Purchasing furniture in local markets can be tricky sometimes. Although you can browse through various types of furniture, it is often hard to judge whether the quality assured by the dealer is reliable or not. This is why purchasing designer furniture from a reputed online dealer is preferred by a majority of customers all around the world. While buying online, one can checkout various options and choose the furniture varying in different shapes, sizes, prices and the material of the furniture. Choosing the material of the furniture is often an issue for the bulk of the customers. On the basis of material, we can differentiate furniture into two types:
1. Solid Wood Furniture
2. Medium Density Fibreboard
What is Solid Wood Furniture?
Solid Wood Furniture is the type of furniture which has been used since the beginning of the last century. Solid wood is grafted, sliced and cut directly from trees into different shapes and sizes. These pieces are then processed into requisite forms like planks, blocks, and boards and utilised for log furniture making. Solid Wood Furniture is known for its strength and durability. However it is mainly suggested for indoor purposes.
What is medium density fibreboard (MDF)?
Unlike solid wood furniture, medium density fibreboard, was first discovered in the 1960’s and has been in use since then. It is a man-made refined particle board which was created from scratch by amalgamating wax and resin binder to small wood residuals and then exposing them to high temperatures and pressure to form steady panels. It does not expand or contract like solid wood and is therefore preferred in places where temperatures are volatile.
What are the primary differences between the two?
There are a few key differences between the two types of furniture which might help you brush up your choice:
1. Physical Attributes - Solid Wood Furniture is extremely strong and durable. Teak and Oak wooden furniture are stable and require less maintenance. However, MDF utilises large amount of glue during its creation, and generally after a few months, the screws and nails which are used to join the different parts of the furniture, tend to become loose. This sometimes causes the furniture to fall apart.
MDF can complement colours easily. It inculcates variety of water based paints and varnishes.
2. Quality of wood - Solid wood consists of natural grains, which after polishing and staining is attributed with a rich and lustrous appearance. However, MDF designer furniture does not have any such natural beauty, but because it does not have knots, it has a smooth surface and is easier to work with.
Initially MDF is more resistant to dents but, it can never compete against wooden furniture when it comes to longevity. Hence Solid Wood Furniture is preferred more than MDF furniture.
3. Maintenance - MDF furniture has to be carefully maintained. Although, it might be flexible, breaks and faults enforced upon it are not easily repairable. However, solid wood furniture is easily repairable as dents can be taken care of with the process of refinishing.
4. Cost – Solid wood furniture is initially expensive because of its high longevity, natural beauty and elegance, however MDF tends to be more costly in the long run due to the added maintenance costs that the owners have to bear.
Solid wood furniture is strong, durable and has a rich and lustrous appearance. Its natural elegance quotes a high price initially but in the long run requires low maintenance cost. Wooden furniture made with Solid wood has unmatched external beauty and at the same time can be repaired easily with the help of household items. On the other hand MDF is costlier in the long run due to its high maintenance cost and is more fragile than solid wood. If you plan to buy designer wooden furniture, it is generally suggested to buy solid wood furniture to contribute to the elegance of your home and to make your house look more hospitable.