Here’s a little background on our tambour products
Read on to learn why we developed each product
How we got into tambour
A few years ago, the crew at World Panel Products handed me a sample of flexible backed tambour and asked me if I could produce it. Naturally, I said yes. They asked me how I was going to make it. I responded with, “I’m not sure yet”. I spent the next two weeks buying new tools, ordering moulding knives, trying, failing, and trying again until I finally had a workable and repeatable process. I produced a sample panel for them that was mediocre at best. I understood the faults with the panel and explained how I would address them. Based on that panel, they were gracious enough to place their first order with me. That was nearly 20,000 panels ago. The flexible backed tambour panels have been extremely popular in commercial projects from office buildings in California to high rises in downtown NYC.
Transitioning to residential
From what I’ve seen in the construction world, designer trends generally start in high end commercial projects and then trickle down to high end residential and then finally to main stream residential. About a year ago, I saw the tambour transition to high end residential starting to take place. The flexible backed tambour is a great fit for that market. However, with the coming transition to main stream residential, the flexible backed product was priced too high. It’s extremely labor intensive to make, as each profile is an individual piece of molding. 12″ wide panels can have as many as 16 individual pieces of molding that are then glued to the flexible backer. It’s beautiful! But it’s a lot of work. So I set out to design new products to replicate the aesthetic of the flexible backed tambour while drastically reducing the labor it takes to make each panel. Below are two of the options that we came up with.
Engineered tambour
Our engineered tambour most closely replicates the aesthetic of the flexible backed tambour panels as each strip is a separate molding. It has a very natural look. However, instead of 8 passes on the moulder to make 8 individual pieces of molding, we created a panel that only needs 1 pass yet still has the same 8 shapes. And, to top it off, the 8 shapes are all from different boards so you keep the exact same aesthetic as the flexible panels with less labor.
Beyond the labor, the next highest cost is the wood. We reduced the thickness of the wood to only the visible profile. Any wood beyond that was replaced with plywood. Plywood costs less and is stable, meaning it is more resistant to warping/bowing than wood. It also gives us just enough thickness to add a tongue and groove.
The tongue and groove accomplishes two things. First, it allows for hidden fastening since pin nails can be used through the tongue and not into the face of the board. Second, it guarantees alignment with the adjacent piece. If your walls are wonky, without the tongue, the adjacent pieces may not be properly lined up.
Lastly, we offer this product prefinished with a conversion varnish finish. Conversion varnish is chemical resistant and is often used for restaurant tables. If you have to color match a finish, we’ll be happy to provide it unfinished. But for everyone else, being prefinished creates a much simpler product since there’s no sanding and finishing on site.
Panels are 6″ wide coverage and sell online in 8′ lengths. We can offer them in lengths of up to 12′. Give us a call to order those.
Solid wood tambour trim
Our most cost effective tambour is our solid wood tambour trim. The biggest way to reduce the cost of the tambour is to reduce the labor. As mentioned above, with the flexible backed tambour, each profile is a separate piece of moulding. However, with the solid wood tambour, each board is cut to width and then ran through the moulder one time to create the shape. Unlike the flexible or engineered tambour, there’s no glue ups. It’s just a single board with profiles moulded into the face. It’s still beautiful, just with a lot less labor. Also, just like the engineered, it’s tongue and grooved for an easier installation. All profiles are sanded and ready for your finish.
There are 7 different profiles available in 4 species of wood. The panels cover 5 1/4″ wide. Online, we sell the panels in 8′ lengths. We can make up to 16′ lengths (in certain species). Give us a call for ordering longer lengths.
Flexible backed solid wood tambour panels
Our flexible backed tambour panels are the gold standard for commercial construction projects and for cabinet companies using it as door inlays. It is made to your specifications of profile, species, and length. We offer 30+ stock profiles plus we regularly custom make profiles to your architect or designer’s specifications. Panels are 12″ wide and can be made to your length up to 12′ long. We sell these panels exclusively through World Panel Products in Riviera Beach, Florida. They can be reached at 561-840-0500.