We want our clients to feel good about the materials we use for their projects. It’s hard to know all the details that go into the fabrication of a piece. We hope the answers to these questions below help make it easier to follow.
What is Solid Wood?
Solid wood is a way to differentiate between lumber and engineered wood, as well as structures that do not have hollow spaces. Engineered wood products are fabricated by binding together wood strands, fibers, or veneers with adhesives to form a composite material. Engineered wood includes plywood, oriented strand board (OSB) and fiberboard.
What is Real Wood?
Real wood furniture contains zero particleboard. Real wood has a unique and not altogether symmetrical grain pattern. When looking at a grain it usually will have small variances, that's a good indication it is real. If it's repetitive and matching across the piece, it's likely fake. Feeling the product and seeing if there is a grain can work as well.
What is Veneer?
Wood veneer is a thin slice (as thin as 3MM) of natural wood that is attached onto a panel of engineered wood. Attaching the veneer usually involves gluing or pressing. In furniture, wood veneers give the appearance of an all-wood piece, when in reality only the surface is taken from natural wood.
Particle Board vs MDF (Medium density fiberboard)?
MDF has a smooth finish as it consists of wood grains that are of the same size. Particle-boards do not have a smooth surface as they consist of wood shavings and chips. MDF has a higher density level than particle-board.
What is Melamine?
Melamine is a chemical that has many industrial uses such as parts for cabinets. Melamine is a less expensive option other than wood counterparts. Melamine is not as durable as wood cabinets, and can be a potential issue in the future for repair.
What is finished vs unfinished?
Unfinished pieces are unpainted, unsealed, and unstained equivalent of site-finished pieces.
Finished pieces are primed, painted, or stained with a top coat to seal in the product.