Cabinet
Buying Guide
Making your choice
When buying a dining table, bookcase, cupboard - or any item
of cabinet furniture – the selection of products on
offer appears endless. There are many different styles, designs
and price ranges. The temptation is to make the selection
based on what looks good, fits in with the home-furnishing
scheme in terms of style, finish, colour, and meets the budget.
Although there are differences in the materials and finishes,
the most important things to consider when choosing cabinet
furniture are the purposes for which you need the item, taking
into account size, strength, durability and after care requirements.
If the item is for storage – whether for drinks, ornaments,
books or even filing – check the space that you need.
Carefully measure the space where you intend to position the
item. Remember that units usually require extra space to allow
doors and drawers to open. It is also worth considering the
weight of the intended contents to be stored/displayed to
ensure stability.
What’s under the surface?
Cabinet furniture can be made from a variety of materials
– solid woods, natural or synthetic veneers, and man-made
boards or a mixture of each. All have their advantages and
understanding a little about the materials can help you choose
the product most suited to you.
Solid wood
The colour, feel and overall appearance of a solid wood product
can be hard to beat and gives the most ‘traditional’
feel to cabinet furniture. As a wholly natural product, solid
wood will show knots, grain/colour variation and other features.
Solid wood products will have a tendency, even if kiln dried,
to move with temperature and humidity changes. The colour
of solid wood can also change over a period of time as the
wood mellows and matures. The unique nature of wood can also
mean that panels and adjoining pieces of furniture will not
always be an exact match in terms of colour and grain.
Real wood veneers
Veneers consist of thin layers of wood with a fine or decorative
finish that are applied to various types of material. This
could be timber or some form of manmade board. The advantages
of veneers are that the furniture itself can be more stable
and less prone to movement or warping, and a wider range of
decorative finishes can be achieved than with solid woods.
Grain and colour match can be better than solid wood pieces,
but because the veneers are wood they can be subject to movement
with changes in temperature and humidity.
In some cases, wood veneers can give the look of real wood
at a cheaper price. However this is not always the case –
finely decorated or finished veneered items can be expensive.
Synthetic veneers
Synthetic veneers are also used extensively on cabinet furniture.
These are paper or PVC foils that have been printed, and usually
embossed, to represent the feel and appearance of real wood.
They too are usually bonded to chipboard or MDF. The difference
to the customer is that these have a uniform colour and grain
structure. This means that they will not vary between pieces
of furniture and will not be subject to changes in colour
fading due to light.
Man made boards
Man-made boards such as plywood and chipboard have the advantage
of being more stable than solid wood. They are less likely
to warp, split, shrink or expand when temperatures and humidity
vary.
A more recent product is medium density fibreboard (MDF) –
a smooth board which can be cut and shaped without leaving
a rough edge. It is an ideal base for lacquer and foil finishes
and because of its consistent colour and visible edges can
be stained or lacquered to resemble wood.
Beauty in the eye of the beholder
Finishes used on solid and veneered wood vary from simple
waxes and oiled finishes to lacquers capable of withstanding
different levels of use. It is worth asking your retailer
how you should care for the product you are buying as the
maintenance necessary for each type of finish varies.
Most modern furniture is finished with a lacquer that has
been developed to maintain appearance in normal use and should
only need regular, light dusting with a soft cloth. If sticky
marks occur on the surface they can be removed with a dilute
solution of warm soapy water. The offending area should be
rubbed lightly and then completely dried afterwards before
replacing any vases etc.
Wax polishes should only be used when damage has been occurred,
that is the lacquer has been cracked or removed. It should
be noted that the wax polish will not have the same level
of resistance to damage as the original finish.
Manufacturers’ care instructions should always be followed.
Cleaning products that are not recommended by the furniture
manufacturer should never be used.
Things can change
Many timbers, solid or veneered, naturally vary in grain and
colour from piece to piece. This gives the furniture a uniqueness
that sets it aside from synthetic veneers and painted surfaces.
Depending on the intensity of daylight that an item is subjected
to, over a period of time the colour of the timber may mellow
i.e. become darker. This often happens in what appears to
be an erratic manner, as some pieces will appear lighten than
others. The effect is natural. However problems can occur
if an item such as a lamp, vase or mat is left in one place.
This will slow the colour change of the timber under the item
and may result in an area of lighter wood that may take longer
to mellow. The mellowing of timber occurs rapidly for about
the first two years, it then appears to slow down and eventually
the furniture will achieve full ‘maturity’. However
some woods do lighten with exposure to sunlight so regularly
repositioning the furniture and items on it should be undertaken
as a precaution.
Looking after your purchase
Modern finishes are generally hard wearing and require little
maintenance. However care during use will help to prevent
damage and will prolong the life of your furniture.
• Care needs to be taken to protect the furniture from
accidents during use.
• When moving the furniture, protect the surface from
knocks and scratches. Corners and edges are particularly prone
to accidental damage and need covering during moving.
• When the furniture is being moved, ensure this is
carried out carefully and the cabinets are not dragged across
the floor. Once the item is in its new position, make sure
it stands level to ensure smooth opening of the doors and
running of the drawers. Never use force on the doors, drawers
or carcass.
• When selecting a position for furniture, ensure that
it is in a place where it will not be exposed to excessive
sunlight. Neither should it be in a position where there is
direct heat, such as next to a radiator, as this may cause
damage to both the surface and the wooden structure.
• When using the surface for serving food and drinks,
or any item that may be wet, always use protective mats and
coasters. If any hot serving dishes are used, special protection
will be needed. Casserole stand type mats are best as they
lift the item away from the surface. However care should be
taken to ensure that the dish does not overhang the stand
as this may allow hot liquids or condensation to drop on to
the surface.
• If any spillages do occur, whether hot or cold, make
sure they are wiped up immediately.
• Obtain and follow the manufacturer’s case instructions.
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