How do you really know what you are buying?
Many people ask me “How do I know what to look for when buying furniture?”
“How can I tell if a piece is well made?” First, you need to ask yourself,” What am I
looking for in this piece?” What quality am I willing to settle for? Do I need this piece
to last for more than just a few years? What is the difference between hardwoods and
softwoods? veneers? These are all valid questions and need to be answered.
Solid American hardwoods are deciduous trees that bear a fruit or nut and tend to
go dormant in the winter. Some examples are Oaks, Cherry, Maples, Hickory, Ash, Elm
and Walnut. Solid hardwoods, as building and furnishing materials, go against the grain
of our mass-produced, throw-away society. Solid hardwood furniture can withstand more
stress loads than other materials, screws and other fasteners grip tightly in their grain,
nicks and scratches are easily repaired and refinished, and their lasting value is proven.
Solid hardwood furniture can last for generations when well cared for.
Although every hardwood board will
predictably share the characteristics of its species each board displays a grain pattern
which is uniquely its own, having been formed by the environment of the individual tree
from which it came. Hardwoods usually have few or no knots and distinct colors. This
gives each piece of furniture its own unique look and, when chosen well, a beauty worth
the time and effort.
Softwoods are conifer trees that bear a cone for seeds and have needles rather than
leaves. Softwoods include Spruce, Pine, Fir, Cedar, Redwood, and Hemlock and keep
their needles through the winter months. Softwoods have a greater sap flow throughout
the tree and the wood tends to be softer and more flexible. The grain patterns vary, but
all tend to have wider grain, varied coloration and many knots.
Long prized for their rustic characteristics, softwoods
are used in many types of furniture construction. There are a few drawbacks to using
softwoods in furniture building, but the lower costs sometimes outweigh the negatives.
Care must be taken to avoid cracking and splitting especially in knots and the soft wood
does not hold up well to heavy stress loads. Due to greater sap content in the wood, the
sap may tend to “bleed” in areas where the board has been wounded such as where a
screw might be attached.
What is a veneer? A veneer is a thin covering over another surface. In today’s
furniture this other surface is most often particle board or MDF (medium density fiber)
board. The great thing about this material is it is very flat, since it is essentially sawdust
and glue molded in a machine press.
The coverings can be anything from a
paper thin printed film to as much as a 1/8th inch wood veneer. Unfortunately, these
types of materials are not very forgiving when it comes to moisture and temperature.
Moisture and heat can get under the veneer and cause the MDF/particle board to swell,
causing the surface to no longer be flat. If the veneer is damaged by a deep scratch or
gouge, the best remedy is to re-veneer or replace the damaged part. There are also
problems with fastening boards together as these materials are not as strong as solid
hardwoods and screws pull out easily.
Veneer furniture is not all bad, and can have many uses in quality furniture
building. Many older veneered tables are made with a thicker veneer of an expensive
wood like ¼ Sawn Oak over something less expensive like Red Oak. This process was
done to keep expenses down and still get the same look. Since the veneer is done over a
hardwood, there are fewer problems with moisture and temperature and screws are
securely held in place. Plywood is another type of veneer product and is made by
laminating several layers of wood together.
This type of product keeps its shape well and is not
subject to expansion and contraction like solid wood is. Many builders use plywood on
the inside panels of solid furniture to keep expansion from breaking out the joints.
If you are looking for solid wood furniture, you need to look at the back or the
bottom of the piece. Most veneer or particle board furniture makers leave any edgebanding off these areas to save cost. This allows you to see what is “inside”.
Many times you can also tell about a piece based on how perfect the grain looks or how
the grain pattern seems to repeat often. This is usually done with a printed film over the
MDF surface. Furniture makers are getting much better at hiding how they use
MDF/particle board and can often fool most people. Furniture stores advertise “Solids
and veneers”, or “all wood construction”, or “oak or cherry finish” to give the illusion of
solid wood. Manufacturers of upholstered furniture such as sofas, loveseats and chairs
can hide a multitude of construction issues by covering it with fabric and padding. In
these situations, you must rely on the integrity of the manufacturer and the store itself to
tell you the truth.
When choosing furniture for the short term softwoods are the better option.
Veneered furniture can be nice if done well and on quality surfaces. However, when
choosing furniture for a lifetime, or maybe more, it pays to choose wisely. Solid
hardwood furniture is genuine, natural, classic, and real. Solid hardwood furniture will
be pieces you can use and enjoy, then pass on to future generations with confidence.