Specifying Real Wood Veneer: Versatile, Economical, Sustainable

Veneer profile wrapping and laminating boosts wood's green quotient, reduces costs and encourages design creativity
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Veneer and Films

Components can have been profile wrapped in more than 200 different natural wood veneer species, as well as a range of film materials.

Widely available are films and foils for interior or exterior use that are typically vinyl or impregnated cellulosic material imprinted with most any "look," including wood prints.

The most common profile wrapping option, say manufacturers, is Real Wood Veneer, which allows for consistent color and grain with minimal knots and mineral streaks.

Veneer is available pre-sanded, eliminating the need for grain filling. Veneers also offer the advantage of using exotic species that may be unavailable or cost prohibitive in solid lumber.

Manufacturers may offer flitch- and grade-matching to ensure visual appeal and consistency in the final product. A flitch is a set of individual veneer leaves sliced from a single log, and each flitch has its own distinct grain, color, width and other qualities. Sliced veneers from each flitch are bundled in the exact order in which they are cut, to more easily attain proper matching.

Reconstituted Veneers. Manufactured wood veneers are made to resemble certain wood species and are another option.

Reconstituted veneers are made from sustainably produced lumber dyed, glued and assembled into a lumber block, and then sliced from the edge of the block to produce veneers of the same thickness and color consistency. While reconstituted veneers may not have be what is normally considered a natural veneer, reconstituted veneer tends to have greater uniformity for applications requiring consistent pattern and color.

Characteristics of Profile Veneer Wrapped and Flat Laminates.

In the profile veneered wrapped process a "veneer" or laminate, .013 - .015 inches in thickness, is bonded to a profiled surface.

In the flat lamination process, a "veneer" or laminate, .031 to .125 inches in thickness, is bonded to a flat, rather than ‘profiled,’ surface.

Flat laminates were used to meet hurricane criteria on the pro shop door at an upscale Florida resort.

Photo courtesy of Contact Industries

 

Therefore the principal differences between a wrapped veneer and a laminated veneer are the thickness of the veneer used in the product and the profile type

In order for a veneer to wrap over a moulded patterned profile, it needs to be thin enough to be pliable to cover profiles of various shapes

However, a thick veneer to be flat laminated is often more rigid.

A profile-veneered product has the veneer applied in a lineal, horizontal production process, whereas a flat laminated veneered product is a "batch" process through either a cold press or a radio frequency (RF) oven.

Whether flat-laminated or veneered, the cores are generally produced in the same manner.

A flat laminated component is often specified for products used in exterior applications and to achieve certain performance standards (such as meeting specified modulus of elasticity (MOE) or modulus of rupture (MOR)) that may be unattainable by a thin veneered component.

For example, flat laminates were used for the golf pro shop doors at an exclusive Florida golf resort, where aesthetics and strict adherence to Miami Dade Wind Load performance testing were key. The core material was specially designed solid lumber that was face glued to have sufficient durability in order to meet the criteria of the Miami Dade Hurricane Code. Specifically, a Douglas Fir LVL substrate with a measured modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture was used to meet the hurricane code ratings. The project involved some 864 linear feet of stiles and 278 linear feet of rails fabricated from ¼-inch finger-jointed pine face and a ¾-inch finger-jointed pine band wrapped with ¼-inch face veneer of lustrous wood known as Khaya, or African mahogany, and ¼-inch Khaya edge band. Prior to installation, the components were tested to withstand the 58-70 psf load capacity standards set forth by the Hurricane Testing Laboratory.

Similarly, an LVL (laminated veneer lumber-- an engineered product composed of multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives) substrate with pine veneer was used in a combination of wrapped and laminated parts at London's Falcon Wharf, a complex of 124 apartments with 17 floors of glass-enclosed balconies. Door stiles and window components were designed to perform under adverse climate conditions, notably significant changes in temperature and humidity, which would cause normal solid wood components to twist and check extensively. Doors and windows separate a glass-enclosed deck, which at times acts similar to a greenhouse for plants. During construction, temperatures often soared to 130° F, and the components functioned smoothly.

At London's Falcon Wharf, door stiles and window components for enclosed decks were Douglas fir LVL with pine veneer to ensure dimensional stability under extreme conditions.

Photo courtesy of Contact Industries

 

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Originally published in August 2012

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