Wood is a timeless classic to make various valuable items, furniture, and décor as they are very robust and durable for decades. The most important types of wood are of two major categories: solid and engineered wood. Solid wood is primarily used in furniture that lasts long, whereas engineered wood is highly preferred for modern and trendy décor households. In recent times bed with storage is made of engineered timber as they are cost-effective and easily movable. But both of them have their advantages and downsides too. Keep reading to get a clear picture of what each type of wood offers.
What Is Solid Wood?
Solid wood is a natural product that is obtained from trees by cutting grown and matured ones. They are then manufactured into slabs and then used for making traditional furniture and handicraft. These solid woods are widely available, and they are further classified as hardwood and softwood. Hardwood kinds are oak, teak, rosewood, mahogany, beech, ash, cherry, and maple. The softwoods are rubberwood, white cedar, redwood and pine. These have many colours ranging from light to dark brown to red, with different textures and thicknesses.
Experts from Wakefit opine that, when made of beautiful natural grains, the surface will look very natural, and no two solid kinds of wood will have the same patterns or look alike. The benefits of solid wood are it can be very easily shaped and carved to create various things and items. Solid woods are durable and robust, and when furniture is made with them, they will be passed down from one generation to another, always owing to its longevity. They are therefore ideal for both a queen size bed and a king size bed. The significant advantage of making use of solid wood is that it can be exposed even to constant moisture but does not get damaged. Solid wood is expensive but can be repolished and sanded without any hindrance to restoring its shine.
What Is Engineered Wood?
Natural wood becomes scarce as the forests get depleted and take a long time to regrow. The difficulty to source natural wood has led to the increased price of solid wood. Hence to substitute and cut down the cost of natural wood, different varieties of engineered wood are developed. Engineered wood is a composite material produced by binding together strands of particles, fibres, strands, veneers, sleek wood boards with the help of adhesives. They create plywood, high-density fibreboard, medium density fibreboard, veneer, particleboard, and so on. These are cost-effective and also more sustainable than solid wood as solid wood has become a non-renewable resource. In the commercial market the plywood, particle boards, and MDF are gaining more importance and popularity day by day.
Furthermore, the surfaces of engineered wood are decorated with laminates and natural wood veneers. The laminated surfaces make them maintenance-free as they are comparatively easier to clean as they are water-resistant. Veneers resemble real wood when topped with a thin layer of natural lumber to polish them like real wood. The other advantages of using engineered wood are that they are durable and resistant to moisture. Hence, they can be suited for most kitchens, wardrobes, bookshelves, and bathrooms when finished with laminates and veneers. Most importantly, the furniture made of engineered wood is easy to produce, highly affordable, and durable. Whatever it is, it does not match up with the aesthetic appeal of solid wood at any time.
Differences Between Solid And Engineered Wood
The comparison between both the solid and engineered wood are:
- Types
Solid wood is sourced from teak, oak, redwood, mahogany, and maple trees. The engineered wood is made from smaller particles or slices of wood with the help of adhesives to form plywood, MDF, or particleboard.
- Manufacture
Solid wood is produced from tree slabs, whereas the composite material is formed with fibres or veneers by binding them together.
- Longevity
Solid wood lasts for decades as it is very durable, but engineered wood is liable to get chipped with misuse. The surface is thin and tends to get delaminated easily.
- Hardness
Solid wood ranges from hard to soft like many other natural kinds of wood that are widely available. On the contrary, an HDF varies between hard and dense, whereas an MDF ranges between medium and challenging, and particleboard is soft but not durable.
- Resistivity
Solid wood cannot withstand constant moisture, whereas engineered wood is highly resistant to moisture and so it does not warp or change in shape even when exposed to moisture.
- Price
Solid wood is expensive as it is obtained from trees but engineered is highly affordable and acts as an adequate substitute for natural wood.
- Sustainability
Solid wood is non-renewable and not eco-friendly as it needs to cut trees which take years to regrow. On the other hand, engineered wood is environmentally sustainable as it makes use of only derivatives of wood products with the help of chemicals to bind them together.
- Sanding
Solid wood can be either refinished or sanded any number of times. But engineered wood can be refinished or sanded only once or twice as the upper layer is thin.
- Look
There is no substitute for real and natural wood, as the tiny imperfections are the ones that make them unique and hard to imitate. At the same time, engineered wood cannot be crafted with intricate designs and does not last for several years. They cannot mend that quickly when damaged as they are artificially stuck together with adhesives.
- Grip
Engineered wood bed is layered, so it does not hold screws or nuts on it and a block of solid wood. They tend to loosen on regular usage and require tightening. On the other hand, a plank of solid wood can accommodate any screwing on them.
A good and comprehensive idea about the differences between solid and engineered wood helps us choose an ideal choice while choosing the suitable material for various furniture like engineered wood beds online. However, the decision should purely depend on the requirements of the usage. Remember that though solid wood seems to be a better option in all aspects, it is heavy compared to manufactured wood. This sturdiness of the solid wood makes it difficult to move them from one place to another, which is the only downside.
