Buying wood furniture is one of the more popular choices among shoppers. While this is true, more than a few people have been burned by the fact that wood furniture is not always what it claims to be.
When Wood Furniture is Not What You Think It Is
One of the more popular styles of furniture is wood. In the world of furniture, however, it is important to understand that this term is thrown around a bit more than it should be. Much like there is a lot of fluff flying when a car salesman tries to sell you a vehicle, the same can be said for wood claims by salesman. In this case, it is truly buyer beware.
When looking for wood furniture, most people have a particular quality and type in mind. In the furniture industry, this is known generally as “solid wood” furniture. While this moniker may be used for a piece of furniture, it is not always accurate. It often will refer to part of the piece being made from solid wood, but other “wood” sections are not. What are these other pieces? Glad you asked.
Plywood is the great wood substitute these days. Yes, that $2,000 couch or armoire may have a lot of plywood in it. Technically, plywood is…well, wood, but it is probably not what you had in mind when shopping. Plywood is actually often stronger than solid wood. It is made by gluing various pieces of wood together and the chemical bond results in a very strong material that is flexible and easy to use. At the end of the day, however, it is not what most people are looking for in wood furniture, so make sure to thoroughly check the pieces you are looking at.
Even less attractive is a “wood” known as particle board. Particle board is a recycled product. The remnants of wood cuttings are essentially glued together and pressed into board shapes. By remnants, I mean saw dust and chips from wood cuttings. Particle board is very strong, but it not particularly attractive. It is often used in furniture in areas that are not visible to the naked eye, which means it may or may not concern you if it is included in your “wood” furniture.
At the end of the day, the quality of the wood furniture you are considering is a matter of defining just what type of “wood” is actually being used.
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