Do you know how to go about checking quality of wood furniture? It is not that hard to choose high-end solid wood furniture! You can learn to judge quality by looking at the type of wood material, the furniture construction and how the piece is finished.
Wood Material
How long your furniture will last depends mainly on the kind of wood that is used. It can be made of hardwood, softwood, or engineered wood. Generally speaking quality furniture is made out of hardwood coming from deciduous trees such as oak, maple, mahogany, teak, walnut, cherry and birch. The wood will be air dried and then kiln dried to remove all the moisture. Coniferous trees such as pine, fir, redwood and cedar produce soft wood. Soft wood can be of good quality, but are more apt to scratch and dent. Modern furniture is very rarely constructed of solid wood. Plywood, or engineered wood is commonly used because it provides strength, and helps prevent splitting or warping. The engineered wood, when used with high quality veneers, can be very attractive.
Construction
The way a piece is constructed can contribute to its beauty, functionality and also how long it will last. Chinese furniture has long been use the traditional wood structure mortise and tenon, which will provide the furniture with some generations' life span. A good quality desk or chest of drawers will have dust panels or thin sheets of wood at the bottom. This not only makes them stronger structurally, but keeps dust away from clothing or papers. Back panels that face the wall are generally made of engineered wood, but the quality furniture with well construction is of the same solid wood in the back panel. This detail is usually ignored by consumers. If you are choosing quality wood furniture, don't forget to check the back panel.
Finish
A quality finish involves sanding, staining, and finishing. Neglecting any of the stages can affect the overall quality of the wood furniture. Sanding is the first step in the finishing process. Proper sanding will not only make the furniture more smooth, but also take the staining evenly. A good stain enhances the natural beauty of wood and adds color to the wood. A high quality piece is finished well at the outside and inside of the wood furniture.
In brief, high-end wood furniture will be well constructed, well finished and with top quality wood materials.
Wood Material
How long your furniture will last depends mainly on the kind of wood that is used. It can be made of hardwood, softwood, or engineered wood. Generally speaking quality furniture is made out of hardwood coming from deciduous trees such as oak, maple, mahogany, teak, walnut, cherry and birch. The wood will be air dried and then kiln dried to remove all the moisture. Coniferous trees such as pine, fir, redwood and cedar produce soft wood. Soft wood can be of good quality, but are more apt to scratch and dent. Modern furniture is very rarely constructed of solid wood. Plywood, or engineered wood is commonly used because it provides strength, and helps prevent splitting or warping. The engineered wood, when used with high quality veneers, can be very attractive. Construction
The way a piece is constructed can contribute to its beauty, functionality and also how long it will last. Chinese furniture has long been use the traditional wood structure mortise and tenon, which will provide the furniture with some generations' life span. A good quality desk or chest of drawers will have dust panels or thin sheets of wood at the bottom. This not only makes them stronger structurally, but keeps dust away from clothing or papers. Back panels that face the wall are generally made of engineered wood, but the quality furniture with well construction is of the same solid wood in the back panel. This detail is usually ignored by consumers. If you are choosing quality wood furniture, don't forget to check the back panel.
Finish
A quality finish involves sanding, staining, and finishing. Neglecting any of the stages can affect the overall quality of the wood furniture. Sanding is the first step in the finishing process. Proper sanding will not only make the furniture more smooth, but also take the staining evenly. A good stain enhances the natural beauty of wood and adds color to the wood. A high quality piece is finished well at the outside and inside of the wood furniture.
In brief, high-end wood furniture will be well constructed, well finished and with top quality wood materials.
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