How To Repair Laminate Wood Furniture

Happy St. Patrick's Day friends!

If you lot've always passed-up an astonishing piece of furniture due to peeling or chipped veneer – this post is for you! I'yard living proof that these types of repairs aren't that hard!

It'south a common problem with older furniture. Vintage pieces get exposed to heat, humidity, or the very worst – h2o. The glue holding the veneer starts to release and this results in chips, blisters or peeling.

Hither's an example on this antique dresser I recently picked up. Her age is visible in the dry out cracked surface and the veneer is peeling and chipping in few areas.

How To Fix Peeling Veneer:

With a piece like this, I would ordinarily cutting it off and fill up it in, simply I want to prove y'all how easy it is to glue veneer downward. A gum repair works best if y'all have a piece of veneer that's an exact fit and matches upward with the existing grain.

If information technology'southward not a match – don't glue!

If you practise, it will be impossible to stain – well – super difficult. And even if you decide to pigment, often the departure in grain makes for a blotchy looking pigment chore.

How To Glue Peeling Veneer:

Use a good wood gum. Elmer'southward, Titebond or Gorilla Wood Mucilage are popular brands. Here I used a Lee Valley Cabinetry Gum. When I want a short dry time, Contact Cement works nicely too. Just be aware when using Contact Cement, there'due south no flexibility. Getting the pieces to bring together perfectly beginning time around is of import because that stuff won't allow become!

Be generous with the glue. I'm generous with the glue and I employ a pocket-size toothpick so I can spread it right into all the nooks and crannies of the repair. Then I press downward with my fingers. Wipe the excess mucilage away, and and then clamp or weight downwards until the glue is totally dry.

How To Fix Chipped Veneer:

When I encounter chipping veneer, it usually means at that place's more where that came from. I give my pieces a really proficient one time over and make sure I remove it all. The very worst thing is to miss these loose pieces – paint – and THEN have the veneer chip off leaving a big scar on your finished slice!

Annihilation that can be pulled upwardly with a razor or sharp utility knife is best cut abroad. I score the veneer well above the damage where the gum is all the same property. Then chip off the old chipping expanse.

In one case all the damaged veneer is removed, I similar to use this Bondo for the repairs.

Bondo doesn't shrink like forest filler tin. It also dries faster than wood filler does. However, it's not the easiest to sand and it's smelly. I've written another Bondo repair tutorial then you can find How To Mix & Use Bondo here.

Sanding is the last pace. To get a professional finish, I sand to a super smooth finish and make sure I experience no lumps or bumps when I run my paw over the surface.Hither the dresser is all patched prior to sanding the Bondo repairs. I'm using Dixie Belle Chalky Pigment (first time) so no priming or sanding is needed for the rest of the dresser!