Natural Ash Character And the Flexibility to Go Where Panels Cannot
The SALT International Pura Vita PVFC23 Frassino Chiaro is a phenolic-backed loose real wood veneer sheet, 49 inches by 120 inches and 1.3 mm total thickness, finished in a natural ash appearance. Because it ships as a loose sheet rather than a pressed panel, it gives fabricators the freedom to bond it to curved substrates, components that fall outside standard panel sizes, and surfaces the Pura Vita panel program cannot reach on its own.
Key Features
- Real wood face — the decorative surface is genuine ash veneer, not a printed or filmed imitation.
- Phenolic backer — a 0.8 mm phenolic carrier stabilizes the 0.5 mm wood layer and provides a consistent bonding surface.
- Large format sheet — the 49 inch by 120 inch size covers tall cabinet runs, full-height doors, and wide components in fewer pieces.
- Pura Vita A-Grade front, B-Grade back construction — the face is held to Pura Vita's tighter A-grade appearance standard; the reverse is B-grade real wood, not a substitute backer.
- Loose format — sold unattached to a panel so the fabricator controls the substrate, the adhesive, and the application method.
Where Loose Veneer Solves Problems Panels Leave Behind
A pressed decorative panel is efficient for flat carcass work, but it has a fixed sheet size and a fixed substrate. Loose veneer fills the gaps. Bond PVFC23 to a radiused door component, a column wrap, a curved reception desk end, or an odd-dimension shelf and the color reads continuously across the entire piece. It also lets a shop carry the Frassino Chiaro color onto site-built components that need to match Pura Vita panels already on the job, without switching to a different surface technology. Anywhere the work asks for real wood grain and the substrate is something other than a standard panel board, this sheet handles it.
The Material: Real Wood Over a Phenolic Carrier
The 1.3 mm total thickness breaks down as 0.5 mm of real ash veneer over a 0.8 mm phenolic backer. The wood layer is thin enough to conform to a gentle curve under correct adhesive and press conditions, while the phenolic carrier keeps the sheet flat in storage and gives glue something consistent to grip. Natural ash grain means tone and figure vary from sheet to sheet — that variation is inherent to the material, not a defect, and it is precisely what distinguishes a real wood face from a printed one. The Frassino Chiaro color name is the vendor's own designation for this ash finish; it is reproduced here exactly as published.
Who Reaches for This Sheet
Cabinet shops and millworkers running the Pura Vita panel program reach for this sheet when a component falls outside the panel format. Architectural millwork fabricators use it to carry a single wood color across curved and flat work in the same installation. Shop estimators ordering from a cut list with non-standard dimensions find the 49 by 120 inch format gives more usable area per sheet than a narrower 48 inch product. It suits any buyer who needs real wood character on a surface they are bonding themselves rather than receiving pre-finished.
What is the difference between the 0.5 mm veneer and the 1.3 mm total thickness?
The 1.3 mm figure is the combined thickness of the sheet you handle: 0.5 mm of real ash veneer on top and 0.8 mm of phenolic backer beneath. The veneer is the wood you see; the backer is what stabilizes it and gives the adhesive a flat, consistent surface to bond to. When you are planning your finished panel thickness, account for the full 1.3 mm.
Can this sheet be used on curved substrates?
Yes — that is one of the primary reasons to choose loose veneer over a pressed panel. The 0.5 mm wood layer is thin enough to conform to gentle curves when bonded with the right adhesive and press setup. Tight radii require testing before committing to a production run, since the phenolic backer adds stiffness compared to an unbacked veneer.
Does Pura Vita matching edgebanding exist for PVFC23?
Matching ABS edgebanding is available in the Pura Vita collection. Confirm the specific color code when ordering to ensure the edgebanding matches your veneer and any Pura Vita panels on the same job.
What does the A-grade front, B-grade back mean on a veneer sheet?
Both faces are real ash wood — the grade pair describes appearance standards, not different materials. The A-grade front is selected to a tighter standard for color consistency and natural character. The B-grade back is held to a looser standard and is the face you bond against. Plan the layout so the A-grade face is the one that shows.
How does this sheet relate to the Pura Vita pressed panel program?
The Pura Vita pressed panels and this loose veneer sheet share the same Frassino Chiaro color, so they can appear in the same installation without a visible color break. The pressed panel is faster for flat carcass work; the loose sheet is for components that cannot come from a standard pressed panel — curved parts, non-standard dimensions, and site-applied surfaces.
One Wood Color, Applied on Your Terms
PVFC23 Frassino Chiaro in the loose sheet format puts genuine ash grain on any surface a fabricator can bond to, regardless of shape or substrate, and keeps it consistent with the broader Pura Vita color program across a full installation.
