How To Repair Wood Veneer Furniture

One of the most common questions we get is this:

What's the departure between laminate and woods veneer? And tin I paint information technology?

You ask, we deliver:

At present, nosotros don't claim to be professionals by any means, but we've been around the cake with ALL our article of furniture transformations … and nosotros're happy to share what we've learned!

Permit's offset with the definitions of each… considering they're totally unlike things.

Definitions!

Wood Veneer:

A thin layer of hardwood (commonly thinner than 1/8/inch) that is bonded to a less expensive surface beneath (often a cheaper wood, particle lath, or MDF).

This allows the manufacturer to create a beautiful piece for less than it would cost for a solid wood piece. Oftentimes, if the veneer is in good shape, you can't fifty-fifty tell that it's not solid.

This photograph is to demonstrate how thin the layer of wood is.

Laminate:

A man-made product (usually plastic) that is really 'printed' to look like it has woods grain. Information technology allows manufacturers to create furniture, cabinets, and flooring for less money. Y'all canNOT stain laminate. It's not woods! The stain has nothing to soak into, and volition literally sit on elevation of the laminate and never fully dry. It will be a nasty mucilaginous mess forevermore.

Source

How to pigment:

Forest Veneer:

If the veneer is in skilful status and isn't chipping… you can sand, prime, and paint like you would any slice of furniture. If the veneer is damaged or has chipped off in some places, merely isn't loose and flaky… you lot tin either fill information technology with wood-putty and sand it smooth, OR you tin can embrace the character and prime and pigment right over it.

BUT! If the veneer is chippy and loose to an extreme, and the damage is widespread… it's actually best to supersede information technology with a new slab of wood like nosotros did with Dawn's woodgrain butterfly dresser . Do you encounter how loose and irreparable this veneer is?

Some other choice is to chip off the veneer with a putty knife, like we did on this buffet .

With a little elbow grease, the veneer came off (one splinter at a time), and then at that place was a lot of sanding involved to cut downward that chunky adhesive. But in some cases this would be less piece of work than really replacing the wood. Information technology may also aid to soak the wood with a moisture towel for awhile to loosen up the agglutinative.

NOTE: Because wood veneer is actually real wood (and often has a cute forest grain), you CAN stain and varnish it! Still, be careful if you're using an electrical or belt sander, because often the veneer is and then sparse that aggressive sanding volition wear though the veneer quickly. Also, because it's real forest, it's important to sand in the same direction as the wood grain.

Laminate:

I have GREAT NEWS (no we're non pregnant… why does your listen automatically go there?) Yous can sand, prime and paint laminate every bit if it were a solid wood slice of furniture! It's easy to skip the sanding stride, considering sanding is a elevate… merely it's especially important with laminate. Because it'due south often somewhat glossy-looking, and of import to sand information technology down until the finish is very dull earlier priming. We recommend using 120 grit sandpaper for this. And, unlike real forest, it'south unnecessary to sand with the 'grain'.

While the cease will be just as durable every bit if it were practical onto wood, laminate furniture by nature, is built more poorly and isn't every bit heavy-duty as a solid wood piece. But side by side time you're at the thrift store or a garage sale and you lot spy a laminate piece… It Can (and should) TOTALLY BE PAINTED!

Best news y'all heard all solar day right? That and it'south near the WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Questions? Comments? Have you lot had any luck removing veneer using a dissimilar method? Are you doing any article of furniture-updating of your own this weekend? Have you tried our tutorial on making new forest wait old ?

Be certain to check out our furniture transformations , and other tutorials! And yous might also exist interested in our tutorial on stripping furniture , and our other posts on various Finishing Techniques !

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