Laminate, Veneer, and Solid Wood – What’s the Difference? What is Used in Amish Furniture?

Choosing furniture can be a difficult task if you do not know what you are looking at when you consider a piece of furniture. In this day and age, a piece of furniture can be made from any number of materials, you have to be careful because something that looks pretty or has a cheap price tag might not last you as long as you would hope. Learning what composes common pieces of furniture is a good step in choosing furniture that is quality and will endure even the most brutal torture a family can throw at it.

The Best Amish Furniture Doesn’t have Laminate or Veneer

Laminate is a manufactured material. It is usually made of plastic and bonded to a composite base. It is printed to look like real wood but it doesn’t possess the strength, variation or beauty of real wood. Veneer is a thin layer of real hardwood applied to a less expensive material such as plywood. This allows the manufacturer to create a piece of furniture for far less money than using solid wood. Neither of these materials is optimal for creating quality and lasting furniture. These materials also limit the designs that can be utilized in creating a piece of furniture. Neither of these materials is used in furniture that you would find in an Amish furniture store.

Only Buy Amish Furniture that is Solid Wood

The Amish take pride in their craftsmanship. They only use solid wood in the manufacturing of their furniture. They use only seasoned hardwoods as the dry wood will not shrink and warp like green wood or other lesser materials. The vast majority of wood used is grown locally to the family manufacturing shops where it will be turned into furniture. It is milled by Amish millers specifically for furniture craftsmen to use. The time-tested patterns used by the Amish are chosen for their sturdiness and ability to withstand much of the normal wear and tear of everyday use. If you should encounter Amish furniture for sale online that is said to be made from something other than solid wood, then what is being sold is not authentic Amish furniture.

Where to Buy Amish Furniture

Locating quality Amish furniture is easier today than in times past. Many retailers now offer authentic Amish furniture for sale online. No longer does the quest for Amish furniture require several trips into the country to shop, order, and pick up your purchases. Amish furniture stores online offer to order and shopping from the comfort of your own home and shipping straight to your door. Armed with the information about the materials used in furniture manufacturing, it should be relatively simple for you to determine what Amish furniture stores are selling high-quality merchandise and which are trying to pull the wool over your eyes.