38 / 106
38
Furniture Essentials
Engineered Woods
Engineered Woods
Engineered wood is a blanket term that can be applied to many different types of product.
When used in the furniture industry it generally refers to wood material that has been
processed into flat, consistent sheets. The sheets are wood pulp or particles of various or
layered veneers of wood glued together and pressed flat. Also referred to as substrates,
engineered wood is typically 4’ x 8’ x .75” allowing for efficient use of material.
There’s a common misconception that engineered woods are merely a cheap alternative to
“real” wood. While there is a cost benefit when compared to solid wood, engineered woods
have their own unique advantages that are important to modern furniture manufacturing.
Although engineered woods have very different properties, they share 3 key advantages over
solid wood:
1.
2.
3.
Stability- engineered woods are not subject to seasonal expansion and
contraction. This makes them a better, more durable choice when a high
quality veneer is being applied. Furniture constructed with engineered
wood is strong and won’t warp or crack. It also lends itself to clean
modern lines typical in west elm furniture design.
Size- most engineered wood products are available in 4’x 8’ or larger
sheets. Sawn lumber is only available in narrow widths so multiple
boards must be used for construction. The large width of engineered
wood allows for solid piece construction in many furniture pieces.
Efficiency- in engineered wood, imperfections like knots and splits are
removed which produces uniformly strong and consistent panels. This is
a benefit to the environment as well: very little of the raw lumber used in
manufacturing engineered wood is wasted.