6 Beginner-Friendly Steps for Repairing Water-Damaged Wood Veneer Like a Professional

Clean the Veneer

Taking care of wood veneer requires routinely cleaning its surface. Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve been lax about the upkeep—most of us are. Before you get started on your DIY project to fix water-damaged wood furniture and surfaces, you’ll need to clean it. 

Slightly dampen a cloth—it should be both soft and lint-free—with a wood furniture cleaner. Clean the surface by wiping the cloth in the same direction as the pattern of the wood grain. This will remove dust, dirt, and fingerprints from your wood veneer. Follow up by wiping the surface dry with a clean, dry cloth.

Remove White Spots

Photo: undefined undefined / iStock / Getty Images

When dealing with water damage, your wood furniture could feature white spots that appear in clusters or isolated areas. It all depends on how water comes in contact with it. Your next step in figuring out how to repair water-damaged wood veneer is removing these spots. Fortunately for you, it’s pretty easy to reverse this damage if the water hasn’t sunk too deep into the wood.

With a soft cloth and a stain remover—liquid furniture polish or denatured alcohol—gently buff the cloth over the white spots. And yes, we mean gently. If you get carried away, the white spots won’t be the only thing you get rid of as it’s also possible to take off some of the veneer. Once you’ve removed all the white water spots, use a clean cloth to wipe off the stain remover.

Remove Blushing

When moisture gets trapped beneath a wood finish, it can cause blushing. And no, it’s not as pleasant as a rosy coloring on the cheeks.

Blushing is a light, milky color that appears on wood surfaces. Removing it requires some experimentation a la your sixth-grade science fair if you don’t know what finish you’re working with. First, you must figure out if you’re dealing with a shellac or lacquered finish. 

With another clean cloth—dampened with denatured alcohol—swipe along the blushing in quick, gentle strokes. If the alcohol starts dissolving the finish and the blushing disappears, you’re working with a shellacked finish. In this case, keep doing what you’re doing until your veneer clears. If the alcohol doesn’t work, your wood veneer finish is lacquer. To remove blushing from lacquered surfaces, replace the denatured alcohol with a blush eliminator that dissolves your lacquered finish and lets the moisture escape. 

Let the surface dry for 24 hours.

Strip and Sand the Veneer

Photo: Aitor Diago / Moment / Getty Images

After you’ve removed any blushing from your wood veneer, you’re likely dealing with one or more areas without any wood finish. To give your wood a noticeable facelift, a smooth surface is non-negotiable. You’ll need protective gear—eyewear and a mask—some time and a little bit of elbow grease to strip and sand your wood. 

Stripping Your Wood Veneer

Stripping your furniture isn’t necessary, especially if you only deal with minor dents and scratches. In that case, you can stick to sanding. However, using a chemical stripper can be a lifesaver and timesaver—and literal wood saver—if you’re working on a large surface or trying to eliminate extensive damage. For example, you might find stripping your wood necessary in the aftermath of water seeping through your floor.

Use a paintbrush to apply a chemical stripper to your wood. Don’t be stingy with it either. You don’t want clumps of the stripper sitting along the wood, but it should be generously coated. The instructions on the product will tell you how long to let it sit, but a good rule of thumb is to wait around 30 minutes. Use a plastic putty knife to scrape off the old varnish. Unless you want to transform this ‘how to repair water-damaged wood veneer’ into ‘how to damage wood veneer,’ you’ll stay away from a metal knife for this DIY project.

Sanding Your Wood Veneer

Moving toward the wood grain, use sandpaper to buff out any imperfections in the wood, focusing on any areas with water damage. For larger areas, use an orbital sander and sandpaper. Use a dry cloth to wipe away the dust before moving on.

Apply a Waterproof Varnish

It’s not enough to repair water-damaged wood veneer. You need to protect it. Varnish protects your wooden furniture with a durable, shell-like finish. It’s resistant to yellowing and acts like sunscreen against UV rays, protecting your wood from cracking or warping.

Pour the waterproof varnish of your choice into a bucket or container. Use a paintbrush to collect as much varnish as possible. If your DIY project involves fixing water-damaged wood floors, you’ll need a larger stain brush to complete the job quickly.

Starting at one side of the surface, apply the varnish across its entire length in one long stroke, using firm pressure the entire time. Pick up more product with the paintbrush and repeat until you’ve covered the entire surface, slightly overlapping each stroke.

Your wooden furniture isn’t a canvas, so you’ll want to avoid the back-and-forth strokes that are normal in a paint job. After covering the surface in long, smooth strokes, let the varnish dry. Varnish usually requires multiple coats, so follow the directions on the product for information on application and drying time. Prepare yourself—some products recommend you let the varnish dry for at least 24 hours between coats.

Let It Cure

The final step in your DIY journey of learning how to repair water-damaged wood veneer requires no work and a little patience. You haven’t fully remedied your wooden veneer until you’ve let the waterproof varnish cure. Curing is when a liquid—your varnish—solidifies by drying or cooling. Before you place any products on your wooden furniture, let it cure for two to three days.