--- title: What Is Veneer? description: Timber Veneer is a search popular term, but exactly what is it and how is made? Here the Plyco team dissects the Timber Veneers used in our plywood sheets image: https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/Blog/plyco-plywood-texture.jpg --- [![plyco-logo-icon\_65x@2x](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1506/5624/files/plyco-logo-icon_65x@2x.png?v=1537174952 "plyco-logo-icon_65x@2x")](https://plyco.com.au) ![search](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/search.svg "search") ![](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/search.svg) [![user](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/Plyco%20Assests%202020/user.svg)Login / Signup![cross](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/Plyco%20Assests%202020/cross.svg)](https://plyco.com.au/account/login) **[My account](https://plyco.com.au/account/login)** [![](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/Plyco%20Assests%202020/shopping-cart.svg)Cart](https://plyco.com.au/cart) Login to my account Enter your e-mail and password: New customer? 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Expert plywood product tutorials and catalogue updates will have you completing your project in no time. Read More - [veneer plywood](https://blog.plyco.com.au/topic/veneer-plywood) - [z\_attract](https://blog.plyco.com.au/topic/z_attract) # [What Is Veneer?](https://blog.plyco.com.au/what-is-veneer) [Read More →](https://blog.plyco.com.au/what-is-veneer) ### Categories ![Arrow](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/3842749/hubfs/Pack-1%20Assets/Fold%20Arrow.png?width=13&height=8&name=Fold%20Arrow.png "Arrow") - [architectural plywood (13)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/architectural-plywood) - [artificial intelligence (7)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/artificial-intelligence) - [bamboo (10)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/bamboo) - [birch plywood (29)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/birch-plywood) - [cladding (3)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/cladding) - [competition (6)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/competition) - [complete guides (22)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/complete-guides) - [construction plywood (10)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/construction-plywood) - [cut to size (2)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/cut-to-size) - [Decoply (22)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/decoply) - [egger (1)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/egger) - [event (3)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/event) - [featured customer (16)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/featured-customer) - [forestone (1)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/forestone) - [formply (4)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/formply) - [general plywood (45)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/general-plywood) - [inspiration (7)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/inspiration) - [jobs (1)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/jobs) - [kitchen benchtops (13)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/kitchen-benchtops) - [laminate (1)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/tag/laminate) - - - [All Posts](https://blog.plyco.com.au) # What Is Veneer? - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) A term you will have no doubt come across many times if you’ve surfed [Plyco’s website](https://plyco.com.au/) or [social](https://www.instagram.com/plyco/) [media ](https://www.facebook.com/plyco1/)[channels ](https://twitter.com/Plyco1)is the word “veneer”. [Veneers](https://plyco.com.au/search?q=veneer) are a pretty big part of what we do here, but it’s not exactly a common expression for your everyday person. [![Strataply decorative timber veneers PDF download](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/4078144/8be2c800-c773-4198-adb7-23b320fcc833.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/4078144/8be2c800-c773-4198-adb7-23b320fcc833) But what is a timber veneer? Well, if you were to look it up in the dictionary you would see it referred to as “a thin decorative covering of fine wood applied to a coarser wood or other material” or “a layer of wood used to make plywood”. While these aren’t incorrect in defining what veneer is, it’s incredibly surface level and really doesn’t *what* it is. This why today we’re looking at what exactly Plyco’s timber veneers are and will have a little look at what is involved in their creation and application.![plyco-laser-grade-plywood-jarrah](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Products/laserply/plyco-laser-grade-plywood-jarrah.jpg?width=1024&name=plyco-laser-grade-plywood-jarrah.jpg) > The Jarrah veneer from our [Strataply](https://plyco.com.au/products/strataply?variant=39954871184) range ## What is Veneer? Firstly, let’s take a more detailed look at what a veneer is. Essentially, a wood veneer refers to thin slices of wood that are typically glued onto plywood core panels. These slices are usually thinner than 3mm (or 1/8 of an inch) and can be cut as thin as 0.6mm (1/40 of an inch). You’ll also find that there are several types of veneers: - Raw Veneers have no backing and can be used either side facing up - Paper Backed Veneers are backed with paper (as the name suggests) and are available in larger sheet sizes. - Phenolic Backed Veneers