We were seriously confused about veneers when we started refinishing wood furniture. Almost every piece we picked up seemed to have a veneer surface. Are veneers real wood? Can you sand and stain them? The answer to both is YES!
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What is wood veneer? It is a thin layer of real wood. It’s often good quality wood with amazing grain that is especially beautiful when stained. Wood veneers are part of many very good quality antique pieces. Below we’ll share with you a few tips for successfully refinishing furniture with wood veneer.
Tip 1 – Make sure it is wood veneer and not laminate
Wood veneer is a thin layer of real wood. Laminate is not wood but rather plastic printed to look like wood. If you don’t know whether a surface is laminate or wood, try sanding a small patch. If you see wood grain, it’s not laminate. Laminate can’t be stained (but it CAN be painted).
To figure out if you have veneer or solid wood, take a look at the back. If you can see pressboard or what looks like different substrates, it is not solid wood.
Tip 2 – Check the thickness of the veneer
Wood veneers are thin – we’re talking less than 1/8th of an inch and whether you can sand and restain a veneer will depend on how thick the particular wood veneer is. Start by hand sanding a small section to see if you can remove the old finish without sanding through the veneer. If your test patch is okay, you can continue with the rest of the piece.
Tip 3 – Sand the wood veneer carefully
We’ve got three young kids so we’re always looking for ways to work efficiently. More than once we’ve pulled out the old belt sander to save time and gone right through the veneer we wanted to save. Sand lightly, by hand if necessary, or using a palm sander. We have good success with this relatively inexpensive Black & Decker palm sander which you can find here:
Tip 4 – Have a back up plan – paint!
If the veneer is too thin to remove the finish, consider painting some areas and sanding and staining other areas of the piece that are solid wood. We almost always start by trying to sand the veneer and, if it doesn’t work out, we paint it. The mixed paint and wood look can be quite striking. You can read more about our technique for getting a near perfect paint finish here.
Tip 5 – Stain the wood veneer as you would any solid wood
Once you’ve managed to remove the old finish without sanding through the veneer, you’re golden (or whatever stain color you choose :). There are no special rules for staining a veneer and you can use your favorite oil based, water based or gel stain as you would on solid wood. We used this one here.
We hope this has cleared up some of the confusion about what veneers are and whether they can be refinished. It might seem tedious to have to sand so carefully but the results are almost always totally worth it! Below is refinished wood veneer on a waterfall dresser we refinished for my sister, which you can read about here. Have you successfully sanded a veneer? How did it go? Share you tips below!
Hi,
Just read your instructions for refinishing veneer. I have a fairly new table I bought from wayfair and want to refinish top with a stain. I have a palm sander but was wondering what number sandpaper to begin with. Thank you for your help with this matter.
I wouldn’t use anything grittier than 150. You want to be careful not to sand through the veneer.
Yes, coarser than medium grit is a risk! Thanks for your comment Heather!
Hi Dolores, you can start with a med/fine grit around 180-220. Don’t apply too much pressure and keep your sander moving to avoid going through the veneer. Thanks for the question and good luck!
I didn’t know it was veneer and sanded it with grit 80, it became really thin.. The “wood below it is not real wood. Should I stain it or better paint it? Thanks.
Hello, unfortunately if the particle board underneath has now come through it likely won’t stain well. But painting it should not be a problem! Good luck!
Hi, I have a vintage mahogany chest of drawers and the top and sides are mahogany veneer with some scratches and crazing. What should I clean the existing finish with? What grit of sandpaper should I use and what kind of stain? Thanks
Hi Sandy, veneers are tricky because you don’t want to sand through. You might want to try a chemical stripper followed by a light sand. Once the old finish is removed, you can use any stain. We like to use Fusion’s Stain & Finishing Oil for an all-in-one finish! Best of luck!
What a wonderful resource for how to treat veneer! I have a dining table of very soft pine with a super thin veneer on top. In many places the veneer has flaked or scratched off. Should I remove the veneer and try to do something to restore and protect the pine? I appreciate any info!
Hi Jennifer, sometimes removing the veneer is the only option left! You can use a heat gun and gently lift with a putty knife. Good luck!
Awesome work! I’m new to this and I am going to attempt veneering a vintage Yamaha receiver cabinet once I gain a little more confidence.
Thanks so much!! We hope your project goes smoothly!
Hi, I’m Sandra and I’m new at refinishing and stripping furniture. I think I sanded too hard and went through the vaner. I’ve read post about painting over it yet is it inexpensive to replace the vaneer on the top of the bedstand I’m refinishing?
Hi Sandra, new veneer can be purchased and it’s not too expensive but it is very tricky to install. Paint is always an option. Good luck!
Hi,
I am building a piece of cabinetry to enclose a decorative fire which will be finished in oak veneer. I am unable to obtain the exact colour veneer to match surrounding wall units and I am concidering staining the veneer sheets to obtain a match. The veneer sheets have been stained with a water based dye by the manufacturer. Can I dye straight over the veneer sheets with a similar water based dye or do I still need to sand down first?
Hello, you should be fine to apply another water based stain on top. I would give it a light sand with a fine grit sandpaper to give it a little tooth. You’ll have to check with the manufacturer about heat resistance if it will be near a heat source. Best of luck!
You don’t use a protective finish over the stain, like polyurethane or varnish?
Hello, it depends on the product. Many stains come with a built in sealer. If there is a sealer in the product, we don’t apply a separate top coat. Hope this helps!
I want to draw gold lines in a deco pattern on my veneered wood cabinet. What will stick? gold pen or gold paint and will it stick and stay?
What do you suggest
Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, gold paint using a thin brush will work. I’ve heard gold leafing pens are also effective but haven’t tried myself. Good luck!
First rule when refinishing antiques, especially veneers-DON’T SAND WITH A SANDER!!
Chemically strip the old finish! Don’t know how many times I have to say this to novices (and people who have been doing this for a while too).Sanding off an old finish does not remove it at the pore level, unless you’re very aggressive.. and it can interfere with re-staining and finishing. There are examples ALL over the Blogosphere. Also you don’t have to go through the veneer, you can sand just aggressively enough to go into the actual glue that holds on the veneer, while still having veneer there, and that will also then not stain evenly. Everyone is TOO quick to grab the power sander when restoring/ refinishing furniture!Also, 90% of mass produced furniture in the last 120 years is finished with Lacquer. Lacquer is highly restorable in many cases.. without stripping or sanding it off…just two cents worth from someone with over 40 years experience…
Thanks for sharing!
I have veneer walls and are damaged how do I fix them?? thank you
I have veneer walls and are damaged how do I fix them?? thank you stain them? I want to stain them