Glue or screw the inside skins...pro and con

[Juneaudave]

I'm finishing the wiring in the insulated walls today and need to get the inside cabin skins in place to start fitting the back cabinets. Right now, the skins fit real tight against the floor and headliner...and with the front shelf, cabinets and door trim...I think the skins will be tight enough that I wouldn't need much of anything to hold them in place. Along those lines, I could either:

1. glue the skins in permanently, or
2. use just a few strategically placed decorator screws to make the skins removable

I was trying to get at the pros and cons of whether to screw or glue...

1. Glued in would be a cleaner look,
2. Glued in would be more air tight,
3. Srewed in would allow for future access to wiring,
4. Screwed in would be simpler to do

The skins are 1/4 inch birch. Any other pros and cons that I should consider?

[Miriam C.]

I used panel nails at the edges. Now, I knew I would need to trim. If I didn't need trim I might let the cabinets and shelves hold it in. Maybe some at the bottom to be sure.

[starleen2]

Just a thought about gluing in the skins. IF you THINK you may need to remove the panels for ANY reason, I would suggest using screws. With all the nice work that you have done so far, I would shudder to think about the damage done trying to remove a panel that was glues in. I’ve tried it (gluing skins) with several projects, and when I needed to gain access or replace a panel, the removal usually either damage severely or destroyed the panel. Get some nice trim screws or run the wiring another way.

[Juneaudave]

Just a thought about gluing in the skins. IF you THINK you may need to remove the panels for ANY reason, I would suggest using screws. With all the nice work that you have done so far, I would shudder to think about the damage done trying to remove a panel that was glues in. I’ve tried it (gluing skins) with several projects, and when I needed to gain access or replace a panel, the removal usually either damage severely or destroyed the panel. Get some nice trim screws or run the wiring another way.

Yep...that's kind of the thing...I don't THINK that I would ever need to get into the walls again...but it would be a nice option. At any rate...a big leak would ruin my day...anyhow...I glued the spars to the headliner so it's not like I could just pull things apart. Based on todays progress with the wiring, I guess I will go the trim screws route. I'm a thinking that the cabinet and shelf cleats, door framing, and other attachments will suffice. If it doesn't, I can always pull them out and glue the panels in.

One of the things that I didn't understand when I started this project is how solid the torsion box construction is. In my mind, it's no wonder that homebuilder's overbuild!!!

[eamarquardt]

In a lot of boats the overhead panels (ceilings in a boat are on the insides of the hull not overhead) are held in place by hardwood strips maybe an inch or so wide 1/8" to 3/16" thick with screws uniformly spaced along the lenght of the strip. The screws can be nice brass oval heads. This can result in a pleasing pattern and makes removing the panels easy.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Gus

[halfdome, Danny]

Dave, beauty screws can look quite nice if spaced in an appealing pattern. I glued on my Red Oak 1/4" inside panels but my wires run under molding the in the ceiling and affixed with beauty screws. It's very easy to access my wiring. Danny

[prohandyman]

Dave
I'm trying to put my arms around the need to access your inner wall area in the future! Are you thinking you might need to add or remove wiring? In that case can you run plastic "conduit" large enough to change wiring. Or add custom trim as Danny has done.
Do you expect to have plumbing repairs or changes? And will that plumbing be in the walls?
By the way, looking Good!