| Cheap furniture Will cost you more! in the long run | | | | That's not to say pine furniture is bad. It is used in |
| In many industries cheap is the new pink, so to | | | | many good children's sets but it is lighter and less |
| speak, and this couldn't be more true in furniture. A | | | | scratch resistant than many other woods. |
| flood of cheap imports from China and Malaysia have | | | | The next points to look for in quality is the use of |
| flooded the America and European furniture markets. | | | | staples, glue or dovetailing. Intricate dove work is the |
| And the costs to the consumers couldn't be higher. A | | | | hallmark of great furniture. It takes great care to cut |
| poorly made bedroom set has a life expectancy in | | | | perfectly interlocking drawers and doing so reduces |
| the 4-5year range. In comparison a high-end bedroom | | | | the need for glues or staples and makes a much |
| set from Bernhardt, Broyhill, Drexler Heritage, or | | | | more solid and stable drawer!. Stapled drawers are a |
| Ethan Allen can last 20-100 years! | | | | common alternative to the more expensive |
| Now if you are the owner of any furniture you know | | | | dovework. If a furniture has staples it almost |
| that usable life spans often extend well past the time | | | | automatically in the mid to low range. I have even |
| period where the furniture actually looks good. This is | | | | seen high priced stores like havertys carry over |
| where the high end competitors really shine because | | | | priced stapled furniture. Yuk! |
| well made furniture can be almost endlessly | | | | The absolute lowest end joint is allen bolts on wood. |
| re-stained and repaired. You can Bring deep scratches | | | | While some classy furniture like Hammery carries allen |
| and significant damage back to almost new condition. | | | | bolted pieces a good solid piece will always go allen |
| In contrast the lower end furniture is often just | | | | bolt to metal insert. If you see an allen bolt that goes |
| vanear covering particle board and sanding past the | | | | directly into wood your looking at a wasted piece! |
| veneer ruins the whole piece. Additionally poorly | | | | The allen bolt weakens the wood and will eventually |
| sealed veneer will bubble if water is introduced. This | | | | brake it with enough subsequent moves. |
| can potentially ruin a low end piece years before it | | | | Care in looking for furniture is one of the most |
| would otherwise be wasted. | | | | important ways from finding yourself with a wooden |
| Determining Quality | | | | Lemon. Nothing good is free and beware of too good |
| Your first clue to quality comes with the weight of a | | | | to be true offers as their usually not. A good |
| piece. Real wood weighs more than particle board | | | | solid-wood medium quality piece of furniture should |
| and therefore so does furniture constructed with it. | | | | last you a long time and high quality pieces often pay |
| There is several gradations in furniture determined by | | | | for themselves over time, but beware the evils of |
| type of wood as well. Mahogany is one of the | | | | buying cheap furniture. It can cost you more than |
| densest best woods and pine is significantly cheaper. | | | | you think! |