Veneer kitchen cabinets

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Measure and check veneer

We've made it through the measuring and checking the kitchen cabinets for squareness, now it's time to apply their new veneer face.

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Apply The Veneer

The prestigious name is flexible veneer. If we were to get kind of frivolous or to use a name that sounds like it's real easy stuff to use we could call it peel 'n' stick wood. The original veneer on your kitchen cabinets was applied at a factory and probably rolled evenly with a few thousand pounds per square inch of pressure. That much pressure helps, but isn't a requirement for a good job of veneering which will last for many, many years.

Decide on an edge of your kitchen cabinet part to start, making allowance for the squareness that you've already checked, then peel the paper from the first couple of inches along the edge of the piece of veneer and position the piece as near to the edge as you can, leaving a few hairs distance overlap, then gently tap it down several places along the edge. It should be stuck down enough that it won't move when you don't want it to, but hopefully will come up if you need for it to. The stuff is the last word in sticky and generally when it's laid and pressed you will never lift it or reposition it in any manner.

Very carefully reach underneath and start removing the backing paper and as you remove the paper smooth the veneer with your hand across the center of the up and down distance of the piece you're veneering. As you're smoothing across, radiate your smoothing from the center out in both directions, so that when you get to the final edge the veneer is smoothed onto the piece in all directions so that there aren't any bubbles or wrinkles.

Press The Veneer To Last A Lifetime

Use tools like the ones at Refacing Tools to fasten the veneer down permanently. Using a roller or veneering blade apply as much pressure as you can muster and starting in the center work your way out in all directions.

Although lots of pressure is good, a 90 pound 60 year old housewife can do just as good and just as lasting a job veneering as a 200 pound 20 year old muscle builder.

Onward and Upward

That takes care of applying the veneer to your kitchen cabinets, so we'd better go to Trim and Prepare for finishing or you can go to the Kitchen Cabinet Refacing Menu to review some of the other subjects.