Refinishing particle board with vinyl veneer

Question

I have an old cabinet that is made from engineered wood with a laminate finish that resembles wood, but is definitely not hardwood. I am not sure what the finish is called but it is paper thin and not made of any real wood. See attached photo. From what I can tell this kind of fake finish is extremely common in modern cabinetry and furniture.

The laminate finish has become damaged and worn out over time. Is it possible to redo this laminate finish myself so that it matches the existing fake wood tone as closely as possible? If so, what is the product I am looking for called?

(Contact paper is a last ditch solution, but I would like to actually redo the finish if possible.)

Edit: The linked question is about water damage, and seems to have nothing to do with the question I am asking here (note also that there is no water damage in my case). I am asking specifically about redo-ing the finish, and how to identify and use the product that would be needed to re-finish this. I don’t see this answered in the linked question. Prior to my question being closed, I was close to getting an answer to my question.

Answer 1

You are giving it to much fancy words. That is not engineered wood, just plain particle board (cheap). It is not covered by wood veneer. –

To do it looking great, you would buy some wood veneer and glue it on to. Guaranteed it will not partially peel off ever. –

Also, forget matching, just do the whole surface. –

If you are just locking for quick repair, be aware that the paint will not cover the existing defects. You will still see them afterward. The only way to avoid that the whole surface has to be sanded smooth.

Now go to a paint store and ask.

Answer 2

Wood-grain laminate sheets are widely available. They are commonly used for countertops. Formica® and Wilsonart® are two major US brands, no endorsement implied. They also come in many other patterns and colors...

That type of product is usually installed with contact cement - follow the directions very carefully as it works differently than most people expect (you apply to both surfaces, let dry completely, keep them separated while lining the laminate up, then remove the separators to bring the surfaces into contact, where they will grab immediately, for most types.)

Depending on the exact material you have, commonly available sheets (pretty much any home center, or large orange or blue box store has them or can order them in your chosen pattern) may be somewhat thicker than some of the "more than contact paper, but less than countertop" laminates you'll find on some mass-produced furniture. But countertop thickness is what you can easily find or get, IME. It wears quite well if carefully installed.

For the type of damage you show, it may be more economical to replace the top, rather than remove the laminate remaining and get the apparently damaged particle board flat to receive new laminate. You can possibly find a new pre-laminated countertop in a similar pattern.

Answer 3

That cabinet counter top must be replaced.

The original top surface has worn or been damaged and the particle board is now compromised. The wood particles are coming apart and will be an issue that will be apparent when any repair is done. An attempt to glue a new surface over the degraded wood, will fail. Attempts to fill the area will result in the same and be noticeable as a dip or a bump. Anything done to save this is a hack.

If you want a counter that is anything other than representing a poor repair, you need to replace it.

Answer 4

Redo the finish? Not on your life.

But if I'm right, and that is indeed the cabinet floor, you are allowed to just completely replace it with Real Wood™. Get a few boards, cut to fit, and lay them side-by-side right on top of the shitty original floor. Screw down into the framing, and pretend this never happened.

If raising the cabinet floor by 1" won't cause huge problems (bumping up against pipes, or interfering with drawer/door motion), then that's probably what I'd do, if I really wanted to keep the cabinet.

(Replacing the whole cabinet is also an option. Not a cheap one, but not really that much more expensive than any worthwhile repair you could do.)