A/A Decorative Panel For Visible Casework on Both Sides
The SALT SM'art Empire panel is a thermally fused laminate (TFL) decorative board finished in the Manhattan texture on an A/A grade pair, meaning both faces carry the same show-quality surface. At 81-1/2 inch by 120-5/64 inch and 8 mm thick, this sheet is sized for cabinet boxes, open shelving, and room dividers where neither face has anywhere to hide.
Key Features
- 13-hour water-resistant core — a vendor test result, not a wet-area rating, and useful where spills and humidity are routine.
- 50% post-consumer recycled core — half the core content is reclaimed wood fiber.
- CARB2 hardwood particleboard core — the substrate the decor is fused to.
- A/A grade pair: both faces are finished to the same appearance standard, so the panel works from any viewing angle.
- Manhattan finish: a named SM'art texture that gives the surface a consistent character and gloss across the face.
- Empire color (SMM020): a coordinated SM'art decor with matching ABS edgebanding available in this color.
- 8 mm thickness: a lighter-weight panel option suited to back panels, secondary shelves, and cabinet interiors where full 19 mm stock is more than the application needs.
- Oversized sheet: the 81-1/2 inch by 120-5/64 inch nominal size opens up cut plans that a standard 4 x 8 sheet cannot accommodate.
- TFL construction: the decorative face is fused directly to the core under heat and pressure, with no separate adhesive layer to open at the edge.
Where This Panel Fits the Work
The A/A construction makes this panel the right choice whenever a finished surface needs to show on both sides of the same component. Open bookcases and entertainment cabinets built into a room's center, display cases with glass doors, and island cabinet boxes where the interior and exterior are both in view are the natural applications. The 8 mm thickness keeps weight manageable on tall back panels and large doors that do not need the structural depth of a thicker board. Cabinet shops running a tighter cut list also find that the oversized sheet reduces the number of panels they need to pull for a complex job.
Construction and Surface
SM'art panels use thermally fused laminate technology: the decorative paper is impregnated with melamine resin and bonded directly to the core under heat and pressure. There is no separate sheet and no glue line, so the face cannot delaminate from the substrate in the way a separately bonded laminate can. The Manhattan finish is a specific texture within the SM'art collection, and its character carries across both faces on this A/A panel. Matching ABS edgebanding is available in the Empire color, so cut edges can be closed to read as part of the same surface. Note that SM'art does not have a matching HPL companion, so countertop and high-wear horizontal continuations in this color require a third-party laminate selection.
Who Orders This Panel
Cabinet shops specifying a contemporary interior or an A/A component in a commercial fitout will find the A/A pair and the Empire color a practical combination. Designers coordinating a color program appreciate that the SM'art matching edgebanding keeps the palette consistent to the cut edge. The 8 mm thickness also suits millwork studios producing wall-hung display and retail fixture work where sheet weight adds up quickly across a large installation. For a job that might be reopened or extended, confirm stock availability before committing Empire to a long specification run.
What does A/A mean on an SM'art panel?
Both faces of the panel are finished to the same appearance standard. Either face can show in the finished piece, which is what distinguishes an A/A panel from an A/B panel where one face is held to a looser grade.
Is matching edgebanding available in Empire?
Yes. SM'art offers matching ABS edgebanding in the Empire color. ABS is chlorine-free, which clears specifications that exclude PVC banding.
Can I use this panel for a countertop surface?
The SM'art collection does not include a matching HPL sheet, so carrying the Empire color onto a countertop requires a separate laminate selection. The TFL face on this panel is not intended as a horizontal wear surface on its own.
Why is the sheet size fractional rather than a round number?
The 81-1/2 inch by 120-5/64 inch dimension is a precise nominal size chosen by the manufacturer to nest specific cut lists. Rounding it to the nearest inch changes the sheet the saw actually receives, which can affect how parts fall on the board.
Is this panel CARB2 compliant?
CARB2 compliance information for SM'art panels is not confirmed in the current product documentation. Contact us with your project's compliance requirements and we can pull the current technical data for this collection.
Both Faces Ready, No Second Operation
The SM'art Empire A/A panel arrives finished on both sides in the Manhattan texture, so the cut-and-band workflow starts the moment the sheet comes off the truck. For open, A/A, or high-visibility casework, that is the panel to pull.
