Expert: Jamie Yocono - 7/31/2007

Question
Hi Jamie,

At a recent party someone spilled a glass of water on my wood (veneer) coffee
table, and I didn't notice it until hours later.  Now the veneer has "bubbled" up
from the surface- is there any way to flatten this out?
Thanks!
Heather

Answer
Hi Heather,

I'll try to help with your bubbled veneer, but it sort of depends on the type of glue that was used.

If they used an older method of applying the veneer, you might be in luck. This glue was heat activated, so applying heat with an iron might work. The only problem is that the wood veneer itself probably swelled with the moisture, so you need to slit the bubble the entire length, with a sharp, clean razor blade. Then apply some heat.

You need to put a layer of wax paper down first, in case any glue oozes out, and then about 3 layers of something padded, like a dish cloth or even an old T-shirt.  Using medium heat, apply the iron to the padded area, checking every 10-15 seconds to see what's occurring what you're aiming for is the two sides of the bubble to start to overlap each other. When this starts to happen, you're going to CAREFULLY trim that overlapping area, so that the two sides fit together again. Basically, you're removing a little veneer so that the bubble can sit flat again.

If you get it trimmed nicely and have a nice fit, apply some more heat, until it appears as if the glue is going to hold. I would recommend clamping it flat while it cools- but I'm guessing you probably don't have the necessary clamps to do this. Plus- if it's located in the middle of a table top, it's difficult to clamp anything in that area. So find some heavy books- I'm not kidding - and stack 20 or so of them on top of the repair overnight.

If you're lucky, this will solve the problem.

If the glue doesn't react to heat, it's probably not a hide glue (as in the above instance) and you're pretty much stuck with a blistered top. But- this might help. Try to find a syringe, like the one you would get a shot from your doctor. Put some glue in it, and inject it into the blister.  Elmers white glue is OK, but Titebond is better. Do it in a couple of places, if the blister is large. Then- try using some books again, making sure that you don't glue them to the table top. Don't laugh, I've seen it done.

Good luck, I hope this helps. Write back if you need more advice.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com