When it comes to purchasing new wooden furniture for your home, the decision can be tough, especially when you have to consider all of the different wood types available. If you cannot tell the difference between plywood and particleboard or know why solid wood is more expensive than wood veneer then read on to find out everything you need to know about the different types of wood furniture available today.
Plywood
Let’s start off with plywood. This type of wood may appear to be quite thick, but it is actually made up of a number of thin sheets of wood. These sheets of wood are carefully glued on top of each other to form a much thicker piece. Whilst plywood is considered very durable because it is not prone to cracking or shrinking, the glue used to make it often contains harmful chemicals, so it is not a very environmentally-friendly choice!
Particleboard
Particleboard is often known as chipboard. It is made by compressing and gluing together small wooden particles like woodchips, shavings and saw dust to form a single piece of wood. Particleboard is extremely cheap to purchase but it is also much weaker than other types of wood. Due to this, it is not recommended that you purchase particleboard furniture, especially if you are looking for high quality furniture that will last you years and years.
Medium Density Fibreboard
Medium density fibreboard (often shortened to just MDF) is very similar to particleboard in that it is made up from small wood particles. However the particles used to make medium density fibreboard are much finer than those used to make particleboard, therefore making it a much stronger and durable material. If you are looking for affordable wooden furniture, MDF furniture is a much better choice than particleboard furniture. MDF is often used to make affordable shelving for homes.
Wood Veneer
Many people are unable to tell the difference between wood veneer and solid wood furniture by just looking at it. This has its advantages, as wood veneer is much cheaper than solid wood furniture, so if you are going on looks alone, then it is the ideal choice. In order to create wood veneer furniture, manufacturers basically stick a sheet of solid wood on top of another piece of wood to achieve a better finish. The wood used to create the furniture (underneath) is usually a cheaper wood and is therefore not as high quality as say solid oak furniture.
Solid Wood
Unlike the other wood types mentioned in this article, solid wood is not man-made. It is the preferred choice of many as it extremely aesthetically pleases with a beautiful natural grain and patina. Solid wood is known for aging well over the years, requiring little to no maintenance. Due to the fact it is such a high quality material, solid wood furniture is often very expensive, especially if it is oak. When choosing furniture you need to decide whether you would prefer to invest in an affordable piece of furniture that will last you a couple of years or a more expensive piece of solid wood furniture that could potentially last for decades. We particularly love the look of Vancouver Petite Oak furniture.
Conclusion
Today there are many different types and grades of wooden furniture. Your choice of wood will depend on your budget and the overall look you want to achieve with your furniture. Whilst MDF, particleboard and wood veneer are much more affordable options, if you are looking to invest in a high quality piece of furniture that will last you for years and years, solid wood is the best choice.