How Can You Tell if Your Furniture is Real Wood or Not?

By Pinewood Furniture

You’re shopping for furniture and you want real wood. But how can you tell if the piece you are looking at is real wood or not?

The weight of the piece is one indicator. Solid wood furniture is heavy. If the piece is fairly light-weight, it’s probably not solid wood.

If the piece has drawers, look at the drawer construction. A great indicator of solid wood is dovetail construction. It’s most likely constructed of solid wood if you see that tongue and groove construction where the drawer connects to the drawer front.

You’ll also want to take a look at the sides and bottom of the piece. If there is a veneer, you will be able to look at it from the side and see where the sheet of veneer attaches to the front of the piece. Also, if you see unfinished wood underneath the furniture, it’s probably wood and not laminate – which tends to cover the furniture from top to bottom. Veneer will also have a horizontal grain pattern on the edges, whereas solid wood will have no grain on the edges.

If you can feel the grain and see a varying pattern, it’s probably solid wood. Sometimes it’s hard to feel with your fingertips if it has been sealed, so you will have to use several ways of inspecting the piece to know for sure. If you see the grain but the pattern tends to repeat and it lacks texture and feels perfectly smooth, it’s probably veneer. If it lacks grain altogether, it’s most likely laminate.

Carved details can also be a clue. If the wood has an ornate or carved detailing, it is wood. Laminate and veneers cannot be carved.

The cost is also an indicator. Solid wood costs more. But with solid wood, you get a better quality piece of furniture. Solid wood promises more solidly constructed pieces of furniture that will last for generation.

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