Ankita Sharma, a lawyer, recently purchased her dream home after 20 years of struggle. “The joy of owning a house is unparalleled and incomparable. This emotion is simply indescribable,” she mentions. However, amidst all the joy,there’s one thing that is bothering her. She adds, “I cannot wait any longer to decorate my house, but I have no idea where to begin.” One of her major concerns is the choice of furniture.
How should I judge quality wood for the furniture? Will I be cheated? How do I identify good quality wood ? Well, if you are also in the same boat as Ms. Sharma, then here are a few tips from our experts ,so that you can make the correct choice for your home.
Our Master craftsman, explains top three criteria that one should keep in mind before buying wood:
Solidity or Density: The strength and weight of the wood gives an indication about its density or impermeability. Wood which is heavier or dense, is best for furniture and you should never invest in lighter ones
Texture or Appearance: How the wood appears, determines the condition of the surface and its stability. It is a good indicator in determining, how a wood is finished.
Color: Color accentuates the personality of the wood. For example, Rosewood will give you a very different look and character than Pine.
Hence these three criteria are the best to determine what type or kind of wood needs to be bought.
Assess the durability: Highly durable wood can last a lifetime hence its highly crucial to select the right kind of wood. So whenever you decide to refurbish your home or decorate it from scratch, know the key criteria for selecting the right kind of high quality wood. Our experts at Duraster are of the opinion that it all boils down to two aspects and that is quality and construction.
Quality: Quality furniture is generally made out of hardwood, which comes from trees like Sheesham or Indian Rosewood, maple, mahogany, teak, walnut, cherry and birch. So when you are looking for quality , you first need to consider the type of wood and determine how long it will last.
Construction: Furniture construction plays a vital role in determining the life of the furniture especially you need to check whether the artisans have employed ancient methods of Joinery like mortise , Tenon and Dovetail in its construction. The term “wood joinery” means the process of aligning two boards perfectly. The process of making stronger joints is a time consuming process done by skilled craftsmen so the quality of the joinery indicates the quality of the piece of furniture. These traditional methods are considered to be the best even to this day and play a significant part in extending the life of the furniture.
Also read: Amazing Design Ideas for an Indian Living Room
Final Checklist
Determine if the wood you have zeroed on, is hard wood or a wood compost which just appears like wood. Solid wood is apparently going to be heavy. There also might be pieces of furniture made of particleboards which is manufactured from sawdust and hence isn’t durable. These are often finished and painted to look like wood.
Second, check whether the wood used in the furniture has the right density and durability. If you’re buying a chest of drawers, dressing table or a wardrobe, pay special attention to the sides of the furniture. Check whether the sides are made of particle board, plastic laminate, and other cheap quality materials. Instead, you need to look for furniture-grade plywood and solid wood.
Check on the joints, the sturdiness and other finer details before finalizing on the wood. In short you should be seeing less of screws, nuts and bolts. Ensure that wood filler and glue isn’t spilling out of the crevices by checking the joints on the underside and the inside of the piece. Again, if you are buying a cabinet or a chest of drawers checking the front, sides and bottoms of drawers is the first thing you need to carry out. Are the sides just glued and stapled? Feel its sturdiness by tapping the bottom and the sides.
Check the texture or the finish. It should be smooth and even and not feel or appear sticky and uneven.
Finally, there is no parallel to being a knowledgeable buyer. We, at Duraster are here to help you do your homework so you can approach us with your questions and know the worth of your prospective furniture. We are here to enlighten you on the quality, price and the process of manufacture. As investing in solid wood furniture is a long-term investment you shouldn’t rush and lay your hands on the first piece of furniture that you come across.
