Evaluating Wood Furniture
Wood Made Furniture, also known as “case goods” in the furniture industry, will likely stay in your home for a long while, and may even be passed down from generation to generation. When buying wood furniture such as armoires, buffets, dressers, tables, desks, and bookcases, look for quality construction, materials, and finish.
Check for the quality of the wood
Wood comes in two varieties: hardwood and softwood.
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Hardwood: Strong and dent-resistant hardwoods include ash, cherry, maple, oak, teak, walnut, and mahogany. Generally speaking, more expensive furniture is made of fine hardwood.
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Softwood: You’ll find less expensive furniture made of softwoods such as cedar, cypress, fir, and pine.
Some furniture may use a combination of different hardwoods and softwoods.
Look carefully at the wood furniture construction
Manufacturers construct furniture using several different techniques.
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Solid wood: Solid wood furniture has a lot of wood detail. The grain of the lumber carries through the core.
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Wood veneers: Veneers are thin layers of high-quality decorative woods bonded to inferior solid wood, plywood, or particle board. You’ll see them used on furniture at all price levels, including fine-quality furniture such as Chippendale.
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Wood laminates: Laminates are imitation hardwood surfaces applied to a composite wood product such as particle board. Low-cost laminates do not allow for any carving or detailing and have a simple appearance.
Also look at furniture joint construction. Joint assembly techniques such as dovetailing and doweling usually have superior construction.
Make Sure the piece has a good wood finish
Finishes can provide uniform color and give your furniture some protection from heat, dryness, and moisture. A good finish makes a piece of wood furniture even more appealing and determines how much care it will require long term. The better the finish, the longer the piece will maintain its appearance. Choose distressed finish furniture for high-activity rooms. The rough-hewn and rustic finish easily hides finger marks and scratches.
To repair scratches and nicks on solid-wood furniture, sand down the blemishes and refinish the surface with a touch-up kit. Simply refinish veneered or laminated furniture.
Broadway Furniture
228 NE Broadway
Portland Oregon 97232
503 — 281 — 5555
“Your Doorway To Values”
We Are Locally Owned and Family Run For Over 70 Years!
Our store carries over 50,000 square feet of furniture and accessories on 5 floors.
If you don’t see it on our showroom floor, we can special order it for you – at No Additional Cost!
source:http://pages.ebay.com/buy/guides/furniture-buying-guide/
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