I had a question about repairing the boards and side boards of kitchen cabinetry. I am not actually wanting to fix the actual cabinets, but the sides of the cabinets are made with some type of wood and then it looks like they pressed with a faux wood grain veneer or contact paper. On another cabinet (not shown), the faux wood grain paper/veneer or whatever you want to call it, has started to chip off. I think it’s either cause of old-age, humidity, moisture, etc. Since it’s just a faux wood grain finish on top of a cheap wood, what is the best way to repair it? I thought of a few options which range from a cover up to a complete replacement:
-try to match a wood filler crayon or marker and just cover up the missing portions. This would be a quick fix.
-find a matching tape or contact paper and just cover up the relevant portions
-find a paint that would cover up the portions
-find a contact paper roll or veneer finish and completely cut the paper and paste it onto the side of the cabinetry.
I really want to stay away from a replacement and would rather just find a quick fix or cover up. From your experience and insight, what do you think would be the best? What color do you think would match these faux grains?
picture of wood grain on side of cabinet
Best Answer
Repairing this type of material is difficult, although I have seen it done. It is an art project of matching paint colors and drawing in the wood grain. I doubt it will hold up though. Covering it up is your best option and there are several ways to do it.
1 - I think your best bet is to find a cabinet refacing supplier. There are many on the internet and you should be able to find an end skin. This is either a thin sheet of plywood or veneer and many are self adhesive. In cabinet refacing, they cover the outside surfaces of a cabinet and replace the doors so they have a lot of color and wood options.
2 - You can buy what is essentially wood grain contact paper and cover it up. Be sure that surface is as clean as possible before applying the new contact paper.
3 - I see a small strip of wood at the bottom. I would have to see what the whole cabinet looks like, but you may be able to take that off and replace it with a wider strip of wood if the damage is confined to the lower part of the cabinet as it appears in this picture.
4 - You can go the a local wood store and buy veneer or thin plywood and stain it to match.
Good Luck!