Furniture expert Paul Kronebusch provides tips for selecting high-quality pieces of wooden furniture by examining the furniture's structure.
- Repair a scratch in a wooden furniture piece by moistening a cotton ball with soy sauce and dabbing it lightly on the scratch. Continue dabbing until you achieve the correct shade.
- It is important to pre-measure your home to get an idea of how new furniture pieces will fit into existing spaces. Pay special attention to areas such as the staircase, doorways, corners and angles. It is a good idea to bring a tape measure to the furniture store, along with any measurements you took at home.
- The type of wood used in the construction of furniture is an indication of its quality.
- Hardwoods such as cherry and oak are more expensive than softwoods such as pine. Hardwoods are also more durable and dent-resistant than softwoods and are generally more attractive.
- The types of woods used depend on consumer desires at the time. For example, as tastes change, oak furniture may be very popular at one time and cherry at another.
- The types of construction joints also indicate quality. The manner in which the parts are joined together will help determine the strength or weakness of the piece. Joints should be smooth and fit together tightly to ensure that the furniture will provide many years of service.
- If you're unable to tell, ask the furniture salesperson about the joint construction of the piece. Examples of joints and methods of strengthening joints used in furniture construction include the following: mortise-and-tenon, corner blocks, dovetail, dowel, and tongue-and-groove.
- Mortise-and-tenon is a strong joint used to join rails to side members in chests and dressers and to join key pieces of chair frames. In a chair, check where the side rails and leg stretchers of a chair enter the back post.
- Corner blocks help to hold together joints at the point of greatest strain.
- Dovetail joints are considered to be a mark of high-quality drawer construction. Properly done, this joint "locks" drawer fronts in place, preventing loosening through many years of use.
- Tongue-and-groove joints are used to make a strong, flat surface as well as to attach drawer fronts.
- Signs of fine quality include the type of drawer guides, whether partitions or dust bottoms are used to separate drawers, and the type of hinges used to hang doors. Better quality furniture will usually have dust protection between drawers.
- Dowel joints involve gluing a dowel or peg, most often made of hardwood, into a predrilled hole to connect two pieces of wood. Often, double-dowel joint construction is used for added stability. Dowels with added spiral grooving hold glue to form the best bond possible.
- Styles come and go. It is better to choose a better quality piece, rather than a trendy piece of furniture. The furniture will last longer, and the investment will pay off in the long run.
Guests Paul Kronebusch
Furniture Expert, Wickes Furniture Store
351 W. Dundee Rd.
Wheeling, IL 60090
Phone: 847-541-0100
Fax: 847-541-0157
Website:
www.wickesfurniture.com
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