When you purchase furniture, it helps to understand a few terms used in furniture construction to get an idea of the quality of the piece you are buying. Additionally, some terms used in furniture retailing, like "solid wood" and "veneer" can be confusing for consumers.
The 3 Main Types of Wood Furniture
Wood furniture usually falls into one of these three categories:
- Solid Wood
- Wood veneer (may be referred to as “all wood”)
- Laminate
All Wood and Solid Wood - What's the Difference?
In wood furniture construction, the term "solid wood" means that each exposed part of that piece of furniture is made from one or more furniture woods. Veneers and laminates aren’t present in the finished piece at all. Solid woods are kiln-dried slowly to achieve moisture content in the vicinity of 6 percent and are then cut and shaped into pieces that provide structural integrity.
The term “wood veneer” means that thin slices of wood are bonded to composite boards or plywood in order to construct that piece of furniture. Veneers are used in both "solid wood" and "all wood" furniture construction. Besides wood veneer, artificial laminates, including those made of plastic, foil or paper, may be used in furniture construction. Laminates may be bonded to particle board or medium-density fiberboard and are usually photo-finished or may be engraved to simulate the look of wood grain.
Modern Furniture Construction Techniques
The interior construction of a piece of wood furniture often plays a more important role in its longevity than its beautifully finished or natural exterior wood. Today’s wood furniture construction uses a combination of solid hardwoods, plies and pressed wood.
For larger furniture surfaces, such as table tops, cabinet doors, dresser tops and sides, wide boards may be cut into narrower planks and then bonded back together.
Legs, pedestals and posts can be formed by shaping blocks of wood that have been glued together. These blocks are then machined or hand-turned or carved to achieve the desired contour, tapering and/or decorative carving in the finished piece. Sheets of chipboard, particleboard, fiberboard or engineered wood may be used on the backs of cabinets or as base materials for tops and panels. These sheets are made by combining resins and bonding agents with wood particles, chips or flakes. Medium density fiberboard, or MDF, is an example of this process. When fused under intense heat and pressure, the resulting panel has consistent, uniform strength, is resistant to warping, cracking and splitting, and has no knots or other surface imperfections. MDF is used in all types of furniture.
Plywood and ply construction techniques are also used in making furniture. In furniture making, creating plies involves adding layers, each placed across the previous layer’s grain, to a solid wood or particleboard core. Adhesives are placed on each layer and then permanently bonded together under high pressure. Like chipboard, fiberboard and engineered wood, today’s ply construction is also very strong and highly resistant to warping. These large flat panels are then often framed in solid wood and covered by veneers to recreate the look of one large piece of wood.
Wood Furniture Finishes
A well-applied finish adds the finishing touch to the beauty and durability of wood furniture. A proper finish requires several coats of oil, wax, lacquer or paint to the wood surfaces. Sometimes the grain is "highlighted" using steel wool.
Other than hardwood stains, other types of finishes used in furniture construction are:
- Pickled. Open pores of the wood are treated with a pigment for contrast. The background of the wood is either left natural or may be stained.
- Glazed. Glazes are are often used to even out a lighter and darker areas after the staining and sealing process. Glazes may be transparent or semi-transparent.
- Distressed. Distressed furniture finishes involve scuffing “beating up” the furniture to achieve an aged, rustic look with “character”. Distressing, or “fly specking” can be accomplished using anything from a chain with bolts to a paintbrush dipped in black paint to give the wood furniture an aged look.
- Painted. Painted furniture can be used to harmonize with a color scheme in a room or achieve a cottage or cabin style. Painted furniture tends to show flaws in the wood, so pieces that are earmarked for a paint finish may need additional preparation to remove any imperfections in the wood before the finish is applied.
- Lacquered. Clear and tinted lacquers may also be used to show off the beauty and grain of natural or stained wood. Tinted or opaque finishes change the color of the wood and can make two different woods appear to be the same. Lacquer finishes may be flat or buffed to a high gloss and provide water resistance and extra protection and durability to furniture.
Some furniture may be elaborately finished using many layers of lacquer or paint applied to achieve a weathered or aged look. Others may feature a gleaming, polished finish for a more contemporary look.
The beauty achieved through elaborate finishing techniques coupled with today’s advanced manufacturing techniques results in wood furniture that is not only very attractive, but sturdy and durable, too. Quality wood furniture, such as that you’ll find here at Furniture from Home, may last several lifetimes. Today, dowel joinery largely replaces mortise-and-tenon joints of the past and dovetails are machine-cut and joined in seconds. Today’s furniture construction adhesives are stronger than wood, set rapidly, and can better stand harsh environments and heavy use than early adhesives used in furniture manufacturing. Nails, screws, and other fasteners – now machine made – have also seen substantial improvements and consistency over the fasteners once used in furniture construction.
Understanding the terminology used by online furniture stores and having a better idea of how furniture is constructed will make you a better furniture consumer, especially if you decide to buy furniture online. Hopefully this article has helped in that regard.
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