When you buy furniture, ultimately it will be the quality that will determine how long the piece will last and how much it will retain its original appearance. Furthermore, the quality will determine how the comfort and satisfaction the piece gives to those that use it each day. Picture this scenario, you find a lovely piece of furniture on the internet that your wife just adores, it has pretty little flowers on it and the color fits perfectly with your room, do you go ahead and buy it because it looks pretty and the color fits? A word of caution – don’t do it! There are certain steps that need to be covered before buying furniture to determine its quality. Always check on the frame first, is it kiln-dried? How are the joints constructed, are they glued or screwed and corner-blocked? Is it constructed with plywood to add strength? Next you should be thinking about the seating support, does it use an 8-way hand tied spring system to ensure durability and life? If not, find out the alternatives. Finally, always keep in mind the filling of the piece you are buying. The highest quality filling to buy in giving the softest seating is down cushions, however, these tend to be high maintenance on a daily basis. Down combined with other materials or springs is also a good path to go down, however, this can often become very expensive to you as the consumer. The most common of fillings is high-density polyurethane. The higher the density of filling the more firm it becomes, so do bear this in mind in deciding and finding a quality piece. The filling is usually down to the preference of the buyer but these are a few quality suggestions for when considering which is best for you and your needs. Overall, remember that quality does not come cheap but that higher quality will result in longer life for your furniture and more comfort for you. The key is research and not being afraid to ask plenty of questions before buying.
Where is Furniture Manufactured?
Furniture is manufactured in many different areas of the world ranging from the factories in Asia, mainly China and Korea all the way over the world, especially several countries throughout the South American continent. Generally, the main countries to produce furniture are China, Korea, Mexico and Argentina. Usually finer furniture that is hand decorated comes from Central Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. Other Countries do however make their own fine furniture but the majority comes from these few countries. In general, most of the furniture seen in the United States both in stores and on the internet, the frames are constructed in Mexico and the hides being made in South America or China. The majority of fully constructed imported Furniture pieces come from China.
Upholstery Furniture
Upholstery has become known as one of the most intimate home furnishing products, largely because its overall appearance must ‘’fit’’ you, the way it feels, the way it looks amidst other home furnishings. It is important to remember that when buying furniture online it is impossible to see how the furniture looks as a part of a specific room or surrounding decor, this is when prior knowledge or experiences from buying similar products in this past come into play. Interestingly, very few consumers have any real knowledge about furniture as a product or its build up, most consumer knowledge about furniture is usually regarding the cost. Prior product knowledge helps you make good choices between competing brands and products, so that money may be saved and the best piece of furniture purchased. One word of warning on this, DO NOT BUY DISCOUNTS! As we buy discounted furniture from time to time, the only real knowledge we pick up is that the furniture is discounted and we learn nothing about the making of the furniture itself and how durable and well made it is, only that the furniture is discounted and the consumer purchasing does not know why. Knowing the piece is discounted is the least important factor in buying furniture, these discounts don’t mean anything unless thoroughly researched, knowledge of the upholstered furniture itself is far more viable.
Fabric selection is extremely important in buying the right upholstered furniture. The right fabric can help set the tone of a room and bring life to an area of a home, the wrong fabric can quite simply kill the mood of a room. One of the most common questions in considering which fabric to buy is ‘’how will it wear?’’ this is all dependent upon the way the fabric is woven, the colour of the fabric and how much use the fabric gets. The lifestyle of the individual or family who have the piece has a major effect on the wear of the fabric, a teenage household will not last nearly as long an older couples furniture, so do consider your lifestyle and take your time in doing so when picking out the correct fabric for you, this will save you time and money in the long run. As a side note, bear in mind that expensive furniture often does not mean better durability, in fact in 99% of instances the more expensive the fabric, the less time it will last. In many cases there is up to 50% waste of the material used to make the piece of furniture, believe it or not, this wasted fabric is added to the cost of the made piece when you buy it. The key point in choosing the right upholstered furniture is to always request a sample, this will not only allow you to see the colour and appearance of the fabric in relation to its proposed location, but give you an idea of the durability and wear of the piece you may be planning on buying. Always look for a sturdy kiln-dried hardwood frame that is glued screwed and corner-blocked with the foundation of an 8-way, hand-tied spring up system which will be construction attributes of better quality furniture. Lower-standard spring-up systems such as z-springs, drop-in 8-way systems and rubber web-based systems may also suit your needs.
Once you have purchased the upholstered furniture you have worked long and hard for, remember the most important thing now is to take good care of it. First, let’s go through each part of the new item you have bought. The frame is the foundation of any furniture piece and the basic element of it. A good frame will be kiln-dried hardwood as previously mentioned. Always look out for frames that are corner-blocked by either being screwed or glued, avoid if possible any other possible scenario of the making of the frame. All wood of the furniture should be free of knots and at least one inch in diameter. The base on a fine piece will have a series of woven straps in where each spring should be rested and clipped and then tied 8 ways to each other then onto the base rails. The standard cushion is usually made from polyurethane foam core wrapped with polyester fiberfill. The option will usually arise to choose between all down, or poly-down, or spring-down cushions. Pillows are very similar in being filled usually with polyester fiberfill. On higher cost products the option will usually arise to choose between down or a combination of down filling. These pillows give a softer feeling but are higher in cost. All higher quality upholstery has padding that covers the wooden part of the frame, it should in theory cover all of the underneath of the outer upholstery. These features all make up a solid, well-rounded piece of furniture.
