Wood Definitions

Solid Wood means that all exposed parts of the furniture are made of solid board, either softwood or hardwood lumber. No veneers or particle boards are used. When solid boards are used in furniture construction, they are glued together side by side along the edges. Often, a number of boards are used to make the wood more stable and reduce the chance of warping. By following a seam to the end you can always identify solid board, where you will find the "end" grain. Many veneers are glued over the edges to look like solid wood, but they will always be faced on the end and show no end grain.

Remember, "all-wood furniture" is not necessarily solid wood. A veneer can help you achieve the look you desire at a cost lower than solid lumber.

Artificial veneers can be overlaid on plywood or particleboard. A plywood core is lighter, less expensive and more forgiving if damaged, but it can swell if it gets wet. If damaged, particleboard will often fracture because the material is so hard it cannot absorb a shock.

There are three types of glue-up in most solid wood furniture:

• Plank is made of pieces that have the same length but varying widths.
• Laminated is made of pieces that have the same length and width.
• Butcher block is made of pieces with varying length but the same width.

Veneer is a thin layer of wood applied in sheets over underlying layers of wood, plywood or particleboard. Plywood is made of thin layers of solid wood glued over each other with grains running at 90-degree angles to produce a strong core. A "real wood" veneer is often glued on top.

Gluing chips and particles of wood together and pressing them into sheets, upon which a veneer can be glued, makes particleboard. The specific density of the wood determines hardness, not by whether a tree is classified as a "hardwood" or "softwood." Hardwoods come from deciduous trees. (e.g. maple, oak, alder)

Softwoods come from conifers. (e.g. pine, spruce, fir) Some hardwoods, such as balsa wood, are softer than some softwoods, such as pine.

Tips

Drawer construction is generally a good indication of overall furniture quality. Some drawers have no guides. The lack of guides allows more "play" and can cause the drawer to bind when it is opened and closed. Others have wood-to-wood center guides, nylon-to-wood center guides, side-mounted roller guides or center-mounted metal guides. Roller guides and center-mounted metal guides normally have built-in drawer stops, and some have lifetime warranties for drawer operation.

Many drawers have glue-blocks to strengthen the bottom. Most ready-to-finish chests have wood drawer bottoms, not always the case with prefinished furniture. Now, as in the past, doweled and dovetailed drawer joints indicate a high degree of craftsmanship. However, modern machine technology, good bonding glue and pneumatically driven staples coated with resin have afforded savings in construction while providing durability.

The quality wood furniture you purchase today can be used for a lifetime. There are many benefits you'll find in solid wood furniture.