The Top 6 Veneer Wood Finishes

Natural wood is used as a veneer and is typically put to plywood. Therefore, you must apply a wood finish to your veneer to create a barrier if you want to shield it from moisture, wear, sunshine, heat, insects, and filth.

The top veneer treatments are as follows:

1. Shellac
2. Oil
3. Polyurethane
4. Hard-Wax Oil
5. Varnish and
6. Lacquer

Shellac

Ideal for:

• Accent pieces of furniture and paneling
• Small objects

The sticky, resinous excretion of the female lac insect is used to make shellac. The use of denatured alcohol is with these excretions to dissolve them. When you apply it to your veneer, the alcohol dissolves and is replaced by a layer of natural resin that is bright, supple, and smooth.

The biggest advantage of using shellac is how beautiful it looks. It gives your veneer a gleaming gloss that enhances the inherent beauty of any color of the wood. Additionally, it has a soft, warm color that gives your veneer a slightly yellowish glow.

Compared to polyurethane and lacquer, shellac is substantially less resilient. Because it doesn’t respond well to heat or water, you should only use it on other veneers or furniture that won’t be subjected to weather or excessive use.

Even yet, shellac is a simple substance to use because it dries rapidly and is straightforward to apply. Additionally, because it is non-toxic, drying does not release any dangerous fumes.

Oil

 Ideal for:

• Small objects
• Veneers that won’t tarnish easily
• Objects that have already undergone oil-based staining or finishing
• Oily woods that shine naturally

Oil highlights the wood’s inherent beauty, but it isn’t particularly robust or protective. It is ideal for furniture or smaller items that are rarely used or exposed to heat. Tung oil and boiling linseed oil are two of the most used oils for the veneer. However, mineral oil is the most widely used in kitchens since it is the most hygienic.

Oils are not nearly as resilient or water-resistant as the other finishes on this list, albeit tung oil is more water-resistant than linseed oil. The major drawback of using oil is that, for maximum effects, it must be reapplied nearly monthly. Even so, drying times are brief; you only need to wait a few hours to apply oil coatings to your veneer.

Polyurethane

 Ideal for:

• Woods used for tabletop surfaces, counters, bars, flooring, and cabinets that will be subjected to heat and/or harsh use
• Existing oil-based stains or finishes on veneers
• Wood that has been heavily wetted
• Virtually any project

When polishing veneer woods, a polyurethane finish is always used. It seems ideal for shielding delicate veneers and heavily used surfaces because of its strength and durability. A hard resin material known as polyurethane dries to make the wood impervious to moisture, UV rays, scratches, and impact.

Because it has an amber patina that highlights the natural sheen in the majority of wood veneers, oil-based polyurethane mostly goes as the preferred choice. Water-based polyurethane, on the other hand, still performs an excellent job of protecting your veneer and does not patina, allowing the natural color of your wood to show through.

However, polyurethane finishes are not necessarily the greatest option for light-colored timbers that are meant for the outdoors. For example, patio furniture or oak decking can become yellow when exposed to the sun for an extended period of time.

Hard-Wax Oil

Ideal for:

• Surfaces in the kitchen and tables
• Bars, flooring, wall panels, and cabinets made of durable wood
• Sunlight-exposed veneers

Various numerous oils and waxes found in hard-wax oils enhance and seal your natural veneer. Their principal advantage is that, in contrast to polyurethane and acrylic treatments, they are comparatively non-toxic. In comparison to polyurethane and varnish, they also leave a surface that is softer, smoother, and less plastic-like.

The majority of hard-wax oils have slightly lowered durability than polyurethane. Hard-wax oil finishes don’t leave a raised plastic layer over your veneer, but they are easy to restore. When a hard-wax oil finish undergoes any damage, it has the uncommon ability to be repaired without sanding.

You may use hard-wax oil finishes indoors more easily because they don’t release any harmful fumes. They are quite standard when it comes to drying timeframes because they can take anywhere between four and 24 hours to finish drying.

Unless you buy one that has a stain or dye added to it, hard-wax oils only enhance the original color of your wood; they don’t add any additional tints or tones. Additionally, unlike many other wood finishes, they don’t fade over time, so your veneer will remain the same color years after installation.

Varnish

Ideal for:

• Tabletops, paneling, and other things that need to be durable
• Exposed parts to water
• Sun-exposed regions
• Woods with a light color

Typically, wood varnish comprises a thinner, oil, and resin. A single application can last for up to three years due to its high durability. The film finish of varnish might be matte, satin, or glossy. Although they typically come in paint cans, you can also find them available in spray bottles in the market, which facilitate seamless application.

However, varnish fills in the veneer’s inherent pores to give the color and grain pattern a natural sheen. It does not obscure the wood’s intrinsic grain. Additionally, it repels dirt, water, and insects since it fills in the tiny pores and crevices on your wood surface.

Moreover, the varnish is often transparent and doesn’t give the wood any color. To guarantee that you obtain the outcomes you want, carefully check the label of the varnish before applying it, as some may contain stains or dyes.

Mostly, people use varnish in the construction of decks and outdoor furniture because it provides good UV protection. Despite having some fumes, varnish dries more quickly than many other wood finishes. Therefore, for your protection, always wear a filtering mask when applying varnish.

Lacquer

Ideal for:

• Hard-wearing items like tabletops, chests, drawers, and bars
• You want the wood to shine with a high sheen.
• Wet veneers

Shellac, nitrocellulose, plasticizers, and frequently pigments make up varnish. You can find the durability of polyurethane and the beautiful finish of shellac combined with lacquer to provide a wonderful, all-around simple solution for use on veneer.

Varnish dries slower than lacquer, but each coat typically only needs a half-hour to dry. However, the lacquer won’t entirely cure for up to 24 hours. You won’t need to sand between coats of lacquer because it dries quickly and is extremely sturdy. It frequently leaves a very smooth surface and is one of the finishes with the fewest streaks.

Additionally, you find lacquer in spray cans, which makes finishing your wood quite straightforward. However, lacquer has a strong poisonous odor, so you should always wear a mask and keep a window or two open when using it inside.

Final Thoughts

Depending on how you want your veneer to look and where it will be placed, you can choose a variety of finishes. A few of the most resilient materials include polyurethane, varnish, and lacquer. On the other hand, hard-wax oil, shellac, and oil produce a silky, smooth sheen that seems less resistant to moisture, sunshine, and heat.