What is Wood?

What is Wood?

In short we will try to explain, what is meant by wood? When label descriptions refer to engineered wood, composite wood, plywood, veneered wood, MDF it is easy to be confused. The question arises that, Are these formats solid wood or not?

What is Engineered Wood?

Engineered wood is a product that has been created in a factory by using a mixture of materials such as wood fibers, sawdust, glues and chemicals. The most basic type of engineered wood – MDF (medium density fiber board) is simply sawdust and fibers held together with the glue. All the materials are bonded together using extreme pressure and high temperatures and can then be cut and sawn like timber. Furniture prepared from engineered or composite wood is entirely a different invention. This has been artificial to look like a wood. It may have the appearance of wood with grain lines but, it is not a natural product. Is it a wood? The answer is NO - it is not a solid wood.

Plywood & Veneered Wood

Veneered wood is a thin layer of wood glued on top of a core material, which may be lower grade timber, plywood or MDF. Plywood and Veneered wood are slightly different in that they are created from strips of wood. Plywood comprises several thin layers of wood that are glued together.

Problems with Engineered Wood

The problem with these types of wood is that they are much easier to damage. Scratches and water stains cannot be repaired. There is an added risk of cracking and warping occurring within modern centrally heated homes as engineered wood does not expand and contract like natural wood does. Nor can this type of wood be used outside the house for example on the patio. Furniture made from this does not last as long as solid wood furniture, and has to be replaced frequently.

How to Identify Engineered Wood

Apart from reading labels carefully, you can also identify engineered wood by the weight of the furniture. It will be much lighter than solid wood furniture. Look too at the grain of the wood. The exterior and interior of the furniture will not match. Lifting the furniture and looking at the base of the legs is another good indicator. A collection of uniform layers is common to Plywood, while a dense mix resembling cotton wool indicates the use of MDF.