Bubbling delaminating veneer

last month

We have many areas of bubbling and delaminating of a white-oak rift-cut veneer (along with unfortunately some door warping,
edge banding delaminating, and
finish issues) on newly installed custom kitchen cabinets. We were told that this is a purchased product of the veneer applied to a mdf substrate - the cabinetmaker did not apply the veneer himself. He did the edge banding.
There are many areas of these bubbling/delaminating issues first seen as the stain was being applied.
Can this bubbling and delaminating be repaired without discoloration and other sight or future problems as the cabinetmaker suggests? (One repair attempt resulted in dark, splotchy areas.)
Replacement of all door and drawer fronts will be necessary (matching) if repairs fail. This would include three large stationary panels that contain most of the bubbling - panels installed under a countertop and as fridge and oven framing walls. The cabinetmaker is refusing to do that.
Options?

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Comments (7)

Fern
Original Author
last month
The sheets of the pre-fab veneered material were cut into our cabinet fronts - boxes were made of ‘real’ wood.

The general contractor hired the cabinetmaker for our remodel. Both are now uncooperative in admitting the problems and that repairs will not be successful despite failure on an earlier repair attempt in one area.

I’m looking for independent opinions of experience in fixing these types of delaminated problems to determine if repair really is an option, and to decide legal options and costs.

No other contractor or cabinetmaker I have since talked to has seen this type of failure. They all recommended replacement as the only option with so many areas delaminating and bubbling. They said maybe a wood worker/finisher can better respond to repair issues.
Fern
Original Author
last month
Minneapolis. The Cost was very similar or higher to three other contractor estimates to entirely redo the kitchen cabinets- (additional costs for the demo and rework of counters, floors etc if damaged). Due to the difficulty of replacing the bubbled large panels, an entire redo has been suggested. One says the boxes might be salvageable with new fronts and panels made. The biggest failure they all say is the GC and cabinetmaker not admitting the true scope of the problems and doing the correct fix. No one can say the repair route will work. We’re trying to determine if anyone had experience and success in repairs to allow that as their suggested option before we file a lawsuit or insurance claim . We asked for signed assurances of replacement if repairs fail - they have refused so far.
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millworkman
last month
"No one can say the repair route will work."

You need to weigh it all out. Couple weeks for the repair, 2 weeks for it to fall apart again. Then what is the lead time for them to get "better" material and rebuild everything? You will have lost 2 months before you found out the repair will not work, THEN you will need them to siurce the proper material and rubuild everything. This is all great if you do not mind the issue dragging on into late 2023 early 2024. I still think their "finishing" of the plywood probably caused the veneer to delaminate, so do you really think they will source better material and use a better finishing method? You need to weight the entire magilla and decide what you want to do. Have you consulted with a construction attorney?
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Joseph Corlett, LLC
last month
The cabinetmaker is on the hook here as is the GC who hired him. You're going to have to get nasty, I'm sure.
bry911
last month
last modified: last month
@Fern - Bubbles in veneer can be repaired. The repair is annoying and time consuming but it is permanent. However, the pictured veneer is checking and checking can't be fixed. It can sometimes be hidden but it is never going to be fixed.

Anyone who works with unsized veneer long enough will have a failure, there are dozens of reasons it could have failed and there is no way anyone on this board can tell you why. The only way to prevent failure is to glue size the veneer and that is a time consuming, space consuming, and annoying process that few cabinet shops would bother with.

It sucks that this happened, and your cabinetmaker may have never had this failure before. Checking and bubbling often just suddenly appear with no real change in the veneering process and can disappear just as fast, but they can also hang around until you find and correct the cause. I find it difficult to believe that cabinetmakers are stumped by a checking and bubbling veneer. It is something they should be aware of.

Your cabinetmaker can't fix this, it is going to have to be replaced. It is the danger of not glue sizing veneers and, while it certainly makes a lot of financial sense not to do so, every once in a while it will bite you in the rear. Your cabinetmaker is 100% on the hook if s/he purchased the materials. I can't imagine the cabinetmaker even requiring you to get an attorney as this is such a straight up loser. No one in their right mind would try to defend a checked veneer as anything other than a manufacturer defect.
Fern
Original Author
last month
Thank you all for your comments! They are much appreciated and helpful. It has been frustrating to work through the issues as the homeowners without full knowledge of the problem. Of course we hoped for integrity and responsibility of the professionals to work through even unexpected problems. We also guess it may be a first occurrence for the contractor and that the inexperience (and estimated cost and involvement of proper correction) has driven their ‘repair’ response. Repairs suggested are to cut, inject glue, and roll the bubbles out. There are just too many of these areas and one such previous attempt has failed. Unfortunately, yes legal action appears the next (and even more costly) step.
bry911
last month
last modified: last month
@Fern It looks like the veneer is starting to check. If that is the case, cutting and injecting glue isn’t going to fix it. It is a complete failure.

It looks like it is just starting to check, but it is only going to get worse.

Bubbling delaminating veneer

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Bubbling delaminating veneer

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