WHAT IS VENEER?

Veneer refers to thin slices of wood and sometimes bark, usually thinner than 3 mm,that
typically are glued onto core panels to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for
cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. They are also used in marquetry.

HOW ARE VENEER

MANUFACTURED?
The manufacturing of wood veneer includes all the processes from the time when the tree log
enters the yard to the time when veneer sheets are packed and ready to be transported. The
image below explains the entire manufacturing process of wood veneer in a simplified manner.

 Step 1 – Log Yard:

As soon as the tree log arrives from the forest, they are classified by species and kept under
conditions of optimal humidity by spraying water or by soaking in water ponds. This is done to
prevent the tree log from degrading which usually occurs as a result of drying.
  Step 2 – Debarking:

The next step is debarking. Taking great care not to damage the tree log ,the bark is peeled off with
evenness.

 Step 3 – Soaking of Logs:

The next step involves soaking the log to soften the fiber. It is necessary for uniform slicing. The
logs are put into steamers and completely submerged at temperatures ranging from 80°C to
100°C for a period of 18 to 72 hours. For maximum efficiency, the tree log should be cut within
an hour after soaking.

 Step 4 – Cutting the Logs:

The key operation of how and where a tree log should be cut depends on the slicing method used
to produce veneer. Each log, already identified has its own barcode. This enables the various cuts
to be identified any time. For peeling, the tree log will be cut in half or quarters part. These logs
are called peeler blocks or peeler billets.

 Step 5 – Peeling:

Ensure that the veneer logs of the same tree are not separate tags corresponding to logs barcode
are carefully attached and verified at each step. In this step, the tree logs are sliced to veneer
sheets. There are distinct methods to slice a veneer from hardwood logs.
 A. Flat Slicing:
It is the most common veneer cutting method. The half log is placed with the heart side against the flitch table. Slicing
is parallel to a line through its center. This cut produces a light multicoloured and a distinctive pattern. The slices
obtained by this method are always uniform.

(b) Rotary Cut:

The log is centrally mounted on the lathe and turned against a sharp blade, just like unwinding a roll of paper. The
cut follows the logs annual growth rings. A bold multi- coloured grain marking is produced. The veneer sheets
produce exceptionally wide.

(c) Quarter Slicing:

This method produces a series of straight lines. The quarter log is mounted on the flitch table such that the logs
growth rigs hit the blade at the right angle.
(d) Rift Slicing:
In this veneer cutting method, the rotation speed of the tree log is determined by the log size, particular features of
the species of wood, its natural shape, and the thickness of the veneer. The cut is done at a slide angle from the
position of the quarter log. This method results in a comb or rift grain effect.

(e) Half Round Slicing :

This cut is a variation of rotary cut. The grain effect produced by this cut has characteristics of both rift cut and
flat slice veneer. The cut slightly crosses the annual growth rings.

 Step 6 – Drying:

The veneer sheets always remain in the natural order as they emerge such that all parts of the
original log are kept together. One by one the slices of veneer carefully enter the dryer, where
they are dried evenly within a few minutes. Air temperature of up to 320°F at high velocity is
blasted on the surface. The veneer must be dried in such a way that it has at least 8-12% of
moisture content.

 Step 7 – Quality Check:

As veneer slices leave the dryer, they are again reassembled to reconstruct the log which never
separates. The identification is subjected to several verifications. It involves examining and
classifying the wood veneer. An expert carefully inspects each log to make sure customers receive
quality veneers having strict standards.

 Step 8 – Clipping:

It is the initial step in the splicing process. They are cut with clipper to obtain sheets that are
even in length. A similar clipping or cutting process is performed to acquire sheets of a proper
width. The quality of the veneer panel depends on the precision and angle of the cut. Panels are
then headed to the glue machine, which bonds the edges of the veneer sheets
 Step 9 – Splicing:

Here the veneer sheets are assembled to produce a match. The pressure exerted and the heat
used ensures a solid, consistent match.

A wide range of veneer matching available as follows:

 Book match
 Slip Match
 Reverse Slip Match
 Running Match
 Balance Match
 Random Match
 End Match

 Step 10 – Packing:

The veneer sheets are finally measured, packed and labels are stuck with an indication of
length, width, etc. Ready flitches are put into pallets. Each pallet is packed into protective
polyethylene and is tightened with a packing tape. They are now ready to be transported.
 WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF VENEER?
The Different types of wood veneer are as following

 01.General Classification:
 Raw veneer
 Flexible veneer

 02. Based on Use:

 Architectural
 Classic
 Commercial

 03. Based on Types of Wood Species:

 Teak
 Oak
 Maple
 Sandal
 Birch
 Beech
 Ironwood
 Rose heart
 Cherry
 Walnut, etc.

