How to Store Wood Veneer
Here are a few tips for storing your gems from the forest.

Burl and Crotch Veneer
Some veneers are highly prone to warping. Burls and crotch veneers have unusual cell structures that expand and contract at different rates when there are changes in ambient humidity. These changes then affect the moisture content in those wood cells which causes buckling of the veneer. Burl and crotch veneer can be stored in anything that will prevent changes in moisture content. Plastic "cling" wrap or even a trash bag can be used for this purpose. Store the veneer flat and preferably with some evenly distributed weight on top.

Long Wood Veneer
Long wood veneers are typically rolled up for shipment. Once they arrive, it's best to slowly and carefully unroll the veneer and then store it flat. Exercise care when opening a roll of wood veneer. Don't let the veneer get out of hand and spring open as this could damage the wood.

Ideally, these veneers can be pressed between two pieces of plywood or MDF, shrink-wrapped together tightly, and then leaned against the wall or placed on a shelf. This method of storage minimizes changes in moisture content and prevents color fading caused by exposure to UV rays from sun and fluorescent light.

Rippled Veneer
Non-flat veneers such as burls and crotches are best flattened prior to use instead of prior to storage. The reason is that the flattening process can be short-lived for many of the unstable veneers types. So why flatten a veneer twice? Wait until a week prior to using the veneer before you start the process of flattening with veneer softener.

Shop Humidity
Considering running a dehumidifier if the veneer is stored in a basement or anywhere there is a high level of moisture in the air. If the area where you store the veneer is subject to heating in the colder months, then it's a good idea to invest in a humidifier to prevent over-drying the wood. A whole-house humidifier in the winter and a small dehumidifier in the spring and summer is well worth the cost for serious lumber and veneer users. These two items can also help protect furniture projects from splitting.

End Tape
Some suppliers ship veneer with brown kraft tape applied to the ends to prevent splitting during transit. Removing this kind of tape can be a challenge, it is usually best to simply cut off the tape with a veneer saw. Instead of brown tape, we often use blue painter's tape on the veneers shipped from our website because this tape is easier to remove and the adhesive is mild enough to allow some expansion of the wood cells without causing buckling or splitting. To remove the tape without splitting the veneer, pull it off in the direction of the grain.

Some users may want to leave the tape on the veneer until it is ready to be used on a project. There are both positive and negative outcomes from doing this, but as a general rule of thumb, it's probably best to leave the blue tape in place until the project is ready for the veneer work. Perhaps the most common exception to this rule is a wide flat-cut veneer which has a greater tendency to expand and contract with changes in moisture content. This is especially true for maple veneer.

If your veneer has a split, you can prevent it from advancing by placing small pieces of blue tape (or standard veneer tape) along the length of the split. This will allow the wood cells to shrink and expand each season without stressing the entire width of the veneer.

Shelf Life
Typically, there is no "shelf life" to a veneer when it is stored properly. 

Additional Veneer Storage Tips
Veneers stored in damp environments are subject to patches of mold. To prevent this from occurring, use a dehumidifier in the area where the veneers are kept. And should a patch of mold form, wipe on a light coat of oxalic acid (wood bleach) which is available in most hardware stores. It is often used to clean wood decks. Follow the directions on the container. Be aware that it could cause darker veneers like walnut to lighten up a bit.

For medium-sized veneers, you may want to sandwich them between two oversized sheets of MDF or plywood. Then use shrink wrap or duct tape to hold the sandwich together.

Large veneers can be stored unrolled too. Some users make a shelf above their garage door from a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood, and keep a couple layers of trash bags over the veneers to minimize moisture changes. You also might also be able to convince your spouse to let you store veneer under your couch or bed.