What to Look for When Shopping for Bedroom or Dining Room Furniture

When you’re shopping for wood furniture be sure to look for the following quality features;

1)   Drawer joint construction normally goes hand in hand with the price and quality level of the of the piece in question.  Drawers are opened and closed thousands of times and if the drawer front is not attached to the sides adequately, the joint will fail.  English Dovetail is considered to be the best fastening technique because it increases the surface area capacity of the glue and results in an interweaving lock .  A French Dovetail joint is also a good choice.  It is machined so that the drawer side slides upward into a long groove in the drawer front.  These joints are often found in curved drawer fronts.  Butt joints are the least desirable fastening technique and this type of construction is usually found in low quality starting price furniture.  Glue and nails are used to secure this drawer front to the sides.

2)   Wood on wood drawer glides when properly sanded and waxed, offer an extremely durable mechanism that will provide years of smooth, quiet and trouble free operation.  Ball bearing compound metal slides are also acceptable.  Double glides should be utilized on larger drawers to improve their load bearing capacity.  Also look for integral drawer stops as they decrease the potential for glide damage by reducing pressure on the rear portion of the glide.

3)   Wood corner blocks should be used in strategic areas to increase the stability of the drawers or case.

4)   Dust proofing panels create a barrier thus reducing potential for dust and loose articles from moving between drawers.  Also acts as an integral part of construction that reduces “racking” of the case.

5)   Fitted wood back panels are a crucial component of an item’s overall structural integrity, particularly on large items.  Helps reduce potential for “racking”.

6)   Look for multi-step finishes.  They are methodically prepared and include hand rubbing and hand sanding.  While this requires considerable labor, such finishes provide lasting depth and clarity, and may include value-added techniques such as rasping, speckling and/or distressing.

7)   A stable bed system is very important.  On a complete 5/0 (queen) bed,  sturdy wood slats, wood rails and wood center support legs should be provided.  On a 6/6 (king) bed, sturdy wood slats, wood rails and a H/B to F/B center rail should be provided....center support legs are also a good idea.  Such stable systems help improve stability and thus reduce the potential for bed “racking”.  Remember.....if you do not provide adequate center support for your queen or king mattress it will sag and/or collapse and this is not a mattress warranty issue and will not be covered as such by the bedding manufacturer.