Types of Wood

Know your woods….There are varying degrees of quality when it comes to furniture production. There are those who use inferior wood or even particleboard in places where they think customers won't notice. But that's not the Amish way.

1. What is the difference between Hardwoods and Softwoods?
2. What is Quartersawing Technique?

Purchasing Our Furniture

3. Do you offer pine as a wood option?
4. What kind of finish do you use?
5. What can I modify?
6. Can you match my existing furniture, in terms of colour and/or style?
7. Do you deliver and setup?

Answers

1. What is the difference between Hardwoods and Softwoods?

There are two major types of wood used in furniture manufacturing—hardwoods and softwoods. Softwoods are less durable than hardwoods but more plentiful, partly because they tend to grow at a much faster rate. They’re also less expensive, providing a preferable alternative to particle or fiberboard. Common softwoods include pine, fir, spruce and cedar.

Known for their strength and durability, hardwoods are usually found in higher-quality furniture. Our Amish Craftsmen only use northern, slow-growth hardwood, chosen for the greater density typical of wood grown in colder climates. Grown and harvested in the USA, the use of these beautiful American hardwoods helps support the Ohio Amish community without adding to the problem of rainforest depletion. Choose from red oak, white oak, maple or cherry.

• Red oak is a very popular hardwood, chosen for its traditional, coarse-textured look, as well as its excellent durability and strength. It accepts stain consistently and wears very well over time, making red oak a good choice for furniture that will see heavy everyday use. Natural color varies from yellow to pale brown, often with a light reddish tinge.
• White oak - much like red oak-is hard and strong, providing outstanding wear-resistance. It has a medium-coarse to coarse texture and varies in color from light tan to nearly white or light grey. Our Amish craftsmen use quartersawn white oak for a unique aesthetic appeal.
• Maple is a straight-grained, fine-textured wood. And despite its confusing name, it’s actually a hardwood. Derived from red or silver maple trees, soft maple is not as durable as its hard maple cousin, but is more capable of accepting stain. Soft maple has roughly the same density as cherry, with colors usually ranging from light cream to pale brown with occasional dark streaks.
• Cherry is a dense, even-grained wood, widely considered to be the finest of the fruitwood. It is prized for its beauty and is considered an excellent choice for both formal and casual applications. Cherry has natural coloration varies from a light cream to a dark reddish brown; however, cherry can darken considerably with age, developing a deep, rich patina over the course of several years.

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2. What is Quartersawing Technique?

Quartersawing is simply a cutting technique used to achieve a finished appearance different from the typical flatsawing technique. Quartersawing involves cutting a log into quarters, then cutting boards alternately from the two flat sides of each quarter. This process produces a combination of parallel-line patterns and varied figuring that many connoisseurs of fine wood furniture find appealing. Oak cut in this manner is commonly called "tiger oak" and is traditionally found in the Arts & Crafts style of furniture.

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3. Do you offer pine as a wood option?

No we do not. Pine is a soft wood and our craftsmen only work with solid HARDWOODS (woods such as oak, maple, and cherry are the most popular choices). It is because of the quality associated with these materials and the unparalleled craftsmanship our our Amish builders that will allow you to enjoy your furnishings for a lifetime.

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4. What kind of finish do you use?

Our Amish builders use a Catalyzed lacquer finish. The catalytic action begins when the material is opened (exposed to air). What this means is a catalytic agent is added to the lacquer to make it dry into a more durable finish.

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5. What can I modify?

Pretty much any element of our furniture can be modified or customized. Our typical approach is to find an item as close to what you want as possible and them modify only the items required. This keeps the cost to a minimum and allows the selected builder to only change a few items to accomplish your dream piece.

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6. Can you match my existing furniture, in terms of colour and/or style?

We offer a large selection of stains and finish options (25+). If one of our standard finishes do not match, our finish shops do offer a stain matching service (for a small fee). This fee covers the creation of a dedicated stain that is matched to a sample piece provided by you (typically a door, drawer or other small sample).

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7. Do you deliver and setup?

UrbanAmish Interiors utilizes the trained delivery technicians from Braymore Specialty Moving. We will deliver to your home and setup your furniture. We can delivery to most locations in Ontario (specific fees will apply). We also are able to ship your furniture almost anywhere in the world (please talk to one of our furniture consultants for details).

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