Friday, July 29, 2011

Working with Veneer Furniture

I'm deep in the throes of a great transformation this week.  In the furniture refinishing world, "great transformation" usually means a lot of work, although that work can be rewarding as well!  A client dropped off an old buffet that is full of potential; unfortunately, though, it appears that the previous owner sanded it down with the intention of staining it and soon realized that the condition of the veneer prohibited it.  Well, since I've been doing more than my fair share of fighting them this week, I thought I'd take a moment to go over some veneer-related tips and guidelines.


What is a veneer?

A veneer is a thin piece of wood glued down to another, usually less expensive, piece of wood.  Because hardwood is more costly and sometimes less readily available, many pieces, both old and new, are made using veneers.  What's more, I'm convinced that the quality of veneered furniture has deteriorated as, in my experience, vintage and antique furniture made with veneers seem much more durable than comparable modern furniture.  For example, I have a Crate and Barrel table that is made with "hardwood and veneers" that can't even be sanded down to the fork marks my kids have left so that I can refinish it!


Why veneer?

Years ago veneers were used to bring more variation and pattern to furniture by cutting the veneer from a more decorative part of the tree or on an angle.  That's the case with the pictured buffet but after years of use the veneer is bubbling, cracking and pulling away from the "base" wood.



How to tell if you're working with a veneer:


"It isn't always obvious what's veneered and what's not. Sometimes the veneer is visible at the edge of the wood surface, a thin layer glued over the base wood. If you can't see a joint at the edge, look at an unfinished area under the piece of furniture. If the unfinished wood looks the same as the finished surface, the piece of furniture is probably solid wood. If there's a considerable difference, it's probably veneered."



-TLC.com


Veneers are not necessarily a bad thing, but I still try to avoid them because the possibility for damage is much higher than with a solid hardwood piece, especially if the veneer is bubbling, as this is sometimes impossible to fix.

If you find something for a great price or with a shape you love and just can't pass up, keep in mind you'll be doing a lot of filling, gluing, clamping and nailing.  Even with all these things, though, you'll still likely succeed in merely masking the veneer problems, not fixing them.

If you have any questions on this post or have any suggestions for furniture-related posts you'd like me to go over, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to cover it in the weeks to come.  If this post was boring and uneducational, go ahead and leave a comment about that too (although I reserve the right to block meanies!)  :)




22 comments:

  1. This is very interesting! I have a booth at an antiques mall and I buy furniture that I love and have someone spray it for me. Then I sell it. I wish I had all of your knowledge and skill so that I could do everything myself! Also, that white Chippendale table you painted is unbelievably gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is great! We've done a few pieces with veneer that was starting to come off all ready. We took a damp cloth and a warm iron and that helped loosen it so we could remove it. Still it's a process. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've heard about Veneer Furniture.Saw it at a friends place.Though I was interested didn't know many details at the time.Thank you, your skill is commendable.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a dresser that I would like to fix. The sides have veneer and a previous owner "fixed" the partially broken side pieces by varnishing right over the mess. How do I get the rest of the veneer off? Chemicals or sanding? I plan on re-applying new veneer and then painting the entire piece.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love all of the information!! I'd love posts about the different types of wood, and how to find good used furniture. You are amazing, as always!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great post. I've refinished a couple of veneered pieces and I agree that it is not fun! In fact, I have a buffet sitting in my garage right now that I keep procrastinating on b/c I don't want to deal with the veneer. Here's a tip if the veneer on top is really bad, go to Home Depot and get a piece of super-thin wood cut to fit the top of the piece and then use wood glue and clamps to attach it to the top. This can be so much easier than trying to deal with the veneer...just cover it up!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's so funny you would post this now! I just got a piece exactly like that.. I love it, but I am gonna peel that veneer right off the top! What would be wrong with that... anything? Please tell me if there is, because I want to know before I do it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have a kitchen table that needs refinished and has veneer on top. Can you tell me how to do it? The veneer is solid just scratched and stained.

    I'm guessing you're going to say "sand it and see" but I am afraid to do it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just found your blog- it's great! Full of great information. Newest follower:)

    ReplyDelete
  10. This post couldn't have come at a better time. I am wondering if you can give any advice on an issue I am having with staining a dresser. The dresser has a thin layer of veneer glued to solid wood. I am not sure the types of wood, but the veneer has a red tint and the solid wood is white. The finish was in terrible shape but we didn’t want to paint the dresser. So, we braved sanding it down. It worked great except for a couple of large spots where the dresser was more worn, where the veneer is completely worn down and the solid wood is showing through. Since it was still wood underneath, we decided to proceed with staining. We choose a dark stain (minwax dark walnut) in hopes that it would cover both shades of wood. However, after applying the stain, it barely soaked into the light spots where the solid wood is showing through the veneer. What can we do to even this out? Because the stain is so dark, the light spots are high contrast right now. Is there anything we can do to darken them up, even if the stain isn’t a perfect match? I have searched online all morning without finding anything that would guide us in the right direction.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have an old dresser that we inherited from a dear neighbor. He said it was his mother's first piece of "store-bought" furniture. The veneer on the top needs to be re-glued in order to refinish the piece. What kind of glue do you recommend?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sheila,

    I really like wood glue for things like this as it doesn't expand when dry. Make sure to clamp it down after applying the glue.

    Good luck!

    Natty

    ReplyDelete
  13. Keep your furniture info coming! It is very interesting and so generous of you to share your expertise.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What is the best way to deal with a veneered dining room table with chips broken off the edge of the veneer? The rest of the set seems in good enough shape to strip and re-stain. I'm not sure what to do with the table top.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Natty,

    Thank you for the info on veneered furniture. I have a couple of pieces myself that are in need of repair and knew it was going to be a bit of work, but your post makes it seem more do-able.

    Keep the info coming!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lovely post, thanks for sharing some really great info :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is a great post! Definitely keep them coming. It is a good way for all of us to learn from each other. I have a desk that has been sitting in my garage because I can't make up my mind what the best approach is to fix the chipped veneer, patch or wood fill.

    Also, to respond to Lindsey's comment above, if you remove the veneer, the inexpensive wood below will most likely not stain well. However, if her intent is to paint it, why not just patch with wood fill and paint instead. I removed the veneer from the base of my dining room table using a heat gun and did a paint-a-stain finish to mimic the appearance of actual stain.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I do love it! I will come back again for furniture and checking out the feeds also.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have that very buffet! My grandparents had it and a china cabinet that I refinished. Luckly the veneer was still in great shape!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hello,
    I read your article with interest. I have a buffet (that I use as a dresser :), and it has veneer. However, some of the veneer was removed because it was cracked and deteriorating. Is there a way to replace it? Do you need to be a pro to do so?

    Thanks so much for your advice.
    Christina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That depends if it's wood veneer or plastic veneer. I guess either way, I've never done it. But I do know it's possible with real wood veneers.

      Delete