What is Wood Veneer?
No other building material is as lovely as wood. You can find wooden furniture in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes. There are also beautiful wood species that are specially chosen to make wooden furnitures like oak, maple, and walnut. You can also find wooden furniture pieces made from solid wood and wood veneer. This guide will give introduce you to lovely and elegant wood veneers.
Wood veneers explained
Wood veneer is a thin layer of wood that is cut from a large log of wood. It is very different from solid wood because this is sawn from a huge log. Veneer is like cardboard-thin pieces of the original wood. Cutting solid wood produces more waste than cutting wood veneer, therefore, it is more efficient to cut veneers in wood than cutting solid wood pieces. Processing a log into veneer allows you to maximize the added value that you can get from logs.
Wood veneers are used to provide finishing to various wood-based products. It is glued on to different types of engineered woods like plywood, blockboard, particleboard, MDF and more to provide a lovely and decorative finish. Many interior designers love to use wood veneer to update the look of kitchen cabinets and various kitchen fixtures. You can find wood veneer in different types, according to wood species, based on cut and more.
Wood veneers are economical compared to using solid wood. But before using wood veneers in your home, you must be aware of its many advantages as well as the disadvantages. First, veneers provide aesthetics comparable to the natural wood with less cost. Wood veneers are simply thin slices of wood and these may be glued to an engineered wood to give furniture or a home fixture natural wood aesthetics.
You can guarantee that each wood veneer sheet is unique because each tree is unique. Therefore you can expect endless design possibilities when you work with veneer wood. Compared to laminates, natural veneers can be treated with polish or varnish to improve its shade (from light to dark).
You can increase the strength and support of weak engineered woods like particle boards with veneer wood. Fiberboards like MDF and HDF can be easily damaged by water, therefore, adding veneer sheets will make the boards durable and improves water resistance. It will resist warping and fragmentation and will last longer than laminates.
Finally, wood veneers are eco-friendly and may be recycled. It can be crushed to make wood waste to produce particle boards and MDF. And compared to laminates, wood veneers are natural and non-toxic. To install veneers you can use a non-toxic adhesive that does not give off VOCs when used.
There are also some disadvantages of using wood veneers. First, it is susceptible to water damage. Over prolonged exposure to water can damage veneers. You can prevent this by applying a water sealant on the surface of veneers.
Next, installation needs professional workers. This is because wood veneer sheets are not easy to install than laminates. Skilled workers will make sure that there is no air in between the veneer and the substrate and will also acclimate the veneer sheets in the room for 3 – 5 days before installing. Also, wood veneers need maintenance periodically.
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Wood veneer is mostly for interior decoration applications. It is recommended for residential projects, hotel projects, offices and more. Veneer wood is also processed to make parquet, flexible veneer sheets, wood veneer boards, wallpaper, etc. Therefore, veneer can give any interior a warm and luxurious feel.
Every veneer product has a unique appearance. This means that the pattern and color of veneers can vary from the same species. The color of wood veneer depends on the light in the room giving the wood a warmer feel. The wood structure is also unique for every piece of wood veneer. It is better than solid wood products because it has the ability to renovate and repair without paying for more. To get the best wood veneer materials for your next indoor wood project, check out different veneer products online or from a local store.
Read More: Common FAQs About Woodworking Techniques [List 2]
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Conclusion
Wood veneer is wood taken from a tree which is cut in sheets. Veneer is made from natural wood and therefore it is natural and more efficient compared to laminates. No two wood veneers are alike in wood patterns, colors, and grains.