are an artificial wood veneer that is becoming increasingly popular due to their environmentally friendly nature - Laid Up Veneers consist of raw veneers that have been combined to make larger pieces. - Reconstituted Veneers are manufactured from fast-growing, tropical species. - Wood on Wood Veneers are commonly referred to as 2-Ply and are a decorative veneer with a utility grade wood backer applied. The production process for producing veneered plywood and timber veneer, in general, starts off with large logs being sent to a company that produces veneers, where the wood is cut by a saw kerf. This process allows companies to maximise what can be obtained from the log adding increased value for each log and ensuring that precious resources aren’t being wasted. ![Plyco's Veneered Beech MDF](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Products/mdf/Plyco's%20Veneered%20Beech%20MDF.jpg?width=1024&name=Plyco's%20Veneered%20Beech%20MDF.jpg) > Plyco's Veneered Beech MDF Veneers are quite different to [Laminate](https://plyco.com.au/search?q=laminate) products (which we also have a wide range of), although similar in theory. Laminates are generally produced with synthetic materials and typically have a very shiny finish, while often being made to look like wood grain. Plyco’s [Decoply ](https://plyco.com.au/collections/all/products/decoply)range has examples of both the shiny finish and wood grain finish. ## What are the advantages of timber veneer? Veneers offer a wide array of advantages, benefits and positive characteristics as a result of their usage. Arguably, the most important and stand out advantage is that a wood veneer helps increase the stability of a product. Regular wood can at times be prone to warping and splitting, but thanks to the veneer being made up of thin layers and glue the chances of this happening are drastically reduced. This glue also adds additional strength to the product and overall makes it stronger. Some projects would quite literally not be possible if it weren’t for wood veneers! ![Plyco-American-Walnut](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Products/strataply/Shopify-AmericanWalnut-3.jpg?width=1024&name=Shopify-AmericanWalnut-3.jpg) > Plyco's [Veneered American Walnut Particle Board](https://plyco.com.au/products/veneer-particleboard) There are also a number of environmental advantages. The recyclability of wood veneer of wood veneers is something a lot of people covet in this day and age. Building with wood products has the least impact on total energy and pollution, which is a major win for the environment. You’ll also find that sustainability is a big upside of wood veneer products. A veneer can help extend the use of a piece of plywood and allow it to cover a much greater area than would be possible with no veneer applied. Finally, they are a non-toxic product. ## Buy veneer at Plyco today! We hope this look into the world of wood veneers has been helpful, insightful and allowed you to have a better understanding of what exactly a wood veneer is. If this has piqued your interest, why not check out our [Veneered MDF](https://plyco.com.au/collections/all/products/veneered-mdf), [Strataply ](https://plyco.com.au/collections/all/products/strataply)and [Veneered Particleboard](https://plyco.com.au/collections/all/products/veneer-particleboard) on our [online store](https://plyco.com.au/collections/all)? If you're looking for timber veneers, veneered plywood, or anything related to veneer in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, and all over Australia Plyco is your one-stop shop! Or if you want to see the beauty of wood veneer in action yourself, come pay a visit to our [Fairfield showroom](https://plyco.com.au/pages/contact-us). This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ![Search\_Image](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Search_Image.png?width=15&name=Search_Image.png "Search_Image") ### Complete Guides - [The Plyco Guide to Legnoply](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-guide-to-legnoply) - [The Plyco Guide To Easycraft](https://blog.plyco.com.au/the-plyco-guide-to-easycraft) - [Plyco’s Guide To Wall Panelling](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-guide-to-wall-panelling) - [The Plyco Guide to MicroPanel](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-guide-to-micropanel) - [The Plyco Guide to Architectural Plywood](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-guide-to-architectural-plywood) - [The Plyco Guide to Construction Plywood](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-guide-to-construction-plywood) - [The Plyco Guide to Cladding](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-guide-to-cladding) - [The Plyco Guide to Melamine](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-guide-to-melamine) - [The Plyco Guide to Riga Plywood](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-guide-to-riga-plywood) - [The Plyco Guide to Formply](https://blog.plyco.com.au/the-plyco-guide-to-formply) - [The Plyco Guide to Quadro Plywood](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-guide-to-quadro-plywood) - [The Plyco Guide to MDF](https://blog.plyco.com.au/the-plyco-guide-to-mdf) ### Popular Posts ## Subscribe For The Latest News ## Related Posts ## [Plyco Launches Sustainably Sourced Plywood Range](https://blog.plyco.com.au/plyco-launches-sustainably-sourced-plywood-range) Providing sustainable plywood products has long been a focus here at Plyco. Striking a balance between industry-leading quality while not harming our ... [Plyco