Human beings have a friendly relationship with the tree from the beginning of creation. The role of wood in our daily life is immense. People have been using wood as fuel since ancient times. Most importantly, we use wood to make houses, appliances, etc. Besides, the role of wood in the field of art is immense. But, above all, wood comes to the best use to make furniture. Hence, to meet the demand of people, various wooden pieces of furniture can be seen in the market now. These are usually made of different types of wood. But which wood is best for making furniture? Let’s get to know the best wood for furniture.
Wood types for Furniture
Although you may need different materials or items to make furniture, wood is the basic element. However, depending on the furniture types, several types of wood are available. But, two basic kinds of wood types- solid woods and manufactured woods are used to make furniture. Solid wood comprises both soft and hardwoods.
Solid woods
Solid woods usually come from pure lumber, which has two categories hardwood and softwood. Hardwood is dense and found in slowly grown deciduous trees. This type of wood is usually used in high-quality, expensive furniture. Commonly known hardwoods are Oak, Teak (shogun), Hickory, Beech, Maple, Mahogany, and walnut.
Softwood, on the other hand, is found in quickly grown coniferous trees. Compared to hardwood, this type of wood is less dense. Some commonly used softwoods are Pine, Spruce, and Fur.
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Manufactured wood
When solid woods are expensive for some people, they can opt for the manufactured woods. It is mainly made with various types of wood but may not contain any solid wood pieces. Manufactured wood comes in two types, Plywood and Particleboard.
Plywood
Plywood is usually made by taking 3-5 slices of thin lumber. These slices are then combined together with adhesive. Hence, it is called engineered woods.
Particleboard
It is also called fiberboard. To make the particleboard lumbers are broken down into tiny fibers through a wood chipper and glued together with adhesive.
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Best wood for furniture
When it comes to wood selection for furniture, there are several kinds of wood available. However, the quality may vary depending on the price and type. Following are the best woods to get for making different types of furniture.
Teak wood (Shegun)
Teak wood, also known as Shegun, is one of the best wood available in Asian countries, perhaps in the world. In present-day Teak is widely planted in Bangladesh as a high-quality timber tree. The teak tree is native to Myanmar. The tree usually grows to 20 to 30 meters high. In adulthood, teak trunks are 1.5-2 m in height and 1-1.25 m in diameter. At first, the color of this wood stays golden yellow, but with time being, this wood becomes dark in color.
The demand for teak wood in recent days has been immense. This wood is very hard, strong, heavy, durable, and can be polished easily. Teak wood is widely applied in building furniture. Besides, this wood is also used in the construction of doors, windows, railway carriages, ships, etc.
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Oakwood
Although more than 300 types of oak wood are available worldwide, some types of oak wood are very hard and strong in nature. Therefore, different types of furniture can be made with this kind of tree. However, due to the demand and price of oak wood, the scarcity of this wood is increasing. The density of oak wood is about 0.75 g / cubic cm. As a result, its wood becomes very strong and tough. Furthermore, this wood is popular as an insect repellent.
Mahogany
Though Mahogany is found all over the world, it is native to the tropics of North America. Mahogany trees can grow up to 50 feet tall. Mahogany wood is more stiff and densely fibrous and cannot be attacked by insects. However, the price is relatively low. So mahogany wood is used to make the most used furniture for everyday life.
Maple wood
Maple is considered an ideal furniture wood in North American countries. It is because maple wood is durable, gorgeous, and wears extremely well. The kitchen furniture is often made with maple as this wood is nontoxic. Nevertheless, maple wood has several grain patterns. The density of maple wood is 0.63-0.75 g/cm3.
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Gamari
Gamari basically originated in India. Its scientific name is Gmelina Arborea. It is usually 15 to 20 meters high, but the wood is relatively thin compared to other woods. This plywood is valued for making various pieces of furniture. Though people use this wood to make doors, the door frames cannot be made with this wood. Gamari wood takes twice as long to season as other woods. There are different types of Gamari wood available in the market at present. The most common of these are Shil Gamari and Ful Gamari.
Garjan
Garjan is a mountain tree, so it is rarely seen in the plain lands. However, it is found in the Sundarbans, the largest forest in Bangladesh. The scientific name of this wood is Rhizophora apiculate. Although this wood is widely used for making furniture and frames for the doors, it has several medicinal uses. The wood of the garjan tree is very valuable. Usually, the color of the wood is reddish-brown, but the furniture is bright in color and looks very attractive. There is a lot of demand for garjan wood in the current market.
Bottom Line
Although there are various options and wood alternatives available in the market, the demand for wood has not decreased. Furniture made of wood not only decorates the house but also expresses art and aristocracy. In addition to furniture, there is the use of wood for everything from housing, office decoration to fuel. So, those who are looking to make furniture, they can research these options to choose the best furniture wood featuring durability, aesthetics, and aristocracy.