to properly align doors or drawers (or the gaps made up by them) when the
floor isn’t level.
Along with being decorative, hardware should be functional and strong.
It should be solid (not hollow) whenever possible. This is often difficult to
determine on a piece of furniture, but the hardware’s weight is usually a good
determining factor.
Another common question is whether solid wood is better than veneer.
Veneer is not necessarily a cheaper alternative and can last as long as and
possibly longer than solid wood. One advantage of veneer is that the manufacturer can create fancy faces that can’t be made with solid wood.
Several different types of core materials can be used with veneer,
including particleboard, medium-density fiberboard and solid wood. Each
has advantages and disadvantages, depending on the application within the
product or in the manufacturing process.
Climate is another important issue to consider when choosing between
solid wood and veneer. Veneer applications (with medium-density fiberboard
or particleboard cores) are more stable than solid wood applications. Wood,
in any state, is a living product. Even after assembly and finishing, wood
parts can gain and lose moisture based on outside conditions. Very cold, dry
climates will cause wood to dry and shrink (both solid and veneer). Warm,
moist climates will cause wood to gain moisture and swell.
Changes in seasons from the cold of winter to the heat of summer will
cause this movement. The more solid wood there is in a product, the higher
the chance of movement. A
