Furniture Facts
Wood Products   Wood Characteristics   Wood Finishes  

Buying furniture can be very confusing. Even at very low prices every store promises great quality. But all too often the quality matches the price paid. The trick is to determine what is the right quality – and price – for your particular needs. When does should you pay a little extra, when is it OK to scrimp?

In this section we will try and explain how furniture, all furniture, is made. And what clues you can use to determine its craftsmanship.

What is a veneer? Is it a finish or a construction technique? Why is found on the least expensive and the most expensive furniture in the world. Do you know what an engraved finish is? In a sofa what is the difference between a drop in coil and a hand tied coil? And why would you pay more for one than the other?

We will explain these and many other issues in this section. We will keep adding to this and encourage your feedback. Let us know if we were not clear enough or if there is a specific question that we can answer. Just go to our contact page and send us you questions and comments.

Who knows, your question may end up on this section!!

Wood Products

Solid wood:
Furniture constructed of solid wood is just what you probably think it is. It means that all exterior parts are made of boards glued together to make the tops, sides, and drawer and door fronts. There is no plywood, fiberboard, particle board or other products in those areas. It does not dictate how the interiors are constructed. For example, the drawer sides and backs may be plywood or particle board.
Generally, factories that spend the extra on solid wood will also offer better construction techniques and finishes. However, there is a trend for some stores to advertise products that are solid wood but whose craftsmanship is almost non-existent. Porterhouse and hamburger are both all beef, but which is worth more?
Typical solid woods used in American products are maple, pine, cherry, oak, alder, walnut and occasionally elm, ash and sycamore. There are hundreds of foreign woods available as well. Within each there are various species. Each has various properties which may or may not be of value to your needs. Some may be harder, but not as attractive. Some may be cheaper, but more prone to splitting or dents. A knowledgeable salesperson will be able to tell you what is used and why.

Veneer:
By definition veneer is nothing more than a thin coating or product applied to a base. A marble façade on a concrete building is a veneer. So is stucco. In wood furniture it means a thin sheet of wood glued to a core of something. (More on this later.) The veneer on most furniture is about 1/32 of an inch thick, the same as two business cards.
 Nothing causes so much confusion as veneer. The problem stems from the fact that veneer is used on the very cheapest furniture and on the most expensive. How can this be? The technique is used for two very reasons and by two different methods. It can be used to keep the price low or it may be used to allow very decorative, intricate and expensive inlays.
On poorly made furniture an inch thick piece of lumber can be turned into 32 veneered panels instead of only one. When used in poorly constructed furniture that self destructs veneer gets a bad rap. “I’ll never buy that veneer junk again!” The veneer takes the blame when it was really the construction at fault.

However, if you take a trip to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and go to the furniture collection you will find antiques with intricate designs and motifs that will take your breath away! All are done with special veneer techniques. Today that work is still done by hand. It is very time consuming and very expensive.

Which is ‘best’?
The true answer is- “it depends”. Solid wood can offer resistance to dents and scratches, easy repair, beauty of graining and time honored joinery only achieved by working with solid wood. However it may be costly, have inconsistent graining or streaks, and may swell or shrink as humidity changes. Occasionally this can lead to cracks, known as checks or splits, or warping. Here in New England this can be a real issue as we endure ‘Mississippi’ humidity in the summer and then our homes become desert dry with our central heating is on. We have all experienced the door that won’t close in the summer. It is caused by the wood swelling, and our furniture does this too!
The durability and longevity of veneer is dependent upon the base onto which it is adhered and the glues used. Surprisingly, the best core is NOT solid wood. A solid wood core will ‘breathe’ moisture and swell and shrink slightly. The veneer glued to it will not do so or will not do it at the same rate. This will lead to cracking or buckling in the veneer, not a pretty sight! The best core is one that will not swell, shrink, warp or crack – particleboard! The best is HDF – high density fiberboard. This is very finely ground wood blended with glue and resins and formed into panels under high pressure. This results in a very smooth surface on a dent resistant core. Just the perfect product to adhere a veneer! When used with modern synthetic glues the veneer is almost impervious to changes in heat and humidity. Only if severely damaged will veneer present problems to most homeowners.

