Ty Pennington Dining Table
Wood might be the most varied—and versatile—material when it comes to furniture and cabinetry, but not all timber creations are the same. Some pieces are constructed out of solid wood, crafted using unadulterated slabs of lumber directly sourced from trees. But plenty are made of engineered, or artificial, wood: a composite material formed by binding particles, strands, and fibers to make plywood (several thin wooden boards pressed and glued together to create one sheet), veneers (fine slices of real wood bonded with plywood), and fiberboards (wood pulp and fibers mixed with a strong adhesive and molded into boards).
So which is better? Well, it depends: "Solid wood furniture is held in the highest regard among collectors and builders. That being said, there are two sides to each coin," says Owen Madden of Rowan Woodwork, a custom design studio based in Kingston, NY. Though solid wood furniture is easy to maintain and offers incredible durability and design flexibility, it can also be quite pricey due to all the costs associated with sourcing, milling, and crafting. Plus it can be sensitive to environmental shifts: "The stability of solid wood can become an issue in certain climates where humidity varies per season," Madden explains. "Parts can shrink in lower humidity and swell in higher humidity," potentially causing seams to rupture. Then again, "the feel of solid wood is unmatched," he admits. "The weight of a piece—be it on either side of the scale—can make a statement. From a featherlight Windsor chair to an immovable solid slab dining table, each will be a one-of-a-kind piece."
But solid wood isn't necessarily superior. While moisture can wreak havoc on real timber, engineered wood is relatively immune to warping and is easier to use for producing long, flat surfaces. Additionally, "the flare of design with engineered materials is anything but mundane," Madden says, citing Herman Miller's iconic Eames chair—which is made of multiple layers of thin wood veneers—as the paragon of a fine plywood piece.
Furnishings and flooring made of composite wood are also generally less expensive, since they only require a sliver of the real thing. Higher affordability, however, can sometimes be attributed to lower quality. "Inferior manufacturing can be an issue with engineered products," Madden says, adding that the more processing a material undergoes, the higher the risk for imperfections. Not to mention: "the over-production of an engineered material can sometimes make a product less sustainable," he says, and the use of excessive glues and resins in a composite can make the item look unnatural. In addition, it's much harder to repair furnishings made of manufactured wood, since it can't be sanded, undented, or refinished.
Steve Wisbauer Getty Images
Ultimately, there's a case to be made for buying both real and faux wood. "The two shouldn't be mutually exclusive—mixing material has always been a part of design," Madden says. "The important part is that the different materials will work together as one." One example to avoid is an epoxy river table, in which a resin is placed between two halves of a slab of timber. "The movement of the wood will eventually pull away from the epoxy as it shrinks seasonally," he reveals.
Before investing in any wooden piece, it's important to do your homework. When purchasing solid wood, for example, make sure that the material is harvested responsibly and is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. "A furniture maker should be able to ensure the highest quality and that the product is environmentally and socially beneficial," he asserts.
At the end of the day, you should do whatever floats your boat—"not in the sense of whatever makes you happy," he laughs, "but more to ensure that it doesn't sink because it's made of an inferior material!"
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
Kristin Tablang Senior Editor Kristin Tablang is a senior editor at House Beautiful, where she covers design, real estate, culture, and travel.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
Source: https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a38282039/solid-wood-vs-engineered-wood/
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar