Wood Veneer Repairs and Inlay Restoration
We can provide a full wood veneer repairs service from our workshop.
The process of layering a small amount of more attractive wood over a cheaper or less attractive wood goes back nearly 4,000 years to the time of the Pharaohs. To make a veneer, a uniform, thin layer of wood must be sliced from a larger log. Usually this is a hardwood tree with a patterned or figured wood. This wood is then glued onto a cheaper underlying material. The veneer can then be finished with stain or polish to produce a fine attractive decorative surface.
On antique furniture combinations of different substances can be combined. Wood veneers, tortoiseshell, mother of pearl, pewter, brass, bone, ivory and abelone were often used. These can be placed in geometric or decorative patterns referred to as parquetry and marquetry. Alternatively, on solid wood surfaces, the process of inlay can be used. A channel is cut into the wood and another wood or material is inlaid into the solid wood.
Because the veneer layer is thin, it can be easily damaged by abrasion, impact or the penetration of water. Over time the glue binding it to the substrate can also perish. This makes the veneer susceptible to peeling, bubbling and splitting.
Here at Guild, we have a large selection of new and salvaged veneers available to match the missing veneer on your piece. However we always try to salvage and re-lay as much of the original as possible when performing a veneer repair.
Estimates for Wood Veneer Repairs
To obtain an estimate for your veneer repair, please take a photograph of the whole surface in good light, then detailed pictures of the major areas of damage, and send them through to us with measurements.