North Carolina Discount Furniture
Engineered Wood
Engineered wood is used in a variety of applications, often replacing solid wood due to a number of advantages. Because engineered wood is man-made, it can be designed to meet specific performance requirements. Large panels of engineered wood may be constructed from small trees, unlike solid wood. Engineered wood products are often stronger and less prone to warping that is caused by expanding and contracting.
Plywood: A majority of furniture today contains some plywood, whether in minute traces or large quantities. Plywood is made by gluing several thin layers of wood together with their grains at right angles and bonded under heat and pressure. The result is a composite material that is stronger than solid wood and resistant to splitting and warping from expansion and contraction.
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF): MDF is an engineered wood product formed by breaking down softwood into wood fibers, combining it with wax and resin, and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure.
Particle board: Particle board is a material manufactured from wood particles (wood chips, sawmill shavings, or saw dust) and a synthetic adhesive, which is pressed and extruded. Particle board is very dense, heavy and flat. It has no grain and is virtually free of splitting, shrinking or warping. Particle board is often used to construct large, flat surfaces, and then finished with veneers or laminates (see the section titled “Veneers” for more information).
