| It used to be that if you wanted solid wood | | | | Oak is found in North America and Europe. It's a hard |
| furniture, all you had to do was say, "I want an oak | | | | and heavy wood that comes in two varieties, red |
| dining table," or "I'm looking for a mahogany bedroom | | | | and white. Of these, red is more popular for making |
| set." If you go into a furniture store today and say | | | | furniture. |
| those things, chances are you'll walk out with wood | | | | Oak stains very well, and due to its high content of a |
| veneer glued to a piece of particle board or plywood. | | | | chemical called tannin, it's resistant to insects and |
| Why does it matter? I mean, there are some wood | | | | mold. Because it's such a hard wood, it's not prone to |
| veneers out there that look awesome. In fact, some | | | | nicks or dents. |
| people even prefer wood veneer. | | | | Another type of wood that's popular is mahogany. |
| Most people who know furniture, however, say | | | | Mahogany comes from Central and South America |
| nothing tops solid wood furniture. Why? They say | | | | and Africa. It's a medium-hard wood that's very |
| the durability, style, and beauty of the real thing is | | | | strong, and is tan to reddish brown in color. |
| something that can't be matched by wood veneer. | | | | Mahogany is excellent for carving and engraving. |
| Yes, solid wood furniture is more expensive, but for | | | | Maple is native to the Eastern US, and is also of |
| those looking for the best fine furniture available, | | | | medium hardness. It's lighter than mahogany, but |
| they say it's an investment, since the value of solid | | | | stains well, and can even be finished to resemble |
| wood furniture increases with time. | | | | cherry or walnut. |
| The most common types of wood used for making | | | | Both cherry and walnut are used to make luxury |
| furniture are oak, mahogany, and maple. Of these, | | | | furniture, but are too expensive for most. |
| oak is the most popular. | | | | |