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Veneer Grades for Flush Doors

Wood is a natural substance and will vary from log to log, therefore the veneers will also vary. Grading determines what is to be allowed - or not allowed - to be present in the wood veneer. The presence of variations from lighter colored sapwood to dark colored heartwood, knots, streaks, and other natural characteristics of wood is what is taken into consideration when grading veneers. Natural grades will have lots of natural variations in the wood. Select grade veneers are chosen to minimize variation and create more consistency in wood color and appearance across the door.

Request a quote or email us for pricing. We encourage you to call and speak to our helpful sales staff to answer your questions and to get quotes on your door project.

Veneer Grades for Maple and Birch

Grading of veneers especially applies to Maple and Birch because they vary so widely in color range from nearly white sapwood to dark red/brown heartwood. In many cases, the white sapwood is desirable for the aesthetics of an interior design. Select White Maple and Select White Birch are commonly requested for this reason. When a Select White grade is requested, only veneers from white sapwood are used in production of the doors.

Natural Maple Veneers

NATURAL MAPLE VENEER

Wood - being a product of nature - sometimes will enhance a project design when used in its purest, natural state. Choosing a natural Maple grade will yield such traits in your doors. The veneers may contain the full range of color from light to dark, and may inlcude knots, mineral streaks, and small burls. These natural variations will provide richness and uniqueness in your wood flush doors.

Natural Maple Grade Characteristics
Type & Cut Grade Sapwood Heartwood Color Streaks or Spots Color Variation Mineral Streaks Small Burls or Pin Knots Cross Bars
Pl.Sl. Natural A Y Y Y Y S 1 per 3 sq.ft. S
Pl.Sl. Natural AA Y Y S Y S 1 per 5 sq.ft. S
Y = Yes N = No S = Slight
Select White Maple Veneers

SELECT WHITE MAPLE VENEER

To avoid the noticeable grain and color variation in natural veneers, you must specify for a Select White veneer. Doors with Select White Maple will only have sapwood selected for the veneers to create consistency and uniformity in grain and color across your doors. There are two grades of Select White: A and AA. The AA grade is selected for an even more premium appearance than A.

Select White Maple Grade Characteristics
Type & Cut Grade Sapwood Heartwood Color Streaks or Spots Color Variation Mineral Streaks Small Burls or Pin Knots Cross Bars
Pl.Sl. White A Y N S S S 1 per 3 sq.ft. S
Pl.Sl. White AA Y N S S N 1 per 5 sq.ft. S
Y = Yes N = No S = Slight
Natural Birch Veneers

NATURAL BIRCH VENEER

As with natural Maple, natural Birch will have the full range of color variation from lighter white to darker brown, along with streaks and knots.

Natural Birch Grade Characteristics
Type & Cut Grade Sapwood Heartwood Color Streaks or Spots Color Variation Mineral Streaks Small Burls or Pin Knots Cross Bars
Pl.Sl. Natural A Y Y Y Y S 1 per 3 sq.ft. S
Pl.Sl. Natural AA Y Y S Y N 1 per 5 sq.ft. S
Y = Yes N = No S = Slight
Select White Birch Veneers

SELECT WHITE BIRCH VENEER

Selected for only the white colored Birch sapwood. Veneers will have a consistent white color across the door with minimal natural variations.

Choose from A grade or AA grade. The AA grade is selected for a more premium appearance than A grade.

Select White Birch Grade Characteristics
Type & Cut Grade Sapwood Heartwood Color Streaks or Spots Color Variation Mineral Streaks Small Burls or Pin Knots Cross Bars
Pl.Sl. White A Y N S S S 1 per 3 sq.ft. S
Pl.Sl. White AA Y N S S N 1 per 5 sq.ft. S
Y = Yes N = No S = Slight

Veneer Grades for Other Wood Species

Other wood species are graded similarly as shown in the Maple and Birch charts above. However, most other species do not typically vary so much from white to dark color like Maple and Birch do, so other species will not have a "Select White" option available. Select White typically only applies to Birch, Maple, and Poplar (and, less commonly, Ash and Beech). Other woods will still have the option for a natural grade veneer to show more color variations, knots, and streaks, versus a select grade veneer which will be have minimal variations. Other species will also have the option for A grade versus the more premium AA grade veneers.