Most people spend a majority of their money on their homes, whether it’s paying taxes on it, up-keeping it, or furnishing it. When we redesign our house and want to replace old and damaged furniture, it is important that we purchase pieces of furniture that will last longer and allow us to enjoy them for many years.
This doesn’t mean that the furniture needs to be expensive, rather that, when making such a purchase it is important to take note of its quality and whether or not it will stand the test of time. The following 9 signs will help you spot low-quality furniture so that you don’t purchase items that will wear out quickly and need to be replaced frequently.
Many wooden pieces of furniture are covered with a 3 mm of veneer that is designed to give the furniture a luxurious look and a clean, smooth finish, and despite the attractive look of such furniture, they tend to be more susceptible to damage. When you are considering purchasing a wooden furniture item, ask if it has a coating of veneer to know whether it is worth buying it.
High-quality wooden furniture consists of several parts connected by dowels and dovetails, and not by staples or glue. If you are considering purchasing a wooden furniture item, check the joints and see if the pieces of furniture have been attached by pins, nails or glue, since furniture assembled in these ways does not last very long compared to those that have wood joints that fit perfectly and give the furniture durability. If the piece doesn’t have good joints it is probably machine-made rather than handmade, meaning, it won’t last very long.
While perfect symmetry seems like it would make for good quality furniture, it actually indicates that the piece was machine-made. As mentioned above, machine-made furniture is not as durable as handmade pieces. As far as wooden furniture is concerned, asymmetry is a positive thing and aesthetic "defects" attest to the fact that they are composed of pieces of natural and non-artificial wood.
This may sound obvious, but many people do not think to check whether the furniture they buy "functions" as it should. The intention is whether chairs hold weight well and whether drawers open and close correctly. Do not hesitate to check all these things in the store to make sure the item you want to purchase is durable and will do its job as you expect; Sit on a chair and see if it wobbles, open closet doors and see if they stay open or if they close on their own, pull open drawers to see that they stay on their tracks.
There’s nothing like laying back on your couch after a long day’s work, and to make sure you get as much use out of said couch, you need to check the foam inserts! Unzip the cushion cover and check whether the foam or filler is covered with another protective layer of cloth. If not, it is reasonable to assume that this item of furniture won’t last very long and will break down over time. If the filling is made of foam, check the density of the material as well; it must be hard, thick and dense, which will ensure that it will withstand daily contact and weight and will remain comfortable over time.
Some furniture, such as sofas, have springs and it is important to check that they can withstand the weight of people sitting on them. Rigid couches have regular spring coils, while soft sofas are made up of zigzags. To examine the durability of these pieces of furniture, remove the cushions, press the base of the furniture, and examine its reaction.
The springs are supposed to spring back quickly after being pressed, and if they don’t, the furniture is of poor quality and won’t last long. If you can’t remove the seat cushions in the store, just sit on the couch and see if it is easy or hard to get up. If it’s easy, the springs are strong and tight, but if you are struggling to get up, they may have sunk and therefore you should not purchase such a sofa.
As mentioned above, sofas, armchairs and other soft furniture that are not made of wood need to withstand weight and load over time. For this to happen, it is important that they stand on a firm and durable base, which are their legs. When purchasing a sofa or other soft furniture, check that the legs are heavy, made of wood and welded directly into the frame of the furniture and not nailed to it. Legs made of plastic, rubber, or metal can damage your floor and break over time. Another feature of durable sofas is an extra fifth leg in the center of the sofa that is meant for extra support, and although it isn’t found on every piece of furniture, it can be a good addition to ensure your sofa stays strong over time.
Wooden furniture such as closets, chairs, and tables suffer blows over the years, from contact with various elements. Tables are one of the furniture items that are used daily, so this tip is especially valid for them; In order to be sure that your furniture will last a long time and won’t be scratch easily, examine it in the store. Run your nail across a hidden part of the table, if there is a mark or scratch from this delicate touch, it is not recommended to purchase this piece of furniture.
As a rule, furniture made from solid natural wood is better than industrial furniture items, but furniture made from sandwich wood in factories can stand the test of time. Look for solid wood furniture with as few stains as possible to be sure that the natural defects that are created over time will be minimal. When it comes to industrial sandwich wood, the more layers you have, the better it is. Check that these pieces of furniture have at least 9 layers of sandwich wood, which will ensure structural strength and durability.
