In the ongoing battle between solid wood versus veneers, there is actually a place for both. Having made that statement, most of my friends in the unfinished furniture industry will probably want to hang me out to dry. This article aims to educate customers on the differences between solid wood and veneers. It used to be quite easy to tell the difference between the two because veneers typically were not done very well. Over the years, it has become much more difficult to distinguish between the two because manufacturers have developed the art of veneering. It often takes a trained eye to see the difference between solid wood and veneers.
SOLID WOOD
There are three different ways solid wood can be assembled to make furniture – plank, laminated or butcher block. IF the furniture uses solid wood boards glued together at random widths for the full-length of the top, then it is called a plank. Laminated solid wood has boards that are the full-length with similar widths. Butcher block is when the solid wood has similar widths and shorter lengths. With solid wood, you will always be able to see the end grain and the grains will match in width with the top.
VENEERS If there is a very wide width on the furniture, like a table top, and it has a painted edge, a veneer edge banding, or a solid wood piece going in an opposite direction of the grain, then it is most likely a veneer. Also, anytime you see book-matched pieces or a sunburst patter, it is a veneer.
Veneers have been around for hundreds of years. They have been used in some of the most exquisite antiques you will find in museums, but problems can arise if they are used in the wrong type of situation with furniture. They depend on substrate material and certain types of joinery. The best use of veneers is on large surfaces that will not get much heavy use or require substantial tensile strength.
They lay nicely over particleboard or MDF. Also when veneers are used around solid wood as edging, it can help protect the item against damage.
PROBLEMS WITH VENEERS AND SOLID WOOD One of the main areas where veneers, and the materials they are used to cover, run into problems is with fasteners. Screws, staples and most other fasteners do not hold well in particleboard or MDF. If you are putting screws into particleboard where the joinery must be able to move or hold a lot of weight, the screws can work loose. If a piece of furniture requires movement or heavy weight, solid wood should be used since the screws will hold much better.
Of course, solid wood also has its problems and difficulties. While it will hold screws and other fasteners much better than items made with veneers, solid wood boards may move or warp due to changes in the temperature and humidity levels. When solid boards are cut from trees, they usually contain about 85 percent water and need to be dried to contain about 6 percent water for furniture manufacturing. If this is not done properly the wood will continue to dry, causing it to warp or split as it shrinks.
As mentioned earlier, manufacturers have made it much more difficult to tell if an item is a veneer or solid wood, so it is important to learn the differences and inform your customers if they ask. To identify solid wood remember to look for the end grain to show at the end of the boards and count the number of boards that are glued together to make the top. Finally, pay attention to the price. Solid wood is more expensive than most veneers; therefore, many inexpensive furniture pieces will be made using veneers with finishes that look like wood. Remember knowledge and education is the key to satisfied customers.