 04. Based on Veneer Cutting:

 Rotary cut
 Crown cut/Flat cut
 Quarter Normal cut
 Quarter Rift cut

 05. Based on Backing:

 Raw
 Paper Backed
 Phenolic Backed
 Laid up

 06. Based on Matches:

 Book Match
 Slip Match
 Reverse-Slip Match
 Running Match
 Balance Match
 Random Match
 End match

 07. Based on Grains of Wood:

 Burl
 Quilted
 Curly
 Birds Eye
 Splatted
 Crotch
 Quarter sawn
 Flat Cut
 Blistered
 Fiddle back Pommeled
 Mottled
 WHAT IS
PLYWOOD?
Plywood is wood sheet material made up of fine layers or flimsy strands of wood veneers
attached together placing wood grains 90 degrees to one another. It is one type of
manufactured board which can be described as a mixture of Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)
and Chip Board (Particle Board). It is a complex material and attaches resin and fiber sheets
of wood.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT

TYPES OF PLYWOOD ?
The different types of Plywood are:
 Softwood Plywood
 Hardwood Plywood
 Tropical Plywood
 Aircraft Plywood
 Decorative Plywood
 Flexible Plywood
 Marine Plywood

 Softwood Plywood
It is plywood which has a face and back veneer of softwood as opposed to a
hardwood such as Birch, Maple, Oak, etc. Softwood plywood panels are comprised
of a core made from either softwood then faced and backed with a veneer of
soft wood and therefore are used for structural application
it is also known as spruce-pine-fir or SPF because it’s from spruce, pine, and fir.
 Uses of Softwood Plywood
1. For construction work.
2. In industries.
3. For ventilation panel.
4. For flooring, wall, roofs for building construction.
5. For machinery, vehicle parts making.
6. For packaging.
7. For making a fence around an area.

 Hardwood Plywood
It is plywood which has a face and back veneer of hardwood as opposed to a softwood such
as pine, cedar, spruce etc. Hardwood plywood panel comprises of a core made from either
softwood or hardwood then faced and backed with a veneer of finish or stain grade
hardwood.

 HARDWOOD PLYWOOD USES

1. used in millwork for the crafting of furniture, cabinets, chests, built-in closets, kitchens,
architectural applications, doors, paneling, toys, musical instruments, sporting
equipment, skateboards etc.
2. Most Hardwood plywood is made with Formaldehyde free glues which are not moisture
resistant and are therefore Interior Grade panels. So mostly used for wear resistance
3. Used for flooring of houses.
4. Used for giving structures to walls.

 Tropical plywood
Different types of timbers of tropical area are mixed to make this type of plywood.
Though previously it was only collected from the Asian region, now also from Africa and
America it is collected. Tropical plywood popular for some special qualities like

 Strength
 Density
 Evenness
 Inflexibility
 Resistance quality
 Thickness

 Uses of Tropical Plywood

 1. For construction
2. For furniture
3. Concrete Strand
4. Base of floor
5. Structure strands
6. Flooring of containers

 Aircraft plywood
High-strength plywood also known as aircraft plywood, is made from mahogany and/or
birch, and uses adhesives with increased resistance to heat and humidity. It was used for
several World War II fighter aircraft. 

 Uses of Aircraft Plywood

1. Aircraft plywood was used as a shield to prevent air assault during the second world
war. Also, some British aircrafts used this.
2. The parts of airplanes from wing surface, bulkheads, wing spars are made of this.

 Flexible plywood
Flexi ply is a form of plywood but it is extremely flexible. Thin marine plywood can be
forced to form curves and bends, but eventually it will split, if pressured too far. Normal
plywood tends to resist bending .However, flexi ply is composed of layers of thin plies. This
means that it will bend into various ‘curved’ shapes, quite easily.
  Uses of Flexible Plywood
1. During the reign of queen Victoria hats of stove pipes were made from flexible plywood.
2. Furniture making.

 Marine plywood
The type of plywood which can be used in moisture, humid, wet environment is called
marine plywood. Even it can be used in moisture for long period. The layers of marine
plywood bear too small core gap to feel that doesn’t permit the wood to fix water inside
the gaps. It is also fungal resistant.

