[Kristin]

By: Abe Abbas

Source: http://decorationchannel.com

While wood furniture is a popular choice for outdoor spaces, not every wood is a good choice for your garden or patio. Outdoor furniture has to contend with the elements as well as everyday use. Take that into account along with your own needs and requirements before you choose any outdoor furniture in wood.

Teak Outdoor Furniture (Source: http://indonesia-furniture.com)

Considerations for Buying Outdoor Wood Furniture

- Consider where you will place your outdoor wood furniture. Is it going to be completely exposed to the elements? Will there be some kind of overhead protection such as inside a porch, for example? If your wood furniture is going to be placed in a considerably protected environment, you can get away with using a soft wood such as pine, but it might not work in an exposed location.
- Consider your surface and whether you will place it on a hard surface or on soft ground such as a grassy area. Placing outdoor wood furniture on hard surfaces can help protect from dreaded furniture destroyers such as rot or mildew. It might be better to choose resin or metal over wood if you plan to place your patio set on soft ground.
- Consider your climate. Humidity, hot sun, or a lot of rain and moisture all affect wood differently. In such conditions your wood furniture might require extra protection or maintenance. For instance, you may have to provide some shade. Most woods are hard to maintain under damp conditions, unless it is something as forgiving as teak.

Eucalyptus Outdoor Furniture (Source: http://st.houzz.com)

Best Outdoor Wood Furniture Choices

There are plenty of choices when it comes to outdoor wood furniture, and here are some popular ones that are also hardy and do not require very intensive care. You do not have to choose all wood, because you can easily find wood coupled with metal frames.

- Teak: Teak has lately become a very popular choice for outdoor furniture, and for a good reason. It is a great investment. Although teak is more expensive than most woods used for outdoor furniture, it remains popular because of its longevity, immunity to weather, and very few care requirements.
- Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus is also a good alternative and can last almost as long as teak if treated annually with a water-based acrylic sealant. It has the added advantage of being less expensive.
- Cedar: While cedar is not as long lasting as teak or eucalyptus, it can still last for a couple of decades if cared for properly. It requires an annual coating of protective oil.

Cedar Outdoor Furniture (Source: http://edenmakersblog.com)

Construction and Quality

When you shop for outdoor wood furniture, make sure you are buying good quality and well made pieces. Pay the same attention to quality that you would for indoor furniture.

Avoid furniture that has glued or stapled joints as that can fall apart easily. A lot of cheap patio furniture is like that. And it can quickly become expensive to keep replacing it every season.

Make sure all the joints are sturdy. Look for dovetailed or mortise and tenon joints as they hold up well. Any screws that have been used to put the pieces together should either be stainless steel or have a rust proof coating. Remember that your furniture will be sitting outdoors and will be exposed to the elements. Any rusting screws will not just take away from the appearance, but will  also affect the longevity of your furniture.


Article Source: http://furniture.about.com/

[Kristin]

How to Judge Quality in Wood Furniture (By: Abe Abbas)

Source: www.evimindekorasyonu.com

It is not difficult to judge quality in wood furniture, and you don't need to be an expert to do so. All that you need to do is look at the material, construction and finish and take your time. It may also help to become familiar with some wood furniture terms.

Wood Source

Your furniture is made of different woods that can be classified as hard, soft, or engineered. The kind of wood that is used is one of the factors that determine how long your furniture will last, and how it will fare with age.
Generally speaking, quality furniture is made out of hard wood which comes from deciduous trees such as oak, maple, mahogany, teak, walnut, cherry and birch. The wood will have been air dried and then kiln dried to remove all the moisture.
Coniferous trees such as pine, fir, redwood and cedar produce what is known as soft wood. It is possible to find good quality furniture in these woods also, but since they are more prone to scratches and dents they require more care.

Today, solid wood furniture is largely a thing of the past. You can still find it, but it is more common to find furniture that is constructed from plywood, or engineered wood. You shouldn't necessarily dismiss this material as second rate, as it provides strength, and also helps prevent splitting or warping. It can make for sturdy, long lasting and highly attractive furniture when used with high quality veneers.

Source: www.diytrade.com

Construction

The way a piece is constructed can contribute to its beauty, functionality and also how long it will last. The joinery and sturdiness of a piece will tell you a lot about its quality.
Mortise and tenon, and dovetails are two of the oldest ways of putting together furniture, and also make for the strongest and best looking joints. Good joints can also have dowels or screws, but will never be stapled. Any glue used will not show outside the joint.
Look for corner blocks which add to the strength and stability of a piece. These are not visible from the outside, but bolt to both sides of interior corners.

A good quality desk or chest of drawers may have dust panels or thin sheets of wood between drawers in the body of a chest or desk. This not only makes them stronger structurally, but keeps dust away from clothing or papers.
Back panels that face the wall are the generally attached with screws to help ensure lateral stability. Backs and unexposed parts should be sanded smooth and well fitted. This is an important feature as only well constructed furniture has these details.