So, you now have your new piece of the upholstered furniture, what to do first? I strongly advise the first thing to do is to treat the new piece with soil-repellent. This soil treatment product will save you money and time in the future, this will usually cost around $100 - $150 and is worth every cent you pay for it. A simple spray can be bought from the local hardware store, instead of this, buy the service and save money and ultimately your furniture for the future. Arm caps will also preserve the life of your arms, if you do not receive these when buying your furniture find other means of either making or buying these separately. Never try spot cleaning your upholstery, I can say both from experience and research spot-cleaning almost always results in making the previous stain worse by lightening the area around it which becomes extremely noticeable as a dirty spot, always get your furniture cleaned professional where possible. When buying upholstery furniture, the retailer in hand will be able to let you know of the cleaning code that is recommended for your item, this proves helpful in future cleaning of the piece. Here are the different cleaning codes and what they stand for:
‘’W’’ Remove soil with the foam of a water-based cleaning agent. Avoid using household solvents. Dry cleaning by professional service is only recommended. Remove dirt or dust by frequent vacuuming or light brushing.
‘’WS’’ Clean with shampoo, foam or dry cleaning solvents. Do not saturate with liquids, do not remove cushion covers and dry clean.
‘’S’’ Clean the fabric with pure solvents in a well-ventilated room. Avoid using water-based or detergent-based solvent cleaners. Vacuuming or light brushing is best to remove light grime, dirt or dust. Professional dry cleaning is only recommended.
‘’SW’’ Use water-based cleaning agent or pure solvent in a well-ventilated room. Professional dry cleaning only is recommended. Light brushing or vacuuming is best method for removing light grime, dirt or dust.
‘’X’’ Clean the fabric by vacuuming or light brushing. Water-based or solvent-based cleaning agents of any kind may cause fading or shrinking.
Glossary of Synthetic Fabrics
Acrylic: Acrilan, Cresian, Orlon and Zefran are trade names for this fiber, which is often used to produce wool-like fabrics. Acrylic cleans well and is becoming more prevalent within upholstery furniture.
Nylon: A.C.E, Antron and Cordura are trade names for this big name of the synthetics. Nylon can have a silky texture and is often joined with other fibers to create wonderful fabrics. It does have a tendency to fade in sunlight but it is widely used in carpeting.
Olefin: Herculon and Vectra are trade names of this widely used upholstery fiber. Though affordable and resistant from staining, it does not deal well under sunlight. Olefin is never used in formal settings – it is a more casual look, often woven into plaids. Olefin is an excellent choice when you are looking for cheaper, tougher fabric.
Polyester: Dacron, Fortrel, and Trevira are trade names for this powerhouse of the furniture industry. It is widely used for cushion fillings (a substitute for today’s down). It can have either a silk or wool-like hand.
Vinyl: Naugahyde is a trade name for this widely used fabric, which is used largely as a leather substitute. Vinyl is often seen by many as being ‘cheaper’ in appearance and has not had a very well esteemed image as of late. It offers a lower priced buy and looks fairly good. It is very affordable and is often used for the backs and arms of a piece.
Differences in Leather Furniture
When choosing the best leather furniture for you, there are some tips that will help in selecting the right piece like the different grades of leather and the way the leather was colored, these will affect both the price and the quality. One way you can buy leather furniture as well as keeping the price down is by using a synthetic leather on the sides and the back of the furniture (the parts not showing) but the overall construction and grade of leather on the surface is where we will focus.
If you have heard the notion or think that leather makes you sweat or is sticky, this is almost always due to someone mistaking leather for vinyl or (synthetic leather). Leather breathes and will adapt to the room temperature meaning cool in summer and warm in winter. When leather is processed this is usually done in Brazil, India or China where the majority of leather is processed for manufacturers, these are the steps that most will use in preparing to market and sell the leather to be used on furniture beginning with its physical preparation.
When leather reaches the first phase, the actual hide will have markings, scars, wrinkles and discoloration from the animal’s outdoor exposure. So to match up to make the natural pattern and color look right would require more hides, this leather is referred to as top grain leather and is noted for being a extremely quality leather. Using more leather means an increase in price, to be able to get more use of the hide sanding or using a steel wool brush on the top (exterior) part of the leather to have a uniform soft texture (like suede). This is called Nubuck, which is very expensive and hard to maintain and keep clean.