 Uses of Marine Plywood

1. Marine plywood can be used for ship construction.
2. For water vehicle making.
3. For tool and bench made for restaurants and parks which are exposed to open area.
WHAT ARE
LAMINATES?
The most commonly used finishing layer for MDF, plywood,
particle board, wooden furniture, wall panels and flooring are
laminates. Essentially, a composite artificial material, they are
made by pressing together thin layers of flat paper and plastic
resins. The upper layer is printed with a decorative pattern or
color.
Manufacturing Process of
Decorative Laminates
The manufacturing process of the decorative laminates
involves many steps starting from impregnating the paper to
thermosetting to finishing.
 Step 1 – Impregnating the Paper:
A. The back of a laminate sheet is made of a type of Kraft paper
that can be saturated soggy and tearing
 A theatre drenches it with resin containing phenol
(compound derived from benzene)
 The resin does not merely coat the paper it is absorbed right
through
 B. The top of the laminate is called the decorative layer.
It’s a sheet of paper in either a printed design or solid
color.

 The manufacturing process is different for both solid color

paper and Printed design layer as follows:

a) Solid Color Paper:

o They go through a process that impregnates them with
more durable melamine resin.
o The durability is essential because the decorative layer
must withstand wear and tear.
o Two big rollers ring out the excess resin. The resin
treatment makes the paper stiff and brittle
b) Printed Design Decorative Layer:
o Workers start by cutting them into sheets, the same length as
the craft paper.
o These papers don’t go in to theatre to be saturated with
resins instead they are stacked by placing an overlay on each
one
o Overlay is a transparent sheet of paper that is saturated with
melamine resin.
 Step 2 – Drying:
The saturated paper now goes through a drying oven, where hot air
dry’s the resin in matter of seconds. With the resin now cured a
cutter slices the paper into sheets.
  Step 3 – Stacking:
Now a saturated Kraft paper is placed under each decorative
layer .On top of each decorative layer a textured plate is laid, this
will prevent the finished laminates from sticking together. The solid
color paper is also stacked with these sheet, they don’t need an over
lay.
 Step 4 – Thermosetting:
Everything now comes into a press. The intense heat and pressure
compress the layers. Overlays bond to the printed papers and the
saturated craft paper bonds to each decorative layer creating
laminate sheets. The textured plates between each set meanwhile
imprints their print on to the heat softened resin, texturing the
laminate surface.

 Step 5 – Finishing:
On finishing line machines trim of any excess paper on the edges and sand the
back of the sheets. This helps the laminate to adhere better to particle board
or other substance.
 DIFFERENT TYPES
OF LAMINATES
AND THEIR
USES?
There are different types of laminated sheets available based on the manufacturing process,
usage, surface finish, thickness, and advanced properties.
Laminates based on manufacturing process:
 High-Pressure Laminate (HPL):
High pressure laminates are produced by attaching the décor paper at high
pressure to the Kraft paper. They are commonly fixed by carpenters
over plywood and MDF while making the furniture.
High pressure laminates are extremely durable and can take heavy loads.
These laminates also are flame retardant and consists high level of
resistance to heat and chemicals.

 Low-Pressure Laminate (LPL):

In low pressure laminates, the decorative paper is soaked in melamine resin,
and the laminated paper is then directly bonded to particle board or fiber
board (MDF and HDF) at low pressure.
These laminates are less durable, thinner than HPL, flame retardant,
resistant to heat and chemicals and comparatively very cheaper than HPL.

 Laminates based on Usage:

 Decorative Laminates:
These laminates are mainly used as furniture surface materials and commonly
used to protect the wooden surfaces.
They are available both in low pressure and high-pressure laminates and used
for decorating walls, home interiors, etc. to provide an attractive
appearance.

 Industrial Laminates:
These laminates are specially made for industrial uses, which are very
durable and high resistant to wear and tear. 

They are mainly used for electrical insulation purposes like in circuit
boards.

 Laminates based on thickness:

 Compact Laminates:
 These laminates consist of thickness ranging from 3 mm to 30 mm,
which are self-supporting and need not be glued to any other material.
  Regular laminates:

 These laminates consist of thickness ranging from 0.6 mm to 1.5 mm,

and these sheets are glued together using adhesives like fevicol by
carpenters to substrate materials like plywood.

 Laminates based on advanced properties:

 Fire retardant laminate: 

These laminates are specially made for fire-prone areas by using fire

resistant resin.

