Reconstituted wood veneer is actual wood fiber and is made from fast growing trees in managed forests. This type of flexible veneer is a readily renewable product which makes it an environmentally friendly alternative to some of the more rare and expensive exotic wood species. Even though reconstituted veneer is fabricated from manmade flitch and is virtually defect free it is a lot different from plastic laminate. It is more flexible and more natural in texture and appearance. Although a manmade flitch veneer product tends to be more stable than traditional flitch wood veneer sheets, the wood fibers and cells are still susceptible to moisture and have to be sealed with a finish. This helps to accentuate the color and figure of the veneer. Often referred to as Engineered or Composite veneer, it is a great option for those projects where veneer color and consistency is critical from start to finish.
Is bamboo veneer a reconstituted veneer? Yes and no. Bamboo is a fast growing and highly sustainable resource but there are some basic differences between bamboo and reconstituted veneer. Bamboo veneer consists of actual bamboo and is usually not dyed or made to look like a different species (carbonized bamboo gets its color from being steamed), whereas a reconstituted veneer is made from a secondary wood species that is sliced, dyed, layered and laminated in alternating layers and in specific ways in order to represent a different species. This process produces natural looking wood grains and colors thought only to exist in nature. The names for this type of veneer do not come from the wood species the veneer is made from but rather from the colors and layer designs that it mimics. The common characteristic that bamboo and reconstituted veneer share is in the way the flitches are manufactured. Both are built from thin layers that are glued into cants and then sliced into thin but wide flitches. These thin flitches or leafs are then stitched or spliced into larger sheets. Once these sheets are pressed, flexed and trimmed they are sanded and ready for use.
WiseWood Veneer
Is bamboo veneer a reconstituted veneer? Yes and no. Bamboo is a fast growing and highly sustainable resource but there are some basic differences between bamboo and reconstituted veneer. Bamboo veneer consists of actual bamboo and is usually not dyed or made to look like a different species (carbonized bamboo gets its color from being steamed), whereas a reconstituted veneer is made from a secondary wood species that is sliced, dyed, layered and laminated in alternating layers and in specific ways in order to represent a different species. This process produces natural looking wood grains and colors thought only to exist in nature. The names for this type of veneer do not come from the wood species the veneer is made from but rather from the colors and layer designs that it mimics. The common characteristic that bamboo and reconstituted veneer share is in the way the flitches are manufactured. Both are built from thin layers that are glued into cants and then sliced into thin but wide flitches. These thin flitches or leafs are then stitched or spliced into larger sheets. Once these sheets are pressed, flexed and trimmed they are sanded and ready for use.
