Expert: Eileen Cronk - 3/17/2008

Question
How do you repair veneer?  We got a Waterfalls vanity and wardrobe, but the vanity has a rounded edge that is chipping and has a hole there.  Is there some way to fix this?

Answer
Hi Bobbi
Nice to hear from you.
Unfortunately this is the hardest damage there is to attempt to fix.
I say attempt because thats all it usually is.
If the damage is actually on the waterfall edge (which it sounds like), imagine attempting to get glue under the damage then trying to clamp the area down while the glue dries. Pretty impossible.
And this area of damage gets like that because the veneer becomes brittle. Veneer in this condition will usually break more if pressure is applied.
So the answer to your question "Is there some way to fix this?", the answer is you can attempt it with glue and devise a method to try to hold the veneer in place while the glue dries.
Your other question "How do you repair veneer?"
Veneer on flat surfaces can be glued and clamped.
A lot of small chips can be filled with wood filler and sanded.
Then some finish applied to disguise the fix.
Bobbi I know this is not very encouraging, and I always try to assure folks that they can do most of these things themselves with a little guidance.
This is one case thats pretty much hopeless short of sending the pieces to a restorer and have new veneer applied over the entire top.
At present I have stored in my barn about 4 pieces of this waterfall furniture with the exact damage. I have no plans to fix them.
I just keep them for wood parts.
Kindest Regards
Eileen