No one wants to come home one day, place their briefcase or purse on a piece of furniture, and see it start to wobble. Nor do you want to create your own comic relief by sitting down on a chair or stool only to have it shudder and break beneath your weight. Determining quality in furniture is sometimes tricky, but learning a little "furniture speak" goes a long way when it comes time to buy the perfect addition to your home.
Definitions of Wood Furniture
There are seven basic categories of furniture you as the buyer should know about.
Wood veneer over solid wood！ This type of furniture has become more popular recently due to the scarcity of quality hardwood. Veneers often consist of a thin layer of decorative wood！meaning a more expensive, prettier wood！attached to a less expensive underlying solid piece of wood. This is an economical and environmentally friendly choice, since veneered woods save our forests, using only 30 percent of wood instead of the 70 percent that goes into hardwood furniture. Feel the edges of the furniture if you're getting veneer. The veneer should be so tightly fused to the substrate that you can't feel a difference. Look for pieces where the veneer is used on the larger areas such as the top and sides. The veneer grain, color matching, and overall effect should look good. Veneering is NOT an indication of lower quality, but instead should be assessed for its craftsmanship.
Solid wood！ Solid wood means that it is composed of wood with no particle board or wood fiber. It's the resulting board milled from the tree. Au naturel, if you will. Solid wood may be hard (as from walnut) or soft (like pine or fir). Typically, wood has a long lifespan and can refinished and repaired over the years, unlike other engineered wood products. For tops and sides of furniture, boards are biscuited and glued to create wide panels. Look for wider boards that have been carefully matched with regard to grain and color to create a more consistent appearance. Smaller (scrap) boards used in this type of piece are an indication of lesser quality.
Solid wood products！ When checking construction materials, watch out for this phrase. For the unwary, it's a trap that could lead you astray because it usually indicates that it is particle board or MDF, NOT solid wood.
Solid hardwood！ The strongest, most durable of the wood furniture options, hardwood can last for hundreds of years if properly cared for. Oak, cherry, and maple are a few examples of hardwood. Run your hands along the piece. Is the top of the furniture smooth to the touch? Well finished pieces have no rough areas when you run your hands around the edges and sides.
Wood veneer over particle board or medium-density fiberboard！ Usually more economical but less durable than wood, this type of furniture is composed of an attractive outer veneer covering fiber or particle board. One advantage to this type of construction is that fiber and particle board are engineered, so they are dimensionally stable and not subject to warping. Wood veneer provides the look of wood without the often prohibitive cost. This combination is often found in mid-range furniture.
Laminate！ Laminates can look like real wood or come in a variety of different colors. It's a durable surface material that is commonly applied over a stable substrate like particle or fiber board. Wood grain laminates are photographs of different grains of wood that have been applied to the base material and sealed. When you look at the top and sides of this type of piece, the laminate should be smooth with no variations in color. As with veneer, check to see that the laminate is properly attached to its base. Laminates come in various levels of quality with the better pieces less likely to chip or show wear over time. Laminates are typically inexpensive, affordable options especially for kids' furniture that needs regular washing.
Upholstered furniture！ This refers to any type of furniture with leather or fabric covers, springs, webbing, and/or padding. Look for quality materials like kiln-dried, hardwood frames. Frames should be screwed instead of nailed or stapled. If there are springs, eight-way hand-tied coiled springs are the most desirable and considered a sign of higher quality and durability. Check out the joints of the piece: are they tight and do they fit well into each other? Back up and take a look at the entire piece. Is the frame straight and level? Fabric patterns in higher end pieces are carefully matched as well.
Related pages
What should you look for some examples of wood furniture? Read our descriptions
