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Terms are in alphabetical order: (A-L) (M-Z)
Backing
- The lowest grade veneer which is generally only used for non-visible
surfaces.
Barber poling
- A distinguishable appearance of alternative light and dark
color differences in a sequence of veneer leaves on a specific panel.
Much like the now mostly historical red and white spinning device displayed
on the exterior of barber shops. Most common in wood species such as maple
and cherry when Book matched and the front and back of the veneer leaves
are exposed alternatively. To avoid this look specify Slip match.
Book Match - A procedure
by which successive veneer leaves are glued alternately with the front
and the rear side exposed to retain a mirror-inverted sequence.
Bundle - A grouping
of leaves of veneer, generally in sequence, generally 24-32 leaves.
Burl - A term for veneers
which are produced from the burl formation. Burls grow above ground (Elm,
Ash, Oak, Redwood) Root Burl develops below ground in the root (California
Walnut, Madrone, Myrtle).
Composites - chips,
particulates and/or thinly sliced wood fibers mechanically pressed and
chemically bonded together to create products such as plywood, MDF or
particle-board utilized primarily as substrates for wood veneer and laminates,
sheathing, sub-floors and concrete forms.
Edgeband - Thin strips
of veneer, solid lumber, pvc or other substrate used to cover the
exposed edges of panel substrates. This veneer is usually available in
rolls of various length
and comes either pre-glued or unglued.
Figure - Clearly visible
and more or less regular streaks running across the grain in different
species of wood (i.e. Sycamore, Macore, Ash) The more consistent and bolder
these streaks are, the more valuable the veneer. Click
here for more information.
Flake - The typical
figuring of wood when the medullary rays are cut across i.e. at an angle
of 180 degrees when slicing. Particularly pronounced in the Oak family.
Flitch - A particular
partially processed, singularly identifiable, parcel of lumber or veneer.
Grain - The arrangement
or direction of fibers, layers or particles of wood.
“Green”
- A colorful term used to indicate environmental or ecological awareness.
Green washing -The act of advertising
or making un-substantiated claims regarding the practices, positive environmental
impacts and/or benefit of utilizing the services or products of a company.
LEED - The LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating
System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing
high-performance, sustainable buildings. Members of the U.S. Green Building
Council representing all segments of the building industry developed LEED
and continue to contribute to its evolution. LEED standards are currently
available or under development for:
• New commercial construction and major renovation projects (LEED-NC)
• Existing building operations (LEED-EB)
• Commercial interiors projects (LEED-CI)
• Core and shell projects (LEED-CS)
• Homes (LEED-H)
• Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND)
Lumber - solid wood
and veneer used for structural and visible surfaces such as: framing,
interior finish and furnishings.
Medullary Ray - The medullary ray is an arrangement of cellular structure in a tree which radiates out from the center to the perimeter of the log; perpendicular to the growth ring line. It is in some evidence in veneer of various species. Oaks and American Sycamore and Lacewood have characteristically heavy medullary ray growth, and the flake figure in these woods is the result.
Pin Knot - A knot less than 1/4” in diameter which shows a distinct center portion. It is merely a very small branch growth which did not develop for one reason or another.
Ply - A term referring to any layer of veneer in a piece of plywood. A 3-ply panel has three layers of veneer; 5-ply has five layers, etc.
Pommele - The term given to a regular veneer marking which resembles apples. From the French word “Pommelé” (Pomme=Apple).
Reconstituted Veneer - A man-made veneer which uses real wood fiber with natural colorants to simulate various color, figure and grain seen in real wood veneers.
Reveal - A channel, gap or spacing, a distinct break of a continuous plain often used to cleanly finish seams and/or differentiate between multiple panels.
Sequence - The following of one thing after another in chronological, casual, or logical order. Specifically, the layout or order for placement of veneer leaves on a panel, and then again of panels.
Sheathing - Protective covering consisting, for example, of a layer of boards applied to the studs and joists of a building to strengthen it and serve as a foundation for a weatherproof exterior.
Slip Match - A procedure by which successive veneer leaves are glued with the only front side exposed.
Substrate - A material upon the surface of which an adhesive-containing substance is spread for any purpose, such as bonding or coating; for wood veneer applications generally MDF.
Sustainable Forestry - the practice of planning and selectively harvesting a forest to ensure the long term viability of the forest and the uninterrupted development of the ecosystem as well as the community that resides with the forest in question.
Sustainable Harvest - The practice of utilizing land to generate a seasonal agricultural product, in this instance planting a forest, the crop being timber. This generally involves selectively orchestrating the environment to maximize the yield of trees, and may potentially involve the use of herbicides, pesticides, seasonal clear cutting, single species selection, and does not necessarily include any consideration for other environmental, social or community considerations.
Veneer - A thin leaf or layer of a more valuable or beautiful material for overlaying an inferior one, especially such a thin leaf of wood to be glued to a less expensive wood-“substrate”
