How to Remove Veneer from Furniture
Ever see an old piece of furniture with the top layer of wood peeling off? This is the wood veneer, and the glue holding it down has failed. While it may seem intimidating, these pieces can absolutely be fixed up and given a new life. In this article, I will share how to remove veneer from a piece of furniture. This was one of the first furniture repairs I learned how to do and it has served me well over the years!
What is veneer?
Veneer is a thin layer of wood that is glued down to a less expensive wood (often poplar) or engineered wood (particle board or MDF). It is very common in vintage furniture, adding a layer of fancy hardwood (such as mahogany or walnut). These vintage pieces are 100% wood and are durable and high-quality pieces of furniture. The veneer is glued on with a water-soluble glue. Over time that glue deteriorates (and/or is impacted by moisture) and the veneer will begin to lift or bubble.
In newer furniture, you will find veneers on particle board or MDF. These vary significantly in their quality and are not easily repaired. The process I’m describing below will only work if the piece of furniture is solid wood underneath.
When do you need to remove the veneer?
This is often a judgment call. For smaller bubbles or sections, you might be able to glue down the problem area. Or simply remove it altogether and fill it with wood filler. More details on basic veneer repair can be found in this article about common furniture repairs.
When there is a significant amount of veneer damage, sometimes it’s better to just take it all off. I will usually do the “tap” test to see if there are sections where the glue is not holding anymore. If you tap lightly you can hear/feel the difference. The areas that are glued down properly will sound different than those that are not. If you don’t address areas with failed glue, they will likely bubble up when you apply your water-based paint.
For this project (see the before and after photos above), the dresser I was working on was a beautiful peice of furniture. It was very well made – structurally was still in great shape and the interiors of the drawers were nearly flawless. However, the veneer on top and some of the drawer fronts were lifting away, and it was significant enough that it all had to come off. I had to use a few different methods to get the veneer off, which makes it a great example project to share.
By hand
If you’re lucky, you’ll have sections that just peel right off! That’s what happened to the drawer fronts and I made quick work of them. For the top, it was lifting, but not as easily, so I took a stiff putty knife and a hammer to pry up the areas that were already starting to lift. This worked for the front section and some of the back, but there was a significant amount that I couldn’t remove in the middle, so I had to try something else.
With a wet towel and iron
So this is where things start to get a little messy. To start, take a soaking wet towel and let it sit for a couple of hours (up to 24 if you’re patient enough) to get the veneer wet. Sometimes the water alone can dissolve the glue enough so that you can peel it off with your putty knife and hammer.
If that doesn’t work, add some heat with an old iron. I’ll let the iron sit for at least a minute or so (making sure the towel stays wet so you don’t burn anything). Then come back in with your putty knife/hammer combo and peel it away. This can take a while if the glue is stubborn. I’ll work in sections until I have it all removed.
I have also seen people use a heat gun or even a hair dryer for this step. I don’t own a heat gun so I’ve never tried this. But I have tried a hairdryer and didn’t think it worked as well. The water from the towel really helps dissolve the glue.
The veneer is off, now what?
Once you’ve removed all of the veneer you can prepare your surface for paint. If you used water in your removal process, you’ll need to let that dry completely. The surface will still have glue and maybe some wood bits that you’ll need to sand off. This is one job where you should have an electric sander – hand sanding would be very difficult!
What you decide to do from here depends on the quality of the wood. It may be nice enough to stain and seal. It may not be all that pretty to look at (remember it was never meant to see the light of day) and needs to be painted. If you’re painting and there is unevenness, wormholes, or other imperfections, you will need to fill those with wood filler and sand smooth before painting.
For this project, I decided paint was the way to go so I filled up some knots and holes, sanded smooth, and then primed and painted as I normally would.
Summary
I hope this helps you understand exactly what veneer is and how to tackle a piece that has failing veneer. There are so many pieces of vintage furniture out there that may be overlooked becuase their veneer is a disaster. As always, let me know if you have any questions!