Quality Furniture Is Not In The Looks!

If furniture looks nice does it mean it is quality?

Oh my, this is perhaps my BIGGEST pet peeve in the furniture industry. It would be like saying a Hyundai is the same quality as a BMW or a Mercedez. Although they both are cars and they perhaps look similar, they certainly are not the same quality.

Being in both furniture retail and manufacturing, I see quality and lack there of as well. I hope this article will give you, the consumer a little ammo to help  equally compare furniture in your search.

Here are some tips in comparing furniture and finding that special quality piece of furniture:

Examine the doors:

I am shocked to see that some of the higher price tagged items on the market are being constructed without any real true cabinetry methods. A good cabinet will have the stiles (virticle) morticed to allow for the bottom and top rail tenon to be inserted for strength.

Unfortunately, I have seen higher priced furniture pieces with the doors simply but jointed (no joint just two pieces glued together) with pocket screws. This means that there is no real joinery and it surely will not last!

This detail shows poorly crafted doors using pocket screws. Pocket screws are an acceptable form of construction when used in obscure places and certainly not on doors.

So be sure to look for these quality details to make sure you are getting a nice piece of furniture.

What kind of final finish?

We personally use the highest quality clear coat. It resist against minor scratches, is non yellowing, has a hardener and resist water rings.

However, many manufacturers use low end clear coats to cut cost that can not hold up against any of the previously mentioned. In fact, I once worked with a builder and the clear coat that was being used was so low quality that one drop of water would quickly leave a water spot.

Try asking the sales person if they can give you any details of the clear coat that was used.

Look for major flaws:

The item should be free from major defects. For instance, with rustic furniture I have seen some very poor quality craftsmanship. As an example, I looked at a locally built dining table and the top had shrunk so bad that there was about a 3/8" gap between the planks reveiling  plywood substate. This is because the wood that was used was way to wet for building furniture.

I have also seen the panel boards just simply butted together. The problem here is that wood will shrink and expand and if they are simply butted together you will eventially see right through the boards and to what ever is behind it.

Gaps are just not acceptable in our shop. A real craftsman will use lapping or tongue and groove paneling so that as the wood shrinks and expands that it does not reveal a gap.

We personal check our lumber for moisture levels to ensure the least amount of shrinkage. Unfortunately, many crafters just grab a piece of wood and start building.

So take your time, look around and examine items before you purchase them. Poorly crafted furniture can look descent in a showroom. However, once you get it home and it begins to acclimate is when you problems can really begin.