There are two main types of wood furniture: solid wood and wood veneers. While solid wood furniture is crafted completely out of solid wood, wood veneer furniture consists of a thin layer of wood that is attached to an inner panel or panels (usually fibreboard or particleboard).
The way wood veneers are made gives them many advantages over traditional solid wood. Since just a thin slice of wood is used, veneers maximize the use of a single log, making them more environmentally-friendly and affordable. This also makes veneers less prone to warping and splitting.
They're still very durable.
Just because veneer furniture isn't completely made up of solid wood, doesn't mean it's not durable. Because veneer furniture is not prone to the same aging effects as solid wood, such as splitting or warping, wood veneer furniture will often outlast solid wood furniture by years.
The purpose of a veneer is that it's more affordable than solid timber as less actual wood is used, but also, the base material gives the whole thing overall stability. Natural, solid wood is very susceptible to moisture, meaning it can result in warping if left.
Veneered furniture can be high quality if the underlying wood is solid—just look at the pieces from the 50s and 60s that are still going strong. Veneer is also often the only option for some fine furniture features like curved drawers, bookmatching to create a unique pattern or using an expensive, exotic wood species.
When it comes to how durable and long-lasting wood veneer furniture can be, wood veneer furniture can last as long as solid wood. In fact, because veneer furniture is not prone to the same aging effects as solid wood, such as splitting or warping, wood veneer furniture will often outlast solid wood furniture.
Wood veneers in the simplest of terms are thin slices of natural wood generally less than 1/40” thick. These veneers are typically pressed onto or laminated to thicker core materials such as plywood, particle board and MDF to create structural panels to be used in place of thicker hardwood lumber.
Veneers require periodic maintenance as they are not waterproof and may get damaged by heat. Therefore, veneer finishes should be avoided in moisture-laden areas like the kitchens or bathrooms because moisture can seep under the veneer and loosen the top layer.
It's costly because the top layer is made from real wood, which is why it looks so impressive. The big question to ask yourself is, “Is it worth the higher price tag?” If you've got your heart set on wood veneer, there are ways to reduce the cost.
Similarly, because a given log can produce many pieces of veneer, it is usually more cost effective to use veneer than solid wood. It is also less labour intensive. Some rare and exotic woods - while being beautiful - can also be very costly.
Much of the IKEA furniture is made from particle board with a smooth, white finish. This densely compressed wood provides a lighter weight piece of furniture than solid wood. There are two types of particle boards: one is extruded, and the other is platen pressed.
NOTE: Because wood veneer is actually real wood (and often has a beautiful wood grain), you CAN stain and varnish it! However, be careful if you're using an electric or belt sander, because often the veneer is so thin that aggressive sanding will wear though the veneer quickly.
Veneered wood is only a decorative layer of wood glued to particleboard, so painting veneer furniture is the same as painting over any piece of solid wood, which is not very hard to do at all. However, preparation is vital, and you need to ensure the veneer finish is properly clean.
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.
There are two different sorts of fake wood furniture: laminate and veneer. In both cases, a surface that has the appearance of solid wood is glued to a less expensive engineered wood product hiding it from sight. The nature of the covering material is the difference between the two types.
To maintain the oiled wood veneer, very lightly brush wood areas with a fine Scotchbrite pad moving in the direction of the grain to open the pores of the wood and remove fingerprints and dirt. Never use wax-based products (Pledge, Endust), aerosol-powered cleaners, polishes, waxes, abrasive cleaners, or oily polishes.
With time, wood veneers lose their shine and finish due to external impacts and require refinishing. While refinishing may seem like a simple task, you need to be careful not to damage the veneer surface.
Cracks can also occur when a veneer loses too much moisture (or loses moisture too quickly). When this happens, internal stresses become so strong that the wood cells shrink, lose elasticity, and then separate from each other.
Because veneer is only a thin layer of wood attached with glue to a solid base, it is very vulnerable to damage on wooden furniture. On old furniture, the glue that holds the veneer is often not water-resistant. Prolonged humidity or exposure to water can soften the glue, letting the veneer blister, crack, or peel.
In woodworking, a veneer is actually a "paper thin" cut of wood that's applied to both sides of a strong core surface, like furniture-grade MDF or substrate material, to seal and stabilize it—which is critically important when you're fashioning built-in furniture or anything with a mechanism.
There are four grades of plywood veneer: A, B, C, and D. A-grade plywood is the highest quality.
Final Thoughts. Plywood and veneer wood furniture can both last for ages to come, provided some basic maintenance is performed on them from time to time. Both can offer pretty high returns over the initial investment, making the money invested in them worth every penny.
1) Porcelain Veneers
Offering “the best” treatment and being one of the most popular veneer materials, porcelain has been a very common choice of dental patients for years. These ceramic veneers resist stains, are naturally tooth-colored, and last for a long time.