. This expansion could cause separation of the vinyl from the substrate material.

Perhaps someone else has a better idea about how to approach the issue of salvaging this door. The only thoughts that come to mind are:

(1) Cut out the raised areas with a utility knife, making sure that you cut beyond the delaminated areas to where vinyl is still securely bound to the substrate material. Then, use Bondo to patch, taking care to sand it smooth and/or imitate any graining in the vinyl. When dry, apply a coat of primer/sealer to repair areas. When dry, prime/seal entire door and repaint.

Bondo is a plastic filler. There are other brands. Working with plastic fillers usually requires multiple coats. The first coat goes on heavy. When it starts to set up like cheese, it can be shaped/leveled with a razor blade or utility knife. Then sand with 80 grit garnet. The second coat is spread very thin and is applied to fill any low spots in the first coat. This coat is very 'lightly' sanded with 80 grit & followed by 120 if looking for smooth surface. Or follow, with a stiff brush or comb that can replicate graining if door surface is textured. (You may want to experiment on a piece of cardboard to practice achieving graining effect.

(2) Glue down the bubbled/raised areas. Glue (all-purpose vinyl adhesive) would be applied between loose vinyl and substrate with a hypodermic needle like the ones vets use on horses. You have to slit the vinyl along the grain if door has graining pattern with utility or craft knife in the middle of bubbled area. If area is very large, then you may have to make multiple slits. Inject glue all around and beneath raised area. Press out extra glue before clamping or heating. Then, you use a board to cover the repair and use C-clamps to hold board in place until glue is dry.

Even if you can make a successful repair, there is no guarantee that further delamination will not occur. If door is subject to rapid exposure of heat from sun, then installing an awning or roof over the door may be advisable.

If in doubt, there are reasonably priced builders' grade replacement doors available. The Stanley website features steel and fiberglass doors. Perhaps they once offered vinyl clad and discontinued those doors due to delamination problems? There are some very good steel clad builders' grade doors available. Or, if your budget allows, you can take advantage of the opportunity to give your house a new look with a more luxurious front door (if the door in question is the front entry). There are many new types of doors and door materials available today. Just remember to shop for one that can endure the extreme temperature changes and weather exposure that your entry requires.

 

Terry,

Since the jamb is embossed with Stanley, it's a better than even chance that you have a Stanley door. Whether Stanley ever sold vinyl clad doors or not, I don't know. I know that they don't now. But it may be that the vinyl cladding was added by somebody else -- maybe a previous homeowner did it or had it done by a local company.

Read what Twelvepole had to say, then chose a plan of attack. (Personally, I would probably replace the door. Repairing it will be an all day process, and who knows what the result will look like.) Pre-hung metal doors start at about $100 at HD, Lowes, etc., and can be installed in about 1/2 day, assuming that you have never installed one before. (I've done about 100, and have it down to a couple of hours.)

 

Thanks for the advice. Looks like I'll be replacing the door. But I think I'll wait a few weeks until we have some decent weather. (SE Wisconsin)

R/
Terry

 

My front door did the same exact thing. I took off the loose stuff, used a sharp knife to cut into the part that was still attached. Then primed the entire door with kilz and then panted with a good quality paint. My problem was at the bottom of the door where the sun was hitting it and unless you bend over and really look at the bottom of the door you dont notice it.