What You Should Know About Furniture Testing

My mother has always been the world's best furniture tester, knowing exactly the type of material that would last, not show dirt, survive a family of four, and be sturdy enough to seat two 300lb men, and that was just for the couch!

Furniture testing requires a basic knowledge of building materials, types of wood and synthetics, stain resisters, flame resistance and most importantly, comfort.

The first lesson learned as a young adult is to forget bargain stores or anyplace that advertises a couch for $300.00. Why? Unless you plan to give it as a gift to a disfavored member of the family, do not waste your time or your gas money driving to such a place. Naturally, the base of the proposed couch will be made out of compressed cardboard, will disintegrate when wet and will collapse the first time a five year old jumps on it. If someone smokes, an ash will burn a hole in the fabric that will be larger than your fist. If the couch lasts longer than three months, it will be because no one has used it. If it lasts longer than a year, consider it a miracle.

Because of bargain stores, reliable furniture retailers have devised a method of choosing well-constructed items, made out of hard wood, such as maple, walnut, cherry, mahogany, teak, just to name a few. Some stores sell the highest quality of furniture in the United States. Their furniture is mostly solid wood with a price tag to match. They have invested decades in their design details to please a vast majority of picky buyers---like my Mother.

The next level is wood that has been veneered. A veneer is a thin strip of expensive hard wood glued on top of lesser quality wood. Many furniture stores carry veneered furniture because it passes as high quality when it is second rate. Prices for this type of furniture are more reasonable and affordable.

Third rate furniture is made of pine or compressed cardboard. Many companies are putting veneers over compressed cardboard, making it very difficult to move as they are extraordinarily heavy pieces of furniture. For the couple with limited funds, this choice may seem like a good solution, until wear and tear shows its true composition.

Furniture testers rate fabric covered furniture differently from wood furniture. They rate it according to the quality of the fabric, stain resistance, flame resistance, sturdiness, comfort, and construction. Construction details include how joints are put together. Are they nailed or screwed? Are there any faults in the body of the frame? What is the material used as the base? Is the fabric washable? How may it best be cleaned? How long will it last?

With wood furniture, the quality is in the details. A plain square box constructed out of untreated pine and nailed together in a hurry to serve a particular purpose is only as good as its builder's knowledge of furniture making. On the other hand, a chest with a highly polished sheen, carved legs and well-fitting drawers is an item many people highly treasure.

Whether at home or at work, the furnishings should meet aesthetic requirements, quality features and, above all, regulations on avoiding health hazards; these should be the primary objectives when studying furniture and testing to see if it meets the needs and demands of buyers.