Furniture Materials – Cost And Durability
Furniture can be made of different materials. They are
intended for different uses. Availability, durability and cost of each type
vary widely. This article is a study about these factors.
But of course, every household needs to have some furniture.
The type of furniture each house owns varies widely in terms of its material,
design and cost. Some will have a few and simple ones and some others may have
very costly furniture sets. The requirements and taste vary considerably across
various sections of society. You have to identify the furniture most suited to
your tastes and needs to get it right.
If you visit a furniture store you can find different
types of furniture. Most common materials used are wood, steel and plastic and
accordingly these are called wooden furniture, steel furniture, and molded
furniture. This article will provide you an idea about the different types of
furniture depending on the material used for manufacturing and their
suitability for various purposes.
The most common, versatile and oldest material that is used
for making furniture is wood. Almost all varieties of furniture can be made of
wood. Wood is a soft material and can be easily shaped. The finish obtained is
very good and occasional polishing can make it look like new at all times. It
can be carved easily and beautiful objects can be created. Carved living room furniture can give a royal
look to your living room. Wooden furniture can be cheap or very costly
depending on the type of wood and carving work involved. Furniture made of
certain types of wood like oak, teak and rosewood are very durable and so, are
costlier than others. Wooden furniture is best suited to homes as these provide
elegance and lifelong service.
Metals are being increasingly used for making contemporary
furniture. Earlier, among metals, only iron was used to make
furniture. It was to be painted or electroplated in order to avoid rusting.
Even then, on most occasions, rusting would occur. So lately aluminum and
stainless steel are being used extensively. We may be tempted to believe that
these are highly durable, but practically are not so. These are commonly used
for making chairs and other light weight furniture. Such furniture is
specifically suited to offices and waiting halls.
Another material used in furniture making is plastic fiber.
Since it is made by molding, these are also known as molded furniture. Even
though plastic can be molded to any shape, as far as making of furniture is
concerned its use is mostly limited to making chairs and light tables. Such
furniture is best suited for small time restaurants. Molded chairs generally
find their way to auditoriums and other public gathering areas due to ease of
storage by stacking up into one another.
Some of the other materials used are cane and reeds.
Recliner made of a combination of cane and reed can be seen in the portico of
traditional homes. Such furniture should be used carefully and delicately and
so are suitable only for homes. These materials are available only in certain
pockets of the country. Even if they are available, do ascertain if the climate
of your home is suitable to these natural materials.
During the period of rule by kings and monarchs, ivory
furniture was also used. These are extremely costly and highly durable.
All these kinds of furniture, except that made of ivory, are
available in most furniture stores. One can also get to know about modern
trends in furniture making at an organized furniture exhibition. As ivory trade
is banned in most countries, it is not easy to find a piece of furniture made
of it. A museum near you may be having one as an exhibit.
Whatever be your choice, take a firm decision and then stick
to it. Do not regret later having chanced upon something else that you like.
There are innumerable designs and styles available , so take your time to pick.
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