If you're having cabinets built, the chances are you've come across the terms veneer, plywood and laminated wood. Before diving into making decisions about styles and finishes, it is handy to know what these terms mean.
Where Veneer Comes From
Veneer is a thin sheet of timber that is sliced from a tree log. The difference between veneer and solid timber is just the thickness of the wood. Veneer is either pared from the outside of a log using special equipment, much like the way an apple is peeled, or else the log is sliced straight through into wafer-thin slices. The resultant veneer layers are commonly glued onto other materials, providing an attractive decorative finish. For example, veneer might be bonded onto particle board or MDF to construct cabinets for a kitchen or bathroom. The advantage of this is that you get the impression and attractive surface of timber, even when the underneath material is not solid wood. As well as preserving trees, this brings costs down, making beautiful wood-grain finishes more accessible.
Making Plywood And Laminated Wood
Sometimes the veneer sheets are themselves glued together to create boards of plywood. The most prized veneers typically form the outer layer to give the best decorative effect. Because the veneer layers in plywood are arranged with the wood grain of each subsequent sheet at right angles to the last, these boards are incredibly resilient. Timber naturally expands and contracts according to temperature, and because of its construction, plywood is often more stable than solid wood.
Similarly to plywood, laminated wood consists of multiple thin layers of veneer bonded together, though the wood grain on subsequent layers runs parallel, not at right angles. While laminated wood is solid, it is not quite as strong as plywood as it does not have the same crisscross grain pattern. Both plywood and laminated wood boards can be covered with other materials as well such as melamine, and then used to construct cabinets and other furniture.
So when researching for your new cabinetry, you only need remember that veneer is finely sliced timber which is commonly glued to other materials to create a decorative finish. Or else, many veneer sheets can be bonded together to form either plywood or laminated wood. The advantage of veneer is that it provides the beautiful finish of natural wood grain, but because it only forms a thin layer, the cost is minimised. Local cabinet makers can advise more about the types of beautiful timber veneers that are available in your area.