Many different materials are used to make furniture today, including hardwoods and softwoods, particle board and plastic laminate. Being in the position to spot and identify different materials is a necessary skill when buying quality wood furniture. It is quite important to know the difference between them to get quality. Become a smarter furniture buyer by making use of these ideas to your advantage.
Pine is known for taking stain very well, especially if the wood is sealed prior to you begin. However, be extra careful with pine, as it does have a tendency to ooze sap. Pine is readily available at most renovation stores. Most varieties of pine are rather soft, making it easy to work with and an excellent choice for carving.
If you’re looking for looks and lasting ability, use hardwood for your furniture. Amish craftspeople who’ve perfected their trade over generations almost always choose to make their traditional handmade furniture out of the slow-growth hardwood found in northern climes. Greater density, usual among cold-climate woods, is exactly what makes them popular.
Even though its name suggests otherwise, soft maple is actually a tough, long-wearing and resilient wood. Red or silver maple trees provide this common wood, which could be not quite as solid and sturdy as hard maple. However, it will require stain considerably more willingly than hard maple does. Soft maple has color ranging from light cream to pale brown, and has occasional dark streaks.
When you’re in a wood furniture store, it is very likely you will hear the terms veneer and solid wood. It’s essential to have a solid understanding of what those terms mean. If your salesperson informs you that a certain piece is solid wood, he or she means that most or all of the exposed portions of the furniture consist of solid planks of wood. A veneer refers to a thin sheet of wood, and it is glued on top of a particle board or even a piece of plywood.
One of the very best woods for furniture is well known around the world as deep reddish-brown mahogany. With just a coat of oil, you could keep it looking great; plus it will take stain well. The natural habitat of mahogany is in great danger, as the forests are decreasing in both size and density, making it a difficult wood to find. A lumber yard that carries specialty items is really the only one likely to keep mahogany in stock.
Even though softwoods are less durable than hardwoods, they occur more often in nature. They are cost effective and provide a great solution other than particle boards. Common softwoods include cedar, fir, spruce and pine.