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Buyer's Guide to Wood Furniture
Although seldom seen, the interior construction of a
piece of wood furniture will determine its longevity more so than
its decorative exterior. Today the most common construction methods
utilize a combination of solid hardwoods, plywood and pressed wood
commonly referred to as particle board or chipcore.
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Solid Wood
Dried slowly in kilns down to approximately six percent moisture
content, solid hardwoods are cut and shaped into pieces that provide
the structural integrity of the furniture. These pieces include the
legs, frame and posts that support the weight of the table, chair or
cabinet. The proper method of connecting these frame pieces is by
joining them in a combination of the following methods:
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Plywood and
Particle Board
The use of non-solid wood products is probably the
most maligned and misunderstood aspect of furniture construction. As
wood is porous by nature, solid wood has a tendency to expand and
contract as the humidity changes. In constructing the large flat
panels that make up the tops of tables or the sides of cabinets,
solid wood does not offer the necessary stability. Plywood and
products manufactured of ground up wood are significantly more
stable and less apt to warp or split. These large flat panels will
often be framed in solid wood and covered by veneers to recreate the
look of one large piece of wood. |
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Veneers
The beautiful grain you see on the top of a dining
table or dresser is most often a wood veneer-a thin slice of wood
selected for its outstanding character. Dating back to ancient Egypt
and Rome, veneering became commonly used in the 17th Century. Today
the use of veneers is found at every price level of wood furniture.
The advantages of veneering are many. In covering the core panels,
veneers are often applied creating patterns that add interest and
beauty to the piece. Often , more expensive woods which would be too
costly or fragile to use as structural parts are used as veneers.
For example, Crotch Mahogany, often utilized in
eighteen century designs to give that fiery look to the front of a
Chippendale armoire could not be utilized structurally due to its
gnarled character.
The following are examples of patterns created by
veneers often found on tops and fronts of wood furniture. The
artistry used in creating these patterns is called " matching".
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Book Matching |
End Matching |
End Matching |
Slip Match |
Herringbone |
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The Finish
It has been said that a piece of furniture looks
only as good as its finish. Most of the fine furniture sold today
goes through a finishing process involving many steps. After the
piece is thoroughly sanded, a stain is either sprayed or wiped on.
Sometimes the grain is "highlighted" using steel wool. If the
piece is traditional in design, distressing, or fly specking can
be added using anything from a chain with bolts to a paintbrush
dipped in black paint to give the piece an aged look.
A sanding sealer is then applied to prepare the
piece for its final finish steps. A final sanding is done prior to
the application of the top coat. Lacquer is most often used as the
last step, giving the piece its finished appearance. Whether flat
or buffed to a high gloss, lacquer provides the beauty, water
resistance and durability desirable today. |
Courtesy of
Henredon Furniture Industries |
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Engraving or Printing
Some surfaces that look like wood on a piece of
furniture may not be. Due to the high cost of veneering, a method
has been developed that reproduces the grain of wood
photographically. This wood image is then applied over the flat
panels to simulate a wood surface. There are two ways to tell if
what you are looking at is an engraved or printed surface. The
grain will be perfect, with none of the flaws of nature, and the
grain will have no variation in texture as one would expect from a
piece of real wood.
This process is being used primarily on the
inside backs of cabinets where the manufacturers feel they can
save a little without being obvious. However, on less expensive
furniture, you might find engraved surfaces almost anywhere. The
drawbacks of engraved surfaces are that they are not repairable
and that when coming in contact with a solvent, the grain may come
off. Ask your furniture salesperson, if you are not sure, which if
any parts of the piece you are considering are engraved. |
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