subject: Choosing The Best Wood For Your Project [print this page] Woodworkers and Cabinet makers are frequently asked what is the best choice of wood for a particular project. This is an important decision. After all, the entire success of a project can be jeopardized with the wrong choice of material. Fortunately, there are many great woods to choose from, and by evaluating some basic criteria it can become an easy and risk free decision to pick the right one. The criteria primarily used by our team of experienced New York Custom Furniture makers include: Cost and Availability, and Durability.
There are of course other considerations such as texture and 'tone' but the main decision points surround these points.
Cost and Availability Fine cabinet construction as well as custom furniture manufacturing nearly always involves selection of a good hardwood. Among the common types of hardwoods are cherry, walnut, oak, maple and mahogany. Acquiring these materials can seem expensive, but each variety is attractive and suitable for most home improvement projects.
The expense of purchasing good quality hardwoods can vary from area to area and among different varieties. In the end though, the cost for most common hardwoods are reasonable given their quality. And because the largest cost component for most cabinetry or woodwork projects are for the highly skilled labor required, the end cost of the wood is not frequently a major factor. All this is positive, though, in that the purchaser may focus on the which wood will look the best in its intended role.
Durability While traditionally divided into categories of hardwoods and softwoods, these lumber classifications have more to do with the cell structure of a particular species than they do with the strength of toughness of a particular wood. Here is a little practical advice on what might be an appropriate material for a given project. In truth, almost all hardwoods and mahoganies are suitable for furniture construction. While special consideration may be given to particularly durable woods, such as maple or oak, for projects that will be subject to extra abuse, all standard hardwoods should hold up just fine.
Protecting Your Investment In the end, hardwoods for use in furniture and custom cabinetry can involve a substantial investment however. While using quality hardwoods can lead to years of beautiful and useful service life, these materials are not necessarily inexpensive. It only makes sense then to work very carefully with these materials or to hire expert and experienced craftsmen to execute the project.
