Casegoods
Casegoods generally refer to furniture made of hard materials, such as wood, glass, metal or plastic. This includes chests, drawers, tables, cabinets and beds.
For furniture made out of wood, it is important to understand the differences between the two types of construction—solid wood and veneer. Solid wood surfaces are composed of narrow solid wood planks, bonded permanently together, side by side. These planks serve to prevent splitting and warping when temperatures change and when the wood naturally expands and contracts. They also provide decorative variation. In veneer construction, layers of woods are permanently bonded to a center core on a solid wood frame. Veneering permits matching and repeating grain patterns that are impossible in solid lumber. Veneering is used in about 80 percent of wood furniture, from the least to the most expensive, because of its strength and added versatility.
Solid wood offers many advantages in durability and is easier to fix in case nicks and dings occur. Veneer does not necessarily mean low cost or poor quality—on the contrary, some of the best brands utilize well-constructed veneer to add elements of design that make your furniture unique and long-lasting. Lower quality furniture construction bonds veneer not with solid wood, but with medium density fiberboard (MDF). |