Wood Characteristics

Oak- The most common is called red oak because of the pink hue to its grain. Very hard and grainy it is the wood commonly used in hardwood floors. Its cousin, white oak, is harder still. It was used as the exterior layer on the U.S.S. Constitution. Cannon balls would bounce off this tough sheathing, earning it the nickname “Old Ironsides”. Today white oak is often ‘quartersawn’ to reveal the fibers that tie the rings of the tree together. High quality mission furniture will traditionally use this lumber. It can be found on furniture by Hile Studio else where on our site.

Cherry- These trees are not found in your garden but are common in the forests of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The best for cabinet making is ‘wild black cherry’, a tree that grows to be two feet in diameter and a hundred feet high. When finished with only a clear oil or lacquer it starts out with a wonderful light pink tone. Gradually it will darken on its own until it reaches warm reddish brown. It is one of the few woods that will have an extreme color change. However, every board will take on its own tone, resulting in a fair amount of color and grain variation. For this reason cherry is normally stained, as it evens out the overall color.
Cherry has been very popular, and this has driven up the price. Although more expensive than some other woods, it is not as hard as rock maple or oak. If the ability to resist hard use is paramount, maple or oak may be better choices.

Ash- The graining of ash is very similar to oak. While very hard, it is also able to take a shock and flex more than oak. It is often used in baseball bats. Oak never is as it is ‘brittle’ by comparison and would shatter when striking a fastball. It is less susceptible to cracking and splitting in furniture.

Hickory- Not seen too often in furniture, it has the same characteristics as ash.

Pine- Northern white pine is widely found in our yards and forests here in New England. With long soft needles the tress can grow to over 100 feet high and three feet in diameter. This is a very beautiful lumber commonly used in country or colonial styles. Knots are inevitable, and it is in fact it is the wood used in many dens in the 60’s with ‘knotty pine paneling’. It is very susceptible to dents and scratches and is not a good choice for dining or coffee tables.

Mahogany- Found only in the equatorial rain forests, this wood was long favored by English cabinet makers like Chippendale, Sheraton and Duncan Phyfe. Easy to carve, it is a straight grained and stable wood, ideal for their delicate designs. Still available today from government controlled forests, most reputable factories will purchase only from suppliers that are dedicated to sustainable forestry techniques.
While very costly due to harvesting and shipping costs, it is similar to cherry in durability.

Walnut- Very popular in the 50’s and 60’s, walnut is seeing a mini resurgence. Also known as black walnut for its naturally dark brown color, it is often used as an accent with lighter woods or in modern designs. This wood grows in southern states.

Birch- Once shunned as a poor man’s maple, today birch is very popular in kitchen cabinets as it has a beautiful grain similar to cherry, and durability close to rock maple.

Wood Finishes

The most common finish used on furniture since 1945 is nitrocellulose lacquer. It is usually the last coat, or coats, applied. Manufacturers like it because it dries quickly, comes in flat, satin or gloss, and can be rubbed out to achieve the final desired patina. Also it is technically a ‘plastic’. That is, it remains flexible enough to expand with the wood as it swells in the summertime humidity. Then it shrinks as the wood dries in our centrally heated wintertime homes. All without cracking or peeling!
For the home owner it offers a finish which is hard, easy to care for (though not care free), flexible and long lasting under normal conditions. In case of damage it is easy to repair by a professional. It is prone to damage by water, alcohol, perfume, ammonia, and acetone (in nail polish).
Other finishes may be oil only (clear or colored), urethane, shellac or synthetic lacquer. The first three are relatively rare in mass produced furniture. Synthetic lacquers are widely used today on dining tables as it offers protection against modest heat (coffee cups), water and alcohol. It may be cleaned with a sponge and mild soap. This makes them great for daily use in the kitchen. However they are not miracle finishes and very hot items need trivets under them. You can not use your green ‘scrungie’ pad to clean the table, or spill nail polish. Be sure you know which you own before leaving the wet glass unattended!