To keep the price of leather down, the only way is to get more usable sections from the leather, the process where they actually split the hide into layers (split hide) wherein the underside has a smooth appearance (suede). The split hide is ironed and stamped to give the uniform grain appearance found on most leather sold today. The next process gives the most usable leather making it the least expensive. The three layers split from the hide are ironed to remove most of the graining and then bonded to a man-made surface covering and coated heavily with polyurethane, giving it a very shiny look. This is known as Bycast leather. The next role is the color of the leather, remember it starts out one color and except for top grain leather that has natural markings and in a natural color with the exception of a wax coat. The more faint the markings and the more the natural color fades is how to determine the grade of the leather.
Common terms you will come across, when shopping for leather furniture:
Aniline Leather – A transparent dye used to color leather all the way through, considered transparent because it doesn’t cover or conceal natural graining, markings on the leather
Pure Aniline Leather – The leather has been colored with an aniline dye but does not have a protective finish
Semi Aniline leather - A leather that has been aniline-dyed and then coated with a matching pigment evening out the color, and providing some protection
Antique / Distressed Leather – A leather that has been given additional markings to simulate natural aging and wear to the leather
Pigmented Leather – A solid pigmented coating applied to the leather giving it a stiffer feel. Note that this type develops tiny spider web cracks in the leather
Pull Up Leather – A aniline dyed leather that is waxed or oiled giving it a soft feel, usually found on high end leather furniture
Materials Used in Furniture Manufacturing
It is a good idea to know the different kinds of material used in manufacturing furniture. The type of wood or grade of fabric will make a big difference in the quality of furniture and maybe more importantly the price.
Types of wood used in Furniture Manufacturing:
When shopping for wood furniture online most people focus on the type of wood used to make the furniture. An item made with oak is no better than furniture made from cherry wood or walnut. The main focus should not be so much placed in whether the furniture is solid or veneered due to the fact that particle-board with a real wood veneer is found in most furniture nowadays, but fiber board with an engineered veneer wont hold up as well. So since the majority is a combination of both in mid to high furniture.
As far as the finish most manufactures choose the wood for manufacturing based on grain, price and availability, then will make wood to whatever finish that is desired. Most people that work with wood know that the wood grain and type will affect the finish tint, so the furniture manufacturer will bleach the wood so this is not an issue. The concern lies with either solid or veneered if the manufacture has not prepared wood through proper drying, both air and kiln dried play a factor in woods moisture level. When the wood cracks, veneer lifts or bubbles or the drawer swells are all affected by this main factor.
The next factor to consider are the small details, the type of wood joints, metal drawer glides or wood to wood, dust bottoms made of wood or cardboard? Are the furniture back panels screwed in or stapled? It is these details and the importance of the quality that will determine pricing.
The main consideration when buying wood furniture is function. This simply stated means that a dining chair will have to hold up to rigorous use in a kitchen but will last longer in a formal dining room. Entertainment centers if will you be using an older style television and need to move the unit will require a higher quality than one designed for newer televisions. When considering the bedroom remember that guest rooms not frequently used and kids room, did you get a larger bed planning for long term? The fact is most beds have metal frames and supports and except for wear on drawer glides even very modest priced bedrooms tend to last. One other consideration when dealing with most wood furniture is to try to order in complete groups if you know at the time you will need additional pieces. Depending on the furniture batch the manufacturer makes up inventory from this wood batch and when they run a second batch a while down the road you could possibly run into finish variations, also wood exposed to sunlight might lighten and give you issues. If it is a matter of money available then ask if you can wait till you can purchase all together or if this is not an issue and will not bother you.
Quick list of common wood used in furniture manufacturing:
Ash Wood - A dense, hard wood, ranging from blond to light brown color, with a long grain that resembles oak. This type of wood is good for exposed pieces that require strength
Birch Wood – A hard grained wood, usually light brown in color, which takes most finishes well, making it a good choice when imitating look of the more expensive woods like mahogany
Cherry Wood – A durable hardwood, with a reddish brown color. Which is different from the most common mistake, of the deep red and high gloss finish referred to as cherry. Due to small size this wood it has a higher price point.
Cocobolo Wood – A dark brown wood with a purple cast that is used mostly in contemporary furniture manufacturing
Mahogany Wood – A reddish color and favorite for furniture manufactures due to variance in grain pattern and high sheen. This wood is imported and comes from South America is a true mahogany and imported from Africa or the Philippines is not a true mahogany and should be much less in price
Maple Wood – A hard and straight grained wood that comes also in curly or birds eye, Blond in color and one of the most widely used woods used in contemporary furniture
Oak Wood - A hard and durable wood that is probably the most used wood in furniture manufacturing. It has over 50 varieties of oak like red and white oak
Pine Wood – A softer wood, which is readily available and easily stained making this a very affordable wood. Mostly used in rustic furniture manufacturing, naturally light in color
Rosewood – A reddish-brown wood with black streaks, making it a great decorative wood found in fine furniture
Shesham Wood – A medium brown wood with deep grains, a hardwood used in furniture manufactured in India
Teak Wood – A hard wood that is even more durable than oak. Used in contemporary furniture and outdoor furniture. This wood ranges from yellow to brown due to fact that it darkens in sun exposure
Zebra Wood – A golden yellow wood with dark brown stripes. It is often used for decorative furniture
Wood shopping Guide - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCDbrS9FQHo