The different types of wood veneer finishes explained...

Wood veneer, as you might expect, is a product which is harvested from solid timber, producing extremely thin slices of wood.

Whilst most people only associate wood veneer as being readily available in a thin sheet format, they are also supplied in panel format, usually to be used in cabinet construction.

Fundamentally, these two types of wood veneer products form the basis for a range of differing veneer finishes, each with their own unique benefits and properties.

Wood Veneers

From coloured wood veneers, which have been naturally dyed in bright and primary colours, to iconic burl woods and end grain veneers which feature a cross section of the tree trunk, specialist companies like The Wood Veneer Hub offer a huge and diverse portfolio of wood veneers.

Along with these veneers, The Wood Veneer Hub specialises in decorative veneers. These include exquisite and rare species from around the world, and are frequently specified by the elite automotive, airline and marine industries, to meet with the exclusive demands of their discerning clientele.

Due to their almost ‘transparent’ appearance, wood veneer is a perfect material for decorative lighting too. Emitting a subtle glow, our new range of lighting will create ambient illumination in any room, whilst allowing the stunning timbers to ‘shine’. Available as stunning floor, table and ceiling lights, these new lights are sure to become the talking point in your home!

Wood veneer in its loose sheet format is also used by hobbyists or marquetry specialist. Supplied in their ‘raw’ state, this type of timber veneer is frequently juxtaposed next to a number of contrasting wooden finishes, to create geometric designs, decorative inlays or detailed pictorial scenes.

Innovative Wood Veneers

These types of veneers are often supplied in an oversized sheet format for larger projects, or on a roll, for ease of use and transportation.

As oversized sheets, these types of veneer offer a quick solution to covering a large surface area such as a table or worktop. Our Textured range, like so many of our innovative veneers is backed in fleece, to give it some flexibility, whilst its surface has both tactile and visual appeal, displaying the knots and cracks that the wood has!

In roll format, our flexible veneers are frequently backed with paper as well as fleece, and are supplied in set lengths and widths, similar to that of wallpaper. Impregnated with resin, our CubeFlex range offers good flexibility and the capability of contouring around soft curves. 

Some paper backed veneers are also supplied with a ready applied strong adhesive, which when peeled away will firmly stick to almost any flat surface, saving both time and effort!

Veneer Panels

Unlike loose sheets, veneer panels are designed for cabinetry or furniture production. Each thin veneer sheet is supplied already fixed to a wooden surface or bonded to a substrate core, to give the appearance of being a solid piece of timber. This not only makes it more cost effective than solid wood, but it’s actually more stable than solid timber too as it’s less likely to warp.

One of the latest additions to our portfolio is Lusso, which is supplied as fixed size panels. Ideal for use in a bedroom or kitchen, these large format panels will create the appearance of what’s commonly known as ‘book-matching’.

As each wafer thin sliver of wood is cut, each subsequent cut layer is almost identical in appearance to the previous sheet. This effect would simply not be achievable if solid timber was used, as no two pieces are ever the same!

Wooden Wall Panelling

Much like our Lusso product, our wood wall panelling ranges feature a timber veneer surface, which is then mounted onto a backing to give stability to each plank or panel.

Somewhat rustic in appearance, our TimberStik range is designed for ease of installation, as each plank is supplied with adhesive strips, negating the need for glue!

Probably our best known wall panelling range, and by far our most popular is Acupanel®. This panelling offers both a fabulous and contemporary wallcovering solution, coupled with acoustic sound insulation, due to the ‘felt-like’ backing material of the veneer.

The veneer itself is cut into thin strips and mounted onto an equally narrow backing. These are then fixed to the backing, to create the unique three dimensional surface, and supplied as floor to ceiling panels.

At The Wood Veneer Hub, we’ve always known just how versatile wood veneer really is… it’s just one of the many reasons why we love it so much, and have built our portfolio of products around it.