Empire Solid Mahogany (Birch) Furniture, Dining
Empire Solid Mahogany (Birch) Furniture, Bedroom
French Country White Painted Furniture, Solid Oak Tops, Bedroom
Milton Solid Oak Furniture, Bedroom
Milton Solid Oak Furniture, Dining and Lounge
New England Solid Chinese Oak Furniture, Bedroom
New England Solid Chinese Oak Furniture, Dining and Lounge
New England Solid Chinese Oak Furniture, Home Office
Oakley Solid Pine Furniture, Bedroom
Oregon Solid Oak Furniture, Dining and Lounge
Qubes in Ash
Redmond Rustic Solid Oak Furniture, Bedroom
Redmond Rustic Solid Oak Furniture, Dining and Lounge
Redmond Rustic Solid Oak Furniture, Home Office
Utah Solid Oak Furniture, Bedroom
Washington Solid Pine Furniture, Bedroom
Pros and Cons of using Solid Wood or Veneer in Furniture Manufacturing
There are many myths associated with the general perception of the qualities of Solid Wood and Veneers applied in Furniture Manufacturing.
Veneer is a thin panel of wood - it can be anything from almost paper thin up to 5-6 mm thick.
The general perception is that Solid Wood Furniture is of good quality and Veneered Furniture is Cheap Furniture. The reality is far more complex. Some of the most expensive furniture available is actually made from MDF (Medium Density Fibre board) with veneer on top. Equally some very cheap furniture is made purely of Solid Wood - but Solid Wood Cheap Furniture is usually made of a very low spec timber - or even waste from production - off cuts - which are 'finger jointed together'. Frequently cheap Solid Wood Furniture is made of timber which hasn't been dried properly. The result is splitting and warping when the Solid Wood Furniture is placed in central heated houses.
Furniture, which has been designed and specified with proper timber selection and professional assessment of the material used for each component, in order to achieve durable, quality furniture will usually use solid wood for some components and veneer for others. Solid wood panels, for example, are not suitable to use for Table tops. Wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity. The bigger the component, the more movement. There is nothing that can be done to prevent that. A sealing lacquer, of course, will reduce the effect, but it cannot do away with it completely. So a Solid Wood Table top is likely to cause problems in terms of splitting or warping in time.
For this reason, a good, ridgid table top will be made of a solid frame, and a veneered insert panel. The same principles applies for side panels in cabinets as well as wardrobe doors.
Veneer, Solid Wood and Costs
Veneer is not always used as a cost saver - although this is often the case. A really good veneer can easily be more expensive than a solid wood panel. A cheap veneer will of course be cheaper to use than solid wood.
