Identifying Softwood, Hardwood & Engineered Wood In Antique Furniture
You don't outgrow or need to replace your furniture every season as you do with clothing or accessories. Your furniture has a very good chance of lasting a lifetime. Your wooden furniture might even be readily passed down to your children, who will respect them as heirloom items if you have an eye for the proper kind of wood. But, you must be extremely knowledgeable about the wood used in their construction if you want to ensure that your investment will result in the highest-quality wooden furniture. Identification of the many wood types used to build furniture can be challenging due to their wide variety. Fortunately, by examining the colors, grain pattern, and texture of the wood, you can determine what type of wood your furniture is made of. We've put together this furniture wood identification guide to make it easier for you to determine what kind of wood your furniture is made of.
Softwood
- Look For Dents And Scratches
To identify if the wood is softwood, look for dents and scratches. If you don't see any dings or scratches, the furniture might be constructed of hardwood since harder woods are more resistant to them. It's possible that a piece of furniture with several dings and scrapes was built of softwood. If you don't observe any markings, try scratching a discreet region of the furniture with your fingernail to check if it is simple to leave a mark, which may indicate that it is constructed of softwood. Conifers including pine, redwood, and cedar are the source of softwoods. - Identify Pinewood
Pine can be distinguished by its yellow hue, straight grain, and profusion of knots. If the wood has a straight grain and a yellowish appearance, feel for a smooth grain texture. Check for a lot of knots as well as darker growth rings. Keep in mind that it will be more difficult to identify the type of wood from the color of your furniture if it has been stained or weathered. Still, additional characteristics like the grain pattern can be used to try to identify what it is. Pine is widely used for indoor rustic-style furniture, such as dressers and tables. - Identify Cedar Wood
Cedar can be identified by its deep red hue, straight grain, and distinctive aroma. In the event that the wood seems reddish and has a straight grain, feel it to see if it is smooth. For a crucial giveaway, give the wood a close sniff for an aromatic, woodsy scent. Because of its weather durability and ability to keep moths away, cedar is frequently used to make indoor furniture like chests and wardrobes as well as outdoor furniture. - Identify Redwood
Redwood can be identified by its wavy grain and intense red hue. Look for the distinctive curved, complicated grain patterns and marled reddish-brown and mahogany tones of redwood. It resembles cedar in appearance, but its red hue is deeper and more opulent. Since redwood is extremely weather-resistant, it is frequently used for outdoor furniture. If you're unsure whether a piece of redwood or cedar furniture is what it appears to be, give it a whiff. Redwood lacks cedar's distinctive perfume of the woods. - Identify Douglas Fir Wood
Douglas fir can be recognized by its pale brown hue and tight, straight grain. Between its growth rings, Douglas fir might exhibit hues of crimson or yellow. The growth rings frequently have knots in the grain pattern, which is typically extremely faint. Although Douglas fir is typically utilized for less expensive purposes, it's possible that if your furniture is not pricey and is made of softwood, it was constructed using this material. Douglas fir is also frequently used to make painted furniture because the grain pattern is not particularly noticeable.
Hardwoods
- Inspect The Wood Grain For Textures
Look for characteristics in the wood grain that suggest it is hardwood. Hardwoods typically have rougher, more porous grain patterns than softwoods, which typically have smoother patterns. To establish whether it has the texture of a hardwood, examine the grain and feel it with your fingertips. Flowering trees like walnut, oak, and maple produce hardwoods. Certain hardwoods, like maple, exhibit rounded grain patterns similar to those of softwoods. - Identify Oak Wood
Oak can be identified by its pale brown hue, straight grain, and discernible growth rings. To determine whether the grain is porous, examine and feel it. Check to see if the wood has few knots and darker growth rings. White oak and red oak both have a similar light brown tint and are frequently used in furniture. Red oak, however, can contain traces of red, as the name suggests. All types of furniture, including built-in furniture like cupboards, can be made from oak. Cutting boards and other household items are frequently made of it. - Identify Maple Wood
Maple can be identified by its distinctive grain patterns and light creamy or yellow tint. To identify maple wood, look for unusual grain patterns and a lack of straight grain. Freshly made, it is a light creamy tone that gradually darkens to a more yellowish hue. Because of its distinctive and lovely grain patterns, maple is primarily utilized indoors where the woodgrain is extremely visible. For instance, expensive dining room furniture sometimes includes maple tables and chairs. - Identify Walnut Wood
Walnut can be recognized by their straight grain and rich tan or chocolate brown color. Black walnut, the most popular variety of walnut used in furniture, occasionally contains streaks of purple or green mixed in with its deep brown color. To identify walnut furniture, look for slightly darker growth rings interspersed with the straight grain. The wood may also exhibit light yellow growth rings that contrast with the black growth rings if it came from a young walnut tree that was still developing. Due to its exorbitant cost, walnut is usually reserved for high-end luxury furniture. It is frequently employed in elaborately carved furniture like mantelpieces and headboards. - Identify Mahogany Wood
Mahogany can be identified by its smooth texture and pinkish or reddish-brown tint. In addition to the color and texture, look for the beautiful long grain and few knots that characterize mahogany. When choosing whether the hue indicates that the furniture is made of mahogany, keep in mind that it begins off almost pink in color and darkens with time. Also, take into account the age of the furniture. Several styles of furniture are made from mahogany, which is frequently chosen as a less expensive substitute for walnut.
Engineered Wood
- Look At The Wood's End Grains
To check for exposed engineered wood, look at the wood's end grains. Look at the wood's surface to examine the wood grain pattern, then follow it with your eyes to the end of the piece. Examine the wood to see if the grain is present throughout or if it lacks a grain pattern and resembles engineered wood. The likelihood that the furniture is constructed of engineered MDF, OSB, or particleboard rather than a solid piece of wood and laminated with veneers designed to replicate the appearance of wood increases if the end grain is different and does not have the same wood grain pattern wrapping around it. The end grains of furniture composed of laminated MDF, OSB, or particleboard typically resemble compressed and glued-together wood flakes or sawdust. Although the grain pattern won't match that on the surface of the furniture, a strip of veneer might be bonded to them to conceal the appearance of the synthetic wood. - Identify Veneers
To identify veneers, look for recurring wood grain patterns. On the top, sides, and front of your piece of furniture, pay attention to the wood grain patterns. If there are repeated patterns, it is veneered rather than a solid piece of wood, which would have distinctive wood grain patterns all around. Printed laminate or plastic with a wood-like texture is frequently used to create veneers. - Check For Fake Wood
Check drawer sides and bottoms for signs of imitation wood. If the furniture is equipped with drawers, open them up and inspect the side pieces, the bottoms, and the backs of the front pieces. To tell whether the drawers are constructed of solid wood or veneered engineered wood, look at the wood grain and end grain patterns. Try to identify the sort of solid wood used to construct the furniture if you don't see any indications of man-made wood composites or plastic veneers intended to mimic the appearance of wood. There is nothing to distinguish if you do discover that your furniture is comprised of engineered materials.