It is used for decoration in fire-prone applications like kitchens, industries,

airports, hospitals, public buildings, institutions, store fixtures, etc.

 Electrostatic Dissipative laminate:

 These laminates are made with the unique feature of low electrical
resistance and mainly used in the electrical assembly for manufacturing
circuit boards.

These provide a surface that will not attract dust or dirt particles and
ideal for work-stations, hospitals, and medical laboratories.

 Anti-Bacterial laminate: 

These laminates are made with antifungal and antibacterial properties,

which can resist the growth of bacteria and pathogens.

These are used in hospitals, bathrooms, day care centers, etc. where
hygiene is very important.

 Magnetic Laminate: 
 It is an innovative laminate, which has a unique property of holding a
magnet. 

These are high-pressure decorative laminates used in educational

institutions, offices, hospitals, etc. for holding reports, charts,
photographs, etc.

 Laminates based on Surface finish:

 Glossy finished laminate:
It creates a glossy effect on the laminate surface and also creates print on
it, can make the furniture look more eye-catching and attractive than
other finishes.

These laminates are used in the event industry, restaurants, hotels, and in
clubs.
 Matt finished laminate: 
It creates matt like finish, which gives a flat finish on the laminate
surface.

These are used in corporate and business offices, where a subtle but a
stylish look is desired.

 Metallic finished laminate: 

As the name itself says that it gives a metallic look to the laminate
surface.

These laminates are durable and used in commercial buildings and

showrooms.
 Texture finished laminate: 

These laminates are designed in such a way, where you can feel
the texture or pattern printed on the decor paper.

These are used in flooring, wall cladding, where a subtle and classy look is
required.

 Solid Colored laminate: 

These types of laminates are printed with one solid color without any
print or patterns on it.

These are most common laminate sheets and mainly used in kitchen
countertops and bathroom areas.
 Digital laminate: 

These are customized printed laminated sheets used in interiors for the

artistic view.

 Wood Grain Laminate: 

These laminates are designed in such a way that they look like real wood
and extensively used in wooden floorings.

They are made of both softwood and hardwood.

 Leather laminate:
 These laminates sheets give a leather material look and are used in
cabinets and other furniture elements.
 ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
OF
LAMINATES
 Advantages/Pros:
 It is easy to clean.
 It is easier to install than many traditional
surfaces.
 It is more economical and requires less skill to
install.
 It is available in numerous designs, patterns,
colors and textures and hence it is pleasing.
 It is very durable, hygienic and relatively easy
to maintain.
 No polishing painting is required.
  It is the best choice for heavy use
environments.
 It can be installed over almost any existing
floor.
 It is moisture resistant. Also, it is an impact,
shock and pressure resistant.
 Sweeping or vacuuming is typical, all it takes
to get laminate clean.
 It is highly resistant to scratch and abrasion.
 Availability of huge range leads to least
wastage.
 Disadvantages/Cons:
o While it can follow the look of a veneer, laminate
flooring does not come close to the feel of those
textures of a veneer. No matter how high in
quality, it cannot simulate the feel of real wood
under your feet.
o It is known to be toxic as it is known to release
formaldehyde, the volatile organic compounds.
o Once the top layer has been worn through, the
whole floor must be replaced.
o It is difficult to be recycled.
o It is a brittle material hence is prone to clipping.
o Laminate flooring has been very slippery, and
affecting your safety.

WHAT ARE THE

TYPES OF BOARDS
 USED IN THE
CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY?
 The different types of boards used are :
I. Particle board
II. MDF
III. HDF
IV. Block board

Particle board
Which is also known as particleboard, low-density fiberboard
(LDF), and chipboard – is an engineered wood product
manufactured from wood chips and a synthetic resin or other
suitable binder, which is pressed and extruded.
The different types of particle boards are:

 Laminated Particle Board:

I. Laminated particle board is widely used to make modular kitchen, as
well as wardrobes and shelves, particularly shutters, as it avoids
subsequent polishing and painting.

 Veneered Particle Board:

I. They provide the aesthetics of a natural wood in low budget cost.
 Cement Bonded Particle Board:
I. They are generally used in the production of fire resistant
furniture, false ceiling, internal and external walls and permanent
shuttering for concrete floors and walls.

 Melamine Particle Board:

I. They have application in various fields such as wall claddings, wall
paneling, modular kitchen, wardrobes, and office furniture.
II. They are available in various colors and textures to impart decorative
look to the interior of your house.

