It would make sense that some of the first furniture ever used was made out of stone. There have been archeological discoveries of stone furniture in caves, but stone is rarely used in modern day. However wood furniture has been used for probably about as long. There are many types of wood that are still used for making furniture in modern times. One of the most popular is oak furniture.
There are literally thousands of different types of wood many of which are used to manufacture furniture, so what is it about Oak that has made it so popular?
When building furniture it is important that the wood be a hardwood.
Hardwood or Quercus is a scientific classification. Hardwoods are named this for their strength and durability ion comparison to other types of wood. Oak has a high level of strength compared to even most hardwoods and has been recognized for centuries as a great material for furniture because of this durability and strength. During the Middle Ages Oak was first used in Europe. A major reason for this was the oak trees prevalence in most parts of Europe. The fact that Oak was readily available made it an affordable material for furniture.
It was also understood by furniture makers even in the dark ages that the oak trees did not attract insects. This was another reason that oak was a good choice for making furniture. Modern scientists have learned that the reason that oak does not attract insects is its chemical composition. There are molecules in oak that taste bad to insects. These same components make oak resistant to fungus and parasites.
As a result of its availability and its resistant to insects and fungus Oak became recognized as a good construction material.
The heavy use of oak as furniture eventually led to a wide clearing of oak trees. The Oak tree takes a long time to grow and consequently the supply that had once been abundant could not be kept readily available and eventually the price of building with oak increased.
Modern materials such as plastic do not need to be harvested and can be made in unlimited quantities. This has caused man made materials more popular than wood and has further affected the price of building furniture with Oak.
However there have always been those people that are willing to pay the price for wood over synthetic materials.
One of the things that have made Oak popular with fine furniture manufacturers and retailers is its ability to be hand crafted. There are still wood workers that made good quality furniture by hand and do so without the need of nails or screws.
A common way to connect sections of oak furniture is to use what is known as Dovetailing. This practices works like two puzzle pieces. The ends of one piece intersect with the other making a very strong connection that does not require fasteners or nails.
This technique has existed for centuries and is believed to have originated with the Egyptians.
Handcrafting wood work has made Oak furniture increasingly more popular. While it may be more expensive than manmade materials it is reasonably inexpensive in comparison to the many other types of wood furniture that are commonly available. With its durability, strength and attractive appearance Oak furniture is a great choice.
Annie is an expert furniture and interior design writer. Her current area of specialism is dining room furniture, oak coffee tables and bedroom furniture sale
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