I attempted a custom ceiling paneling job on our camping trailer to give it a more vintage look. Ordered these paper backed mahogany veneer sheets from Rockler:
https://www.rockler.com/4-x-8-veneer-sheet-10-mil-paper-backing
I cut the sheets into smaller 30-48″ panels so that installing and smoothing them over my head was more manageable. I then used 3M Super 77 adhesive per the manufacturer instructions. Initially things laid out smoothly, with just a couple spots where I needed to fix a bubble or wrinkle. I was really happy with it. However as soon as the temps heated up a bit I’ve got 3-5 inch bubbles all over the place and a couple larger areas that have separated also. In the daylight you can sort of look past it but as soon as you turn the lights on at night my ceiling looks like a burn victim.
I’m hoping for some thoughts on whether there’s a way to salvage this job, and if so, how?
Replies
I think your problem is heat. I've left table tops in my car that had the glue fail after a hot day. Twice. Your veneer is in an enclosed space that receives solar heat, since it's outside. At least that's my view of your problem.
Super 77 and continual summer heat (enclosed space) are "not friends" in my experience. My instinct is that the panels are not salvageable as is. "Depending" on number of panels/removal issues - I would do it over and use another adhesive method.
Is the veneer going directly onto the metal skin of the trailer?
I agree that heat is the problem. Check to find out what glue is used to glue up vehicle headliners.
Thanks for the responses. The veneer is applied over top of the original interior ceiling of the trailer, not directly onto a metal shell. I wiped everything down with isopropyl alcohol before I applied the veneer.
I suppose if heat is causing the glue to fail I may be able to get the panels removed with a heat gun. But even if I can do that without damaging them, I would still have to remove the Super 77 somehow in order for a new adhesive to work properly, right?
The total length of veneer is about 20 feet by five feet, so if I can avoid having to order $500 in material again that would be beneficial.
Did you prep the ceiling other than the alcohol wipe? What is the interior ceiling made of?
The original ceiling is a hardboard, very light leathery type texture, which looked to have been either painted or maybe coated with a PVC based product. Since it had texture on it I didn't do additional prep like sanding, thought it would have enough tooth as-is but perhaps I was wrong about that too.
In experimenting a little more I can see that the veneer itself is what starts the bubbling due to differences in shrinkage/expansion rates within the mahogany grain. The glue just isn't strong enough to hold it down and keep that from happening.
I'm going to run an iron over it and see if that does anything to help but after trying it on a test piece I don't have high hopes. If that fails, I'll blast it with heat and/or steam and try to get the veneer down without too much damage.
If I had it to do over again (or for anybody who comes across this searching in the future), I think I'd have used heavy duty wallpaper paste. A company called Roman makes a "clay" adhesive that says it is made for heavy coverings like veneer and vinyl.