Characteristics and uses of

Particle Board?
 Characteristics
• Particle Board is the weakest form of all the engineered board types.
• Particle boards generally last for 5 years. However, if their surface is
laminated they can last even for 10 to 15 years.

• Particle Board is the cheapest type of engineered wood

 Uses:

 It is used for making lightweight furniture such as shoe racks, accent

pieces, and portable furniture where heavy loads are not applied or
expected.
 It is also preferred for modular office furniture, kids’ room furniture,
computer tables, and wardrobes placed in areas where there’s minimum
contact with moisture.
 It can be used as shutters for various storage units, as laminated
particle boards.
 It is also used as under lament, flooring, wall paneling, and partitioning.

 MDF
 What is Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)?
An engineered composite wood product made from
residues of hardwood and softwood gluing together with
wax and resin under extreme pressure and pressure is
called Medium Density Fibreboard or MDF wood.
 Types of MDF

 Ultra-light MDF plate (ULDF)

 Typically green MDF

 those are moisture resistant

 Typically red or blue MDF

 which is fire retardant
 Uses of Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF):
 Mainly used for furniture making.
 For making kitchen cabinets, molding or in the bathroom
environment.

 As an exterior cladding for housing has successfully been used.

 The characteristics of MDF are:

 When we compare MDF vs HDF, the former has lesser strength.

However, MDF is definitely stronger than particle board.
 MDF is cheaper than HDF wood, but expensive in comparison to
particle board.
 In a dry environment, they last up to 10 years. Laminated
MDF can last for 15-20 years; however, it needs to be
replaced after this period.
  HDF
What is HDF?

  HDF ( High Density Fibreboard/Hardboard) is like

MDF in that it is a man-made composite panel
product that is manufactured from compressed
wood fibres.

 The characteristics of HDF are:

o HDF is expensive in comparison to MDF as
more pressure is applied during the
manufacturing process.
o HDF board is the strongest among all the
fiberboards.
 o HDF wood is quite durable. It can last many
years without getting damaged

 Uses of High Density Fibreboard (HDF):

 HDF board is preferred for furniture where heavy traffic is
expected, such as in hotels, cinemas, libraries, and
government offices.

 It is also available in the perforated form. This type of

HDF is used for hanging various tools of the workshops.

 As HDF wood is highly resistant to moisture, it is used as

a core material for laminate flooring.

 Block board
 WHAT IS BLOCK BOARD?
Block board is one type of engineered compound plywood board
where softwood strips are joined edge to edge and bonded
together machining often a sandwich structure placing hardwood
between them. Block board is usually found in different sizes
and thickness. 2440 x 1220 x 30mm is the normal size of
block board.
 Types of Block boards
The classification of block boards depend on different properties such
as quality, use, raw wood used for the core. Followings are the type
of block board:

 Depending on quality and use:

• Interior Grade Block board
• Exterior Grade Block board
 Depending on the raw wood used in the core:
• Softwood Block board
• Hardwood Block board

 Interior Grade Block board

These grades are made for indoor uses which are resistant to
moisture and called MR (Moisture Resistant) Eg: Furniture, door,
window shutter.
 Exterior Grade Block board
This variety of block board is manufactured for outdoor uses.
These are called BWP (Boiling Water Proof) or as BWR (Boiling
Water Resistant). This high quality of resistance is because of the
adhesives used here are also good in quality.

 Softwood Block board

Solid blocks of wood are used to make each block board sheet
those are attached together using glue. The sheets are called
strips or battens. The surface is covered with hardwood veneers.

 Hardwood Block board

 Hardwood is dense, heavy, costly, and strong as the core is made
from hard sheets. The coating is also by hardwood.

 The characteristics of Block board are:

 As the block board is made of softwood strips, it has less
strength as compared to plywood but is stronger than other
fiberboards.

 Block board has less durability than plywood as softwood strips

are used when manufacturing it.

 As block board uses strips of softwood, it is costlier than the

HDF board but cheaper than plywood.

 Uses of block board are:

o For shelving such as long book sheve, worktops as heavier
structure.
o For furniture making such as table, bench, bed etc.
o For window, door shutter, flush door.
o Block board does not slag in the middle or does not bend
easily, so it is a choice for carpenters.
o For making wall furniture.
o For wall panels, partition.

Thank you
By: ALIA BINT KHALID

ROLL NO. : 19091AA001

BULIDING MATERIAL -II