Furniture today, “It isn’t what ‘it’ used to be” say many older folks. Why is that? The answer is simple, really, because of mass production of furniture made from cheaper alternatives to ‘real’ wood. Basically, at the end of the day, it is because of the bottom line – profit. Some alternative furniture material looks like just like wood, but it’s not, while some furniture is made from pressed wood fibres, and then there are cheap wood furniture that is made from lesser grades of varying wood; furniture that doesn’t last as long as real timber furniture.
Even custom-made wood furniture that is produced from local wood shops can be questioned, as to the quality of wood they are using. Wood can be treated with finishing that can look so good, it appears as high quality furniture, when it really isn’t high quality wood at all. So, the problem now is this, how would you know if your custom made furniture is made of high quality materials and above standard?
It a valid question folks who are interested want to know, especially ‘before’ purchasing custom made wood tables, wood chairs or any wood furniture, for that matter.
Custom Made Furniture That Lasts – Timber Furniture
Let us imagine that you hired ‘premium’ custom-made furniture professionals who worked day and night to deliver the designs that you asked for. You didn’t want to compromise on any part of the furniture making process, so you agreed to pay extra to get what you want – quality custom-made wood furniture.
Now, are you absolutely certain that the delivered piece of furniture is made from quality material, good wood? How would you know if the wood furniture you ordered will not start disintegrating in just a few years? Is there a way to test material and workmanship standards? Following are the tips to help you decide.
If you want to test the quality of wood, start with a simple test. Try to scratch the surface with a help of a nail on coin. Make sure that the surface area where you want to test is discreet and will not affect how the furniture piece looks. Solid custom made furniture, made from high quality and conditioned wood, does not scratch easily. On the other hand, cheap wood will easily leave an ugly scratch mark.
Construction of custom made furniture is equally as important as the wood being used. Even if you are not a wood expert, simply testing the furniture you bought can tell you a lot about the piece. For example, simply remove and re-attach attach wooden drawers, open wood wardrobe doors, and look at the inside of hinges; does it look well sanded and plush?
If everything operates smoothly, chances are that work has been performed by a real wood craftsman. Upholstery furniture is probably the trickiest of them all. However, edges and firmness can reveal many things. If possible, get it checked with someone who knows how to deal with upholstery of furniture. Look for signs of glue, lots of glue, nails and other evidence from construction is usually not a good sign.