Team](https://blog.plyco.com.au/author/plyco-team) 8 May 2019, 4:16:40 pm ## [4 Breathtaking Plywood Staircase Projects](https://blog.plyco.com.au/4-breathtaking-plywood-staircase-projects) A theme you’ll notice throughout many of the posts here on the Plyco blog is our eagerness to emphasise how versatile plywood is, especially compared ... [Plyco Team](https://blog.plyco.com.au/author/plyco-team) 8 May 2019, 4:16:40 pm ## [Where Does Plywood Come From?](https://blog.plyco.com.au/where-does-plywood-come-from) One of the most common questions we receive at Plyco pertains to the origins of our plywood. Many people are looking to utilise Australian products as... [Plyco Team](https://blog.plyco.com.au/author/plyco-team) 8 May 2019, 4:16:40 pm ABOUT PLYCO - Plyco staff dream of pine scented car fresheners. - A proud manufacturer, distributor and retailer of timber-based panel products, Plyco is 100% Australian owned. Sourced from all over the world in all sizes, thicknesses and grades, you could say our factories are the United Nations of timber.  [Read more.](https://plyco.com.au/pages/about-us) Company - [About Us](https://plyco.com.au/pages/about-us) - [Blog](https://plyco.com.au/blogs/news) - [Contact Us](https://plyco.com.au/pages/contact-us) - [Cut To Size](https://plyco.com.au/pages/cut-to-size) - [FAQ](https://landing.plyco.com.au/faq) - [Laserply Club](https://plyco.com.au/pages/laserply-club?smile_deep_link=home) - [Plyco New Zealand](https://plyco.co.nz/) - [Project Inspiration](https://plyco.com.au/pages/featured-customer-projects) - [Refund Policy](https://plyco.com.au/policies/refund-policy) - [Schools Laserply](https://plyco.com.au/pages/schools-laserply-program) - [Shipping](https://plyco.com.au/pages/shipping-information) - [Terms of service](https://plyco.com.au/policies/terms-of-service) Collections - [Architectural](https://plyco.com.au/pages/architectural-plywood-collection) - [Birch](https://plyco.com.au/pages/birch-plywood-collection) - [Caravans](https://plyco.com.au/pages/caravans) - [Cladding](https://plyco.com.au/pages/cladding-plywood-products) - [Construction](https://plyco.com.au/pages/construction-plywood-collection) - [Flooring](https://plyco.com.au/pages/plywood-and-particleboard-flooring) - [Kitchen Benchtops](https://plyco.com.au/pages/laminated-kitchen-benchtops) - [Laserply](https://plyco.com.au/pages/laser-cut-plywood-collection) - [Marine](https://plyco.com.au/pages/marine-plywood-collection) - [Tabletops](https://plyco.com.au/pages/tabletop-plywood-collection) - [Veneered Plywood](https://plyco.com.au/collections/veneered-plywood) - [Wall Panelling](https://plyco.com.au/pages/wall-panelling) Featured - [Decoply](https://plyco.com.au/pages/decoply-plywood-products) - [Formply](https://plyco.com.au/pages/formply-plywood-products) - [Laminex Surround](https://plyco.com.au/pages/laminex-surround-products) - [Legnoply](https://plyco.com.au/pages/legnoply-products) - [MDF](https://plyco.com.au/pages/mdf-panel-products) - [Melamine](https://plyco.com.au/pages/melamine-sheet-products) - [Micropanel](https://plyco.com.au/pages/micropanel-products) - [Particle Board](https://plyco.com.au/pages/particleboard-panel-products) - [Spotless Laminate](https://plyco.com.au/pages/spotless-laminate) - [Shadowclad](https://plyco.com.au/products/shadowclad) - [Vanply](https://plyco.com.au/pages/vanply-products) - [Weather Groove](https://plyco.com.au/pages/weather-groove-products) © Plyco - Timber and Plywood Panels Follow Us - [![facebook (1)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/facebook%20(1).svg) ![facebook](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/facebook.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/plyco1) - [![twitter-grey](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/twitter-grey.png) ![twitter-color](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/twitter-color.png)](https://www.instagram.com/plyco/) - [![instagram (1)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/instagram%20(1).svg) ![instagram](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/instagram.svg)](https://www.instagram.com/plyco/) - [![pinterest-grey (1)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/pinterest-grey%20(1).png) ![pinterest-color (1)](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/pinterest-color%20(1).png)](https://www.pinterest.com/plyco1) - [![youtube-grey](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/youtube-grey.png) ![youtube-color](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/youtube-color.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdtNTBMWaIGmWbg29R_C9-w) - [![vimeo-grey](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/vimeo-grey.png) ![vimeo-color](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/vimeo-color.png)](https://www.instagram.com/plyco/) - [![linkedin-grey](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/linkedin-grey.png) ![linkedin-color](https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/linkedin-color.png)](https://www.instagram.com/plyco/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Plyco Team", "url" : "https://blog.plyco.com.au/author/plyco-team" }, "dateModified" : "2019-11-26T02:47:37.632Z", "datePublished" : "2019-05-08T06:16:40.000Z", "headline" : "What Is Veneer?", "image" : [ "https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/Blog/plyco-plywood-texture.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.plyco.com.au/what-is-veneer", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.plyco.com.au/hubfs/PLYCO%20Logo.jpg" }, "name" : "Plyco Pty Ltd" } } ```