Repairing Peeling Wood Veneer

Welcome to Monday Everyone!

Here is a simple step by step tutorial on how to fix peeling wood veneer. 

This technique is best used for furniture you will be finishing with paint.

But first,a few things to consider...

Peeling veneer can become a big mess!

 So, always check any piece you are considering 

buying for loose or peeling veneer.

 If it looks like a lot is coming off, 

you may want to reconsider.

And,

On this piece, the peeling veneer was localized to the bottom trim which made it manageable. Since veneer was already coming off, I removed any more loose veneer.

 But word of caution, if the veneer is not already coming off, 

but it is just lifting up...do not pull up and remove, 

reapply with wood glue!

Step-by-Step

1. Here, I gently pulled up any more loose veneer from the already missing wood veneer patches.

2. For the repair, I used DAP Plastic Wood filler which is "a high performance wood filler that hardens to give a surface and body that looks and acts like wood".

3. Apply the DAP wearing rubber gloves and with a plastic knife for easy clean up. Spread the fill over bare areas leaving the now coated area raised so you can sand down to level later. I also used my gloved finger to press the wood fill into spots because sometimes during spreading the putty wants to pull away with knife. Using your finger to press into each spot helps it sticks.

4.After the wood filler has dried (approx. 1 hour but I usually five longer), sand it down with sander. Feel for smoothness as you do this to make sure the area is level.

5. After sanding the wood fill level with original veneer, the finish will feel smooth and unified. 

Look how nice this looks compared to image 1.

6. Because I want to paint and distress this piece (and some of the wood may peek through), I used a foam brush to apply Minwax stain and sealer to match the original dark finish.

7. Once the stain is dry, the area where the wood veneer had been missing is smooth and unified and ready to paint.

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