Veneer Information
Here's how we offer, process, and ship the products on our website.

I want you to be completely satisfied with your order! The first step to assuring this is to explain our inventory and product listing methods. Here's what you need to know:

Raw Wood vs. Backed Veneer - We offer a wide array of raw wood veneer which is the most affordable means of veneering small to medium size projects. Large projects are often veneered with paperbacked or 2-ply wood veneer. This type is limited to domestic species and only a handful of exotics. Learn more about backed veneer on this page.

Raw Wood Veneer Sheets & Lots - We offer raw wood veneer in two formats. "Sheets" are sold as individual pieces of veneer and are listed and priced by the sheet. The website listing will tell you exactly how many sheets are available in our real-time inventory so you can order as many as you need. Sheets are generally more expensive per square foot than veneers which are sold by the lot. "Lots" are sold as bundles of veneer sheets. The square foot measurement of the lot is calculated by multiplying the number of sheets in the lot by the size of a single sheet of that veneer. The price shown is the cost for the entire lot. Please note that we often have more than one lot available. If there is a lot that is listed as 10 sheets and there are 2 lots, that indicates that we have 20 total pieces available.

Measurements - Most of the veneers offered here are measured to their maximum usable size. For example, let's say there is a 10" long split at the end of a 120" length of veneer. The veneer will then be listed as 110" long though it will ship in its actual length. This does not apply to burl veneers which often have voids, splits, and cut corners. Keep in mind that it is always a good idea to order a veneer that is larger than what your project panel calls for. I suggest adding at least 15% to the size for burl veneers and 10% for non-burl veneers.

Thickness - Each raw wood veneer offered is standard mill thickness between .027" and .033". The patinated copper veneers are .005" thick. We also offer 10 mil paperbacked veneers which are approximately .02" thick.

Consecutive Sheets - Unless otherwise noted, you will receive consecutive sheets of veneer in your order. In other words the veneers are shipped in the order in which they were sliced from the log or burl which will allow you to easily bookmatch, quadmatch, or "sunburst" them.

Grade - We use our own in-house system of grading veneers "stars". A one-star rating usually indicates a veneer suitable for backing and practicing. The best veneers get a five-star rating. Please keep in mind that our grading system is based on experience with the thousands of veneers we have offered over the years. The grading is based on many factors including color, quality of cut, grain pattern, size, and character.

Photographs - In a lot of 20 sheets from the same bundle, the top veneer may show a bark patch and the bottom veneer may be flawless. On this website, the photographs are always taken from the side of the bundle that has the most defects. This guarantees that you will receive the veneer in the condition as shown or even better. When photographing the veneers on this website, I do not use alcohol, water, or any other means of enhancing the grain or figure. I try to photograph the veneers as close to the original color as possible by shooting with white light. Bubinga veneers are more red/purple in natural light than they appear in the website photos. Additionally, walnut burl veneers are typically darker (and less orange) than what is shown in the pictures.

Color Variation - It is possible that pictures of some species will appear different on your computer screen or printer than what the veneer actually looks like. No two computers monitors will show colors identically. Some are brighter, some have more contrast, and other have differences in saturation or hue. We highly suggest researching the range of color within the species that is being considered for a project before making a selection as we can not be held responsible for variation in color.

Veneer 'Flatness' - Most of the veneer offered on this website has been pressed flat which gives you a product that is ready to be placed directly into your vacuum press. There are three categories within the term 'flat'. Truly flat veneers are those which are as flat as a sheet of plywood. There are also veneers which are flat with some waves but can still be placed in a vacuum press without the use of a flattening agent. Lastly, there are veneers that need to be flattened and cured before they are placed in a vacuum press. Each veneer on this website is marked as flat or not flat. Veneers marked as 'Flat' may fall into either of the first two categories.

Veneer Shipping and Handling

Last year, we shipped more than 120,000 square feet of veneer without any damage. Here's how...

Handling - I'm sure you know veneers are fragile. I handle all of our veneers with 'kid gloves'. When a purchase is made, I carefully search through the stacks, removing each lot until your veneer is found. As veneers are pulled from the shelf, they are re-evaluated for quality. If any problems are found, these veneers are discounted and offered at "B" quality rates on this website.

Packing - Most veneers are shipped between multiple layers of corrugate flats. Larger veneers are rolled up and protected with paper cushioning. Even the most unruly veneers can be shipped safely. Each veneer is packaged with adequate protection primarily using unprinted newspaper and layers of cardboard or bubble wrap.

Shipping - We've selected UPS as our carrier of choice for nearly all of our fragile shipments. Though a bit expensive, their track record for secure delivery is unsurpassed. To further protect the items in your order, we always insure our shipments to guarantee a secure delivery.

Paper-Backed and 2-Ply Veneers

All of our paper-backed and 2-Ply veneers are shipped from the manufacturing facility in Indiana. These veneers are rolled up and shipped via Fedex in heavy duty cardboard boxes. Lead times are based on several factors. Please see the product listings for more lead time information.