Drawers should fit well and have glides to allow you to effortlessly move a drawer in and out of its station. They will also have stops to prevent a drawer from being pulled out or falling. Glides in office furniture such as desks, file cabinets and computer armoires are important to the functionality of the piece.
Doors should close neatly and be flush with the cabinet front, and the hardware should be of good quality.
Test for sturdiness by trying to rock or jostle the piece. It should not squeak, twist or wobble. Check if it is level with the floor.

Source: www.wood-furniture-manufacturers.com

Finish

Quality wood furniture will also have a good finish. Sanding, staining, and finishing are part of the process, and neglect at any of the stages can affect the overall quality of a piece.
Sanding is the first step in the finishing process, and a good piece will be smooth so that when you run your hand over it there will be no rough patches. Sanding across the wood grain will also produce unattractive results such as dark lines or scratches across the surface. Improperly sanded wood will not take the stain evenly. Inspect the finish from different angles to check for blotchiness or scratches.

A good stain enhances the natural beauty of wood and adds color and character to the wood. It can make one wood type look like another one, or make different woods look similar. High quality staining will be even, without any dark spots. All sides and the ends should be the same tone.

Finishes range from high-gloss to matte. A high quality finish is satiny smooth and free of rough spots, dust specks, or bubbles. Look for depth and richness in the finish, which comes from several light coats of finish with sanding between the coats. A high quality piece is finished on the back and on the underside as well to reduce the chances of swelling or shrinking.

Some signs of poorly finished wood are:

- A rough surface.
- A very glossy or cloudy surface that hides the wood grain.
- Splintered edges.
- Scratches, dents, or dust specks.
- Dull spots indicating missed areas or not enough coats.
- “Teardrops” around the edges and on vertical surfaces.

Source: http://media.designerpages.com/

An exception to all of the above can be found on distressed furniture. You will find that the surface uses many of these effects to age new furniture and to heighten its rustic appeal. The wood is beaten, battered and nicked before applying the finish. However, good quality distressed furniture should be well constructed and sturdy.


Article Source: http://furniture.about.com/

[Kristin]

10 Common Construction Terms for Wood Furniture (By: Abe Abbas)

There are some common construction terms for wood furniture that come up again and again. What does it mean when the manufacturer says it is made of hardwood? Softwood? Engineered wood? Here is your chance to find out before you buy wood furniture next time.

1. All wood construction

All wood construction simply means that all parts are made of wood. However, the piece of furniture may include some combination of solid wood and engineered wood.

2. Artificial laminate

An artificially laminated surface consists of plastic, foil or paper that is printed with a wood grain pattern. This is then bonded to a composite such as particleboard or medium density fiberboard.

3. Engineered wood

There are two kinds of engineered wood: plywood and particleboard, which is also called fiberboard.
When wood is engineered from slices of lumber it is called plywood. Plywood can have 3 to 5 thin slices of wood glued together under high pressure.

When chips and fibers that remain after a tree is milled into lumber are combined and glued together it is called particleboard or fiberboard.
Medium density fiberboard is made by breaking down wood chips into fibers, mixing the fibers with glue, and fusing the resulting mixture under heat and pressure to produce a board.

4. Hardwoods

Wood from broad-leafed trees that lose their leaves in winter, such as oak, ash, cherry, maple, walnut and poplar is known as hardwood. Hardwood is generally considered better for furniture construction than softwood (see below) as it has strength and stability. Conversely, it can present difficulties in carving or detailing. There are many tropical hardwoods that come from tropical forests, such as mahogany, teak and ipe.

5. Inlay

Inlay is a decorative technique that is used to create designs in wood by placing pieces of contrasting wood into a surface, usually at the same level, to form a design. A design or pattern created by using this technique is also known as inlay.

6. KD or RTA:

This term is used for furniture that is sold unassembled or partially assembled which is known as "Knocked Down." furniture It is also called often referred to as RTA furniture which stands for “Ready to Assemble” furniture.

7. Kiln dried

Kilns are large ovens or in which wood is dried or cured through carefully controlled heat and humidity. Kiln drying removes about 93% of the moisture from wood. Wood that has been kiln dried resists warping splitting and cracking.

8. Softwoods

Softwood comes from needle-bearing trees that remain green in winter, such as pine or cedar. These are fast growing trees and have a loose grain. These woods are easily carved or worked. Because the wood surface is often quite soft, they are more susceptible to damage such as marks and dents, which may not guarantee a very long life for your furniture.

9. Solid wood

Solid wood can mean that all exposed pieces of the piece are solid, but areas hidden from view may be another material. There can be one single board or plank of wood, or also several wood boards or blocks that are glued together.

10. Veneer:

To veneer is to apply thin sheets of better quality wood to a core, usually of less expensive material, which could be solid wood or engineered wood, for decorative effect. The thin sheets are also known as veneer. Veneers make it possible to match grain patterns or create designs. Wood veneers should not be confused with faux veneers that are basically reproductions, and may lack the individuality and beauty of real wood veneers.


Article Source: http://furniture.about.com/