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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-10-01, Page 7YOUR HOME Is YOUR SIGNATURE. ining Room Suites and Dinettes ew of us choose to eat our ily bread from our laps, so rniture designed for ealtime use is a very impor- nt component in our home rnishings. For day-to-day e, many choose a dinette, t for more formal occasions ost of us eventually require dining room suite. hese are some of the things u should think about when king at suite after suite ter suite. or obvious reasons, ask urself whether the buffet is t i be used for display or s orage; and see that the tch, often a separate unit, is well on the buffet. You ouldn't want it rocking back and forth with mother's china in it. Check the doors for smooth operation and fit. See if there is a silver tray. You'll want good, solid mountings for glass shelves, and if there's a light fixture, make sure it's CSA approved. Although tables are generally round, oval or rectangular with legs, occasionally you might find an octagonal or other special shape with a pedestal base. When examin- ing tables, make sure the pull- out extension or extra leaves will increase the table to the size you want. See that they fit properly, too. Look for dowell- ing or screws or solid bolts for table legs; 5/16 -inch bolts are the norm. Check the leg strength by giving the table a good shake. Chair legs should be screwed through to the frame and rein- forced with glue and blocks. Make sure the arm chairs you choose will go under the rim of the table. Sit on the chair to see if it will give you the com- fort necessary for long after- dinner chats. And finally, make sure the different pieces of the set match in colour and finish. Never make assumptions. Except for formal dining, most people enjoy their meals at home in a casual setting, probably seated at a dinette in the kitchen. The dinette is a hardworking furniture category, one of the most im- portant reasons care must be given to selecting the dinette that meets your style and needs. When buying a dinette, table and chair construction are two vital considerations. Table tops are usually syn- thetic surfaces laminated to particle board, ranging in width from 12 to 25 mm with at least one leaf for expansion. A clue to quality is the densi- ty and thickness of the parti- cle board, a sheet of wood par- ticles bonded together with synthetic resins under intense heat. The greater the density, the less the likelihood of war - Times -Advocate, October 1, 1986 Page 7 1 Exeter Stores Participate in Nation -Wide Furniture Sale Making the Right choice with Wooden Furniture ping. Dense particle board also possesses greater holding power for fastened com- ponents. A simple test is to separate the table to expose the particle board, then light- ly scrape your fingernail or house key to see how easily the surface flakes. Better - quality particle board will resist light pressure, in- dicating its density will pro- vide the strength for longevity. Expanding tables require sliding mechanisms to open and close. Better -quality dinettes have wood slides, which are sturdier -than metal. The removable leaves have positioning pins that insert in- to the permanent top. These pins should fit snugly into holes whose diameter will widen with lower -quality par- ticle board. Leaf levelers are placed on the permanent undersides of the table. These protruding metal flaps prevent the leaf from resting improperly, either too high or low, in the event of an uneven floor. With all the use, the laminated top must be able to withstand normal wear, in- cluding spills, hot plates and dropped items. The tops are constructed of synthetic materials under heat and pressure, either in solid colors or patterns that resemble wood grain or florals. In the store, carefully run your hand along the underside edge of the table top. Some of the better -quality tables have nylon banding to prevent snagging and cutting fingers or arms. And few things are worse than an uneven table to check for adjustable table leg glides that compensate for uneven floors. Next turn your attention to the chairs. Be sure to sit in them to determine comfort. When you test the chair, feel the foam (if its upholstered) and make sure the density of the foam carries your weight evenly. A chair has to be functional and good looking. If you are attracted to a particular dinette, examine the chair for tailoring. The fabric of better - quality thairs is stitched (as opposed to being stapled) to the backs of seats. Button tufting is popular. Longer -lasting buttons are fastened to the seats and backs through metal ringed openings known as grommets. The pitch of the chairs is critical. As you -sit in the chair, simulate normal activi- ty such as reaching and mov- ing. Are you comfortable? Usually the distance from the top of the seat to the top of the table is about 30 cm, which is variable accordin to desi : n. Buying wooden furniture re- quires special attention to the construction and materials used in cabinets, chests, desks, dressers and wall systems, a category of unupholstered furniture known in the industry as "case goods". With today's technological ad- vances in manufacturing, you will need a sharp eye to distinguish solid wood con- struction from the widely - used veneering process. Likewise, surfaces appearing to be wood may actually be syntehtic materials reflecting photographed or printed wood grains. Some purists prefer solid wood, believing top quality can only be found in case goods free of veneers, plastics, simulated wood and reprocessed wood or particle board. But these purists are in a minority and may pay more than they need do for quality. The only way to determine quality is to read the labels at- tached to case goods and to ask questions -of your salesperson. Labels referring to solid wood mean that tops, doors, drawer fronts and side panels are made of the wood mentioned. Even though all exposed surfaces may be solid wood, the inside could in- clude veneer construction with the mentioned wood as the outside layer. Some case goods are made of more than one variety of