A monolayer or multilayer film having a desired decorative appearance for use as an overlay to cover substrates employed in the construction field to provide construction laminates having a desired decorative appearance. The film overlays include, on one surface thereof, a functional adhesive primer for receiving an aqueous adhesive thereon for bonding the film to the substrates. The film includes an opposed surface having a desired decorative appearance. In one preferred embodiment the monolayer film or core layer of the multilayer film includes a polyolefin blended with approximately 15%-20% by weight thereof of a whitening agent such as titanium dioxide; without the use of a void-creating additive. In certain multilayer film embodiments the core layer can include a void creating additive, either without a whitening agent or preferably with less than 5% by weight of a whitening agent. Laminates including the film overlays of this invention bonded to substrates to form construction panels also form a part of the invention.