Every door in my house looks like this due to past owner pets and a bit of my own cats helping the damage along. It's been a project on the list for years and now i'm finally getting to it.
I, of course, started with looking at new doors. But my doors are a non-standard size as far as I can tell (29.75in x 79.25in) so I think I would have to get the cut custom to fit?
I then looked into things like peel and stick wallpaper and the like but I don't know if that will look good, or lay properly flat since it's so damaged and, of course, my cats just need one swipe to damage it yet again.
Then I looked into the wood filler, which I didn't know was a thing until I saw a comment on a door repair video. But I'm not sure if that will work here?
So that's all that I've researched but I'm unsure as to what the best approach is, any help would be appreciated. I would really like to make as little waste and spend as little money as possible, while still have staying power to the repair. How would you go about it? Any tips/tricks?
I would sand 'em down, apply filler (bought, or you could, as I did, use some of the dust + wood glue) to where ever there's a big scratch or chunk missing, and for the final step, apply varnish or something like linseed oil (if the wood has a nice grain). Just did all that in an old flat my family and I are currently renovating! Hope that helps. :)
I forgot to mention: If the old veneer is coated with kinda thickish laquer, you should try how sanding works; if it's hard work, you could try a hot-air gun on it. You can then either scrape the old coating off while it's hot, or burn it kinda crispy - it should make the sanding-down process a lot easier.
But wear proper masks for all those steps and make sure there's enough air flow!
Edit: Be careful not to burn the wood if you try that method! :P
It's gonna be hard and time-consuming work if you do it like I did, but the result is worth it.