wood, in solid and veneer forms. You might see a tag with the word "com- bination" referring to all ex- posed surfaces, as well as the inside components. Some people are concerned about "all -wood" construc- tion. You can spot most glued components and surfaces but this kind of construction is normal on some types of case goods and should be con- strued as good quality. The fine art of veneering has provided rich -looking case goods and kept the cost low. Some exposed surfaces are actually stronger and resist warping and craking if they are veneered. A typiclfl veneered board con- sists of five wood layers per- manently bonded togethery, with the core beng thicker than the others. Veners are stronger and more durable than solid wood and they can provide matched grained pat- ters of unsurpassed beauty from more than 175 types of wood. Wood is categorized as either hard or soft, with the hard- woods (oak, walnut, mahogany, pecan, birch and maple) used in better fur- niture. Most case goods con- tain both hardwoodsand soft- woods (pine, spruce, .fir and redwood) . Some softwoods are actually harder than the hardwoods. The beauty of wood is its grain, a function of a tree's growth. The annual rings and medullary rays (the radiating tissues), create the grain. Methods of sawing can affect its appearance, quarter sawing (when the log is cut evenly through the centre in- to four parts) enhances the grain in oak and mahogany whose medullary rays form a bold pattern. In other woods, the medullary rays are too small to change the ap- pearance of the lumber. Quarter sawing produces stronger lumber, better grain- ing and decreases the chances of shrinking and warping. Plains -sawed boards, sometimes called flat -grained lumber, produces graining resembling V -shapes and is cheaper because there is less waste in the cutting process. But ash, chestnut and elm can be enhanced with plain sawing. All furniture lumber must be as dry as possible to retain permanent dimensions. After cutting, the boards are seasoned, in an air -drying or kiln -drying process that removes most of the sap and causes some shrinkage. Pro- perly dried wood resists war- ping and twisting, if the moisture is removed on a gradual basis. Oak has always been the most common wood used in fur- niture construction, even though the popularity of other woods such as walnut and mahogany rarely diminish. But its characteristics of hardness strengh, finish and adaptability maintain oak's desirability. Chestnut usually is the core wood for veneers, unless par- ticle board is used. This wood is soft and light and resists warping and shrinking. Yellow birch is a versatile A well -finished table collection suit at a moderate to high price. Made Huppe). wood, used for its strength and ability to retain its shape, in additon to being a substitue for mahogany and walnut. The color and grain of mahogany gives this wood its wide appeal and use in better furniture. In less expensive furniture, mahogany substitutes are used, usuall birch and red gum. Walnut's popularity remains strong. This hardwood's deep colour and finish make it perfect for solid and veneered ' uses. Painted and stained fur- niture is usually made of beech, an easily -shaped wood found in arms and backs of chairs. Some unseen areas of furniture rely on beech for drawer slides, chair backs and rocker runners. Maple is one of the most popular woods. A favorite veneer wood for its curly and wavy patterns, this common A modular gym designed to meet the needs of youth while using a minimum of space, this collection of four maple wood units finished in a Permaflex super -resistant Iacqure can be tailored to one's budget and available space. (Courtesy Maurice Lepine Ltd.) i e for the bedroom and diningroom of solid wood or veneer. (Courtesy Blending comfortable relaxing action with colonial charm, this solid oak glider rocker features coordinated seat and back cushions. (Courtesy Dutailier Inc.) and strong wood can be finish- ed to appear as cherry. Maple is the primary wood for col- onial reproductions. With solid wood construction, wood is cut lengthwise into planks and glued into solid panels to increase stability and, for decorative purposes, to permit variations in grain. Solid construction, of pine for instance, is used most often for colonial and traditional styles, since the solid wood lends itself to the carvings and detailings used in these styles. That's one advantage. Others include the fact that edges on wall units, chair seats an table tops don't need to be extensively finished or topped with veneer, as is the case when plywood or layered woods are used. Solid wood edges can simply be sanded smooth and they're ready for a finish. If the surface of your dining room table is scratched or gouged and it has a veneer topping, you won't be able to sand it heavily, or plane it, since .you . will find yourself breaking through to the next layer. With solid wood, it's easy enough to plane, or en- tirely refinish. Lastly, with solid wood, the surace cannot loosen or peel. Solid wood does have a couple of disadvantages though. They are, first, that solid wood can be costly because of scaricty and, second, that unless the wood is very well conditoned, it will have a tern- dency to warp, shink or swell with changes in humidity. Much high-quality furniture today is constructed from a mixtures of solids and veneers. In additon, the com- ponents can be made of com- bination woods such as parti- cle board and hardboard. The tops of some case goods, par- ticularly tables and chests, may be syntheitc -- not necessarily the sign of in- ferior quality. Some drawer sides and bottoms are made of plastic, printed with a wood grain. As you inspect case goods, look at the joined corners. They will be either screwed, glued, doweled, stapled or nailed (most high-quality fur- niture is screwed, glued and doweled). Carefully inspect all joints, if possible, even if it means pulling out the drawer and turning the piece on its side. Check the following pages for Values Mtrtne Fine Furniture and Flooring 467 Main St. Exeter 233-0173 r 353 Main St., Exeter 235-1990 Furniture Ltd.