Wood is a primary material that’s used in a whole range of different applications, but in many cases there’ll be one key question that needs to be answered—solid wood or veneer? There’s a lot of debate over which form is superior and the answer isn’t always simple, but we thought we’d take a look at each of them to see which would be right for you.
Solid Wood
Solid wood, as the name suggests, is a solid piece of timber that’s been machined directly from the trunk. There are as many types of wood as there are species of tree with each one having its own individual properties and usable applications, and the quality of the sheet can vary according to a whole range of factors including the species, the knotting and whether or not it’s been dried sufficiently.
Veneer
A veneer is a thin panel of wood that can be applied over a base of (for example) chipboard or MDF, giving the appearance of solid wood without the need to have a solid sheet of timber. Quality can vary markedly depending on the kind of materials used—paper-thin veneer placed over low-quality chipboard will give a poor result whereas a thick, good quality veneer used with high-end MDF can be usable, durable and highly effective.
The one that’s right for you will always depend on your reasons for needing wood panels in the first place, but no matter which you choose you need to make sure you’re putting quality first. Not only will you need quality materials (ideally from an approved timber merchant) but you’ll need quality wood and MDF cutting services too, and if you put that at the top of the agenda you’ll find either one could be suitable for your needs.
