Veneer cabinets are created with layers of wood that are thinner than 1/8 inch - the material which forms the front face or "veneer" being bonded to less expensive materials in the back. Veneer doors will also have banding that is wrapped around the sides of the door.
Sometimes wood drawers will be installed with a laminate or a veneer as the front., and only the front will be made of real wood and the rest will not be. If you pull out the drawer and look at the sides, you can often tell if there is a difference between the front and sides.
There are two types of wood you can craft your cabinets with, broad-leafed, hard trees, and soft trees. Hard trees yield birch, oak, maple, cherry, and hickory cabinets. Meanwhile, soft trees yield pine, spruce, and cedar cabinetry.
Xylorix Inspector is an automated macroscopic wood identification mobile app. Given the 24x magnified anatomical visual information of the cross section (end-grain) of a timber, Xylorix Inspector uses its trained artificial intelligence models to identify the timber genus/species in a few seconds.
I.D. Wood is your Pocket Guide to Woods from around the world with full screen samples and detailed information for over 200 different woods. The standalone application will work with or without an Internet connection so that the samples and information are always at your fingertips. From the basic to the exotic, I.D.
Common Types of Wood Used for Veneers
The most commonly used tree species for softwood veneer is the Douglas fir, although pines are also used. The supply of other softwoods is limited. As a general overview, common types of wood used for veneers include: Anigre.
Can You Sand Veneer? As you might expect, veneered pieces are very delicate and require careful sanding to avoid irreversible damage. If you sand veneer too much, you may render it unusable.
You can often tell the piece is laminate due to the manufactured appearance of the wood grain. Higher-end laminate pieces have a slightly more realistic look, but it's not the same as a piece made from real wood.
Cheaper cabinets will often use thin panels which then require metal hanging rails with brackets, rails, and a picture frame construction. Sometimes they leave the panel out completely, so the wall shows through.
Similar to laminate cabinetry, wood veneer cabinets take a thin piece of actual wood and adhere it to a manufactured interior. The result is a strong, reliable cabinet that has the look and feel of wood.
If the veneer is in good condition and isn't chipping… you can sand, prime, and paint like you would any piece of furniture.
Start by cleaning and sanding the surface, making sure to avoid removing too much of the veneer in the process. Then repair any minor damage and apply the paint or stain of your choice. Finally, you'll want to seal your refinished cabinets to preserve their look over the long term.
Therefore, after you and your dentist choose the color for your veneers and they are custom-crafted to your specifications, the porcelain will never change color. That is one of the reasons why most cosmetic dentists recommend veneers rather than dental bonding to patients who want to make over their smile.
The surest indication is price: Inexpensive veneered pieces will be around $1,000 while fine furniture is closer to $3,000 (or much more). But beyond price, it can be tough to tell what you're getting in a store. All veneered furniture looks great when new, no matter the real quality.
Wood veneer is thin slices of wood that are usually glued to flat panels such as doors, cabinets, and walls. Today's standard veneer thickness is 1/52”.
From contributor J: Veneer over a solid lumber substrate stands the best chances if it is cross banded - one layer of veneer on each side of the core with grain running perpendicular to the grain of the core; then face veneered, both sides, grain parallel to the core grain.
Cherry wood comes from the cherry fruit tree. It is a hardwood, and it is famed for its durability and beautiful color. Cherry wood comes in a variety of colors, including yellow, white, red and dark brown.
Cherry wood has a smooth, closed grain pattern, much like that of maple wood. As with any natural product, we expect and embrace unique characteristics in the wood grain. A single cherry wood board can have several contrasting grain patterns depending on the growth of the tree.
Use leaves and bark for identifiers. Split wood may not have leaves, but often branches or twigs will have remnants of leaves that can identify firewood. Pines, cedars, firs and other softwoods have needles rather than leaves, which is a good identifier. Check the bark; there should be some on at least some logs.
A piece of natural oak wood can take on virtually any hue; from light beige through brown and red. While white oak tends to look more beige-to-brown and red oak looks rosier, it's not always easy to tell the difference between the various types of oak based on color alone.
There are many species of mahogany, mainly grown in North and Central America. Known for its straight grain and characteristic red brown colour, it polishes and oils very well and can be buffed to a very high shine. An exceptionally durable hardwood, it is the ideal choice for furniture and fittings around the home.
Veneer can be a very smooth surface, so chalk paint alone will probably scratch off. Make sure the veneer doesn't have cracks. If needed, remove any sections of peeling veneer. Clean the piece well, prime, and then apply a few coats of chalk paint to the veneer furniture.
Can you paint veneer cabinets? You sure can! The key, like for any painted project, is in the prep and choice of primer and paint. Proper cleaning to remove all the grime and dust, sanding the right amount, and using the right adhesion-promoting primer can make a huge difference in the durability of the finish.