Like other types of plywood, hardwood-veneer plywood is composed of several wood layers--or plies--that are bonded together and then covered with face veneers. However, unlike construction-grade softwood-veneer plywood, which is commonly used for wall and roof sheathing and subflooring, hardwood plywood has face veneers cut from a deciduous or broad-leaf tree, such as red oak, white oak, ash, cherry, walnut, birch, poplar, beech, chestnut, maple and mahogany. (Softwood plywood is usually faced with pine, spruce or fir.)
Rift-cut hardwood plywood veneer pattern
Hardwood-veneer plywood is used for a wide variety of homebuilding applications including cabinets, doors, bookcases, furniture, paneling, and wall units, to name a few. In the completed project, the hardwood surface is typically stained and/or varnished. The exposed edges of the plywood are often concealed with iron-on veneer tape or solid-wood edge banding.
Plain-sliced hardwood plywood veneer pattern
Hardwood Plywood Panel Sizes and Thicknesses
The standard hardwood-veneer plywood sheet is 4 feet wide by 8 feet long. Sheets up to 12 feet long are also available.
Hardwood-veneer plywood is commonly available thicknesses ranging from 1/8- to 3/4-inch. Thinner sheets are often used for wall paneling, cabinet-door panels, wainscoting and backs to bookcases, wall units and cabinets. Thicker panels are used for cabinet carcasses, doors and shelving.
Hardwood Plywood Core Types
When builders and suppliers spec hardwood plywood, they're nearly always referring to veneer-core plywood. That is, a sheet with a core made up of three, five, seven or more layers of wood veneer. Technically, however, hardwood plywood refers to any sheet that's surfaced with hardwood veneer. Here are some other hardwood-veneer products:
• Particleboard-core plywood has hardwood veneers bonded to a core of particleboard.
•MDF-core plywood has a core of medium-density fiberboard sandwiched between hardwood veneer layers.
•Composite-core plywood has a center core of wood veneer bonded between sheets wood composite (usually particleboard or MDF) and then surfaced with hardwood veneer.
•Solid-core plywood has a core comprised of strips of solid wood edge-joined together to form a heavy, dense sheet.
Rotary-cut hardwood plywood veneer pattern
The various cores offer varying properties such as denseness, flatness, bending strength, dimensional stability, and screw-holding ability. Be sure to ask your supplier for suggestions when choosing a specific type of hardwood plywood.
Hardwood Plywood Grades
The face and back of hardwood-veneer plywood panels are graded separately for appearance. Typical face grades are:
AA: The highest appearance grade available--generally free of defects, minimal color contrasts, edges perfectly matched and parallel. AA face grade hardwood veneer plywood is generally specified for architectural paneling and furniture applications.
A: Similar to AA, with allowance for using narrower strips of veneer and a certain percentage of sapwood, depending on species. Face Grade A hardwood plywood is the most-often specified grade.
B: Permits greater color variation and slip-matched veneers, also narrower veneer pieces, pin knots and small burls.
C: Allows unlimited color variation and greater natural figures such as knots.
D and E: For rustic appearance, these grades allow color contrasts, larger knots and some repairs.
Quarter-sliced hardwood plywood veneer pattern
Typical back grades are:
1 and 2 Both are similar, although Grade 1 is more restrictive. Both provide smooth, sound surfaces with any openings in the veneer repaired.
3 and 4 Both permit open defects such as splits, bark pockets and knot holes. Grade 3 is somewhat more restrictive.
Veneer Cutting Methods Used for Hardwood Plywoods
The manner in which veneer is sliced from a log affects the appearance of the grain, and ultimately that of hardwood veneer plywood panels. The four common cutting methods are:
Plain sliced, which produces veneer strips with a V-shaped, or "cathedral" pattern.
Rift-cut, in which the log is sliced at a 15-degree angle with respect to its radius, produces a straight, parallel grain pattern and especially minimizes "flakes" in oak grains.
Rotary cut, in which logs are turned and peeled, produces broad, varied grain patterns. Rotary-cut veneers may be wide enough to face a panel with a single sheet.
Quarter-sliced veneers generally have extremely straight, parallel grain; quarter-sawn oak may have "flakes" in the pattern.
Additional Resources
Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association
Veneernet