SIX THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN WOOD FURNITURE

 When shopping for a new farmhouse style tables, benches, and décor there are a few features that you should be looking for that may not be obvious. These are also features that we think set us apart from a lot of other makers.

Look for furniture made of FURNITURE GRADE LUMBER. Many furniture makers save money by using utility grade lumber. Cheaper lumber is not only less attractive but more prone to deformity and not as strong.

Look for furniture made with KILN DRIED wood. Wood has a high moisture content and when it is cut into lumber it is stacked for drying. Kiln drying speeds this process up and ensures a reliable moisture level, killing insects in the wood in the process. If you buy wood furniture made out of wood that hasn’t been kiln dried you run the risk of the wood shrinking as it dries further, and even inviting unwanted insects into your home.

We DON’T USE NAILS. Nails are not a good option for furniture because they do not hold up over time. Furniture experiences a lot of movement which tends to loosen nails over time, resulting in furniture that is loose and wobbly.

We PLANE THE WOOD TO UNIFORM THICKNESS. Un-planed lumber might not be a problem if you’re building a shed but when it comes to a table planed wood is something to look for. Nothing is quite as irritating as a table that isn’t flat. You know the experience, trying to eat from a plate that wobbles because the table surface isn’t level. By running our wood through a planer we ensure that our table tops are uniform in width and thickness. Some makers will buy pre-planed wood but this doesn’t ensure a good uniform fit between the other pieces of wood used in the table top. The result can be two pieces of wood of different thickness being used in your tabletop. This might not sound like a big deal but even an 1/8^th of an inch can be the difference between a wobbly plate and a steady one.

We JOINT THE WOOD. Some makers will simply press the boards together. By actually jointing the boards they not only fit together better and look better, but this helps prevent gaps from developing over time.  

We apply MULTIPLE COATS of finish to our pieces. This improves durability and stain resistance but also provides a richer coloring. Also be careful when viewing a makers “stain” or “color” guide. Often times a maker will simply copy and paste the stain guide from the stain manufacturer’s website but these “stain menus” show the stain on Oak wood. It will look different if the maker is using a different wood. Ask the maker to see the color on the type of wood they will be using on your furniture piece for a true picture of what your piece will look like.