当你 购买木制家具, how often do you take the type of wood into consideration? If we're being honest with each other, most of us are usually drawn to the 看 喜欢一件东西——比如木头的颜色——并且很乐意买下它，而不用考虑这种材料的任何其他特性.

但是木家具专家, 木头的工人, 批量生产家具的前业主都知道，家具使用的木材类型会影响质量, 功能, and sustainability of the item.

让我们仔细看看这些属性，以及为什么它们同样重要. 第一个, different wood species possess distinct aesthetic qualities, 比如颜色, 木纹图案, 和纹理. 这里有适合每个人的东西——适合各种各样的个人和室内风格.

第二个, wood types vary in durability and strength, which influence the longevity and resilience of the furniture piece. 第三, some woods possess unique characteristics such as resistance to moisture, 害虫, 或扭曲, making them suitable for specific purposes and environments. 

最后但并非最不重要的是，木材类型的可持续性和环境影响是主要因素. 负责任的国内材料有助于环保和社会意识的家具生产-在指南的末尾阅读更多关于这个重要主题的信息.

Hardwood vs Softwood for Furniture

Sometimes we get asked why we don't use certain woods like pine or cedar. Pine is a popular furniture wood because it’s lightweight and inexpensive. Pine is also a softwood, prone to dents and scratches.

的re’s a big difference between softwood and hardwood being used for furniture. Softwood is from evergreen or 针叶树树,而 硬木来自 落叶乔木 which have leaves and seeds, e.g. 橡木、枫木和胡桃木.

这些树生长缓慢，通常使它们更密集、更重、更强壮，而且非常耐用. 硬木需要更长的时间来干燥，往往在颜色和纹理方面提供优越的外观. 简而言之, 硬木需要时间，但作为成品木家具，它们会给你带来长寿和美丽的回报. 

All of these characteristics make hardwoods more expensive to work with, 这就是为什么你在高端家具制造中发现他们而不是在大型零售商中. 

Softwoods aren’t truly ‘soft’ in texture. 雪松、云杉和冷杉等几种树种用于建筑等结构应用. 你也可以在再生木材家具中找到冷杉和松木(见下面的再生木材)。.

我们的家具木材

将木材类型的范围进一步缩小，硬木有两大类: 

1. Tropical - from Southern climates such as South America and Asia
2. Non-tropical - found in Northern climates of North America, Europe, and Russia

总部设在加拿大西部， 联合木材公司 is located in an ideal place to source beautiful hardwoods for furniture, 与进口柚木和芒果等热带木材相比，这有助于降低我们的碳足迹. 北美是几种高价值的家具制造硬木品种的家园. Each type possesses a different set of characteristics like we mentioned above, i.e. colour, density, grain, and finishing.  

的 联合木公司的团队 prefers to use ash, walnut, and oak for our solid wood furniture. Let's explore the characteristics of each one:

灰

灰 wood is known for its strength, durability, and appealing 木纹图案s. 灰烬重量轻，相对容易处理，通常是家具制造商的最爱. It’s also known for its excellent shock resistance, 使其适合于可能承受粗糙使用或冲击的物品，如年轻家庭的厨房桌子(或棒球棒)。. 除了餐桌，灰还常用于椅子和橱柜等家具结构. `

灰颜色

灰 wood has a light to medium brown color with prominent grain lines. A natural finish (above) enhances its distinct blonde patterns. 的 airy colouring has a casual, contemporary 看 and Scandinavian vibe.

黑灰

Since ash absorbs wood stain well, 我们用白色来软化它的外观，或者用黑色的表面使它变暗(见上图)。. Either way, the finish or stain still allows you to see the grain.

 

胡桃木

胡桃木 is highly regarded for its rich 看 and beautiful 木纹图案s. It's often used to create elegant, high-end furniture pieces. 毫无疑问，胡桃木是整个北美地区制作精美家具的首选木材. It’s known for its strength, stability, and moderate density. You’ll find this wood in dining tables, cabinets, and desks. 

胡桃木颜色

胡桃木 is a rich brown colour often with darker streaks. 它有直纹，偶尔有波浪或卷曲的图案，增加了它的视觉吸引力. 它完成得很好，可以展示一系列的色调，从较浅的边材到较深的心材.

 

橡木

橡木 is a classic hardwood that has been used in furniture making for centuries. It's known for its exceptional strength, durability, and distinctive 木纹图案s. 家具中使用的橡木主要有两种，我们更喜欢使用白橡木. 它被广泛应用于各种风格——从传统到现代——以及所有类型的单品.

橡木色-自然

White oak has a light to medium brown colour with prominent, visible pores that give it a unique character. 它有一个更紧密，更直的颗粒和能力采取一系列的浅色到深色完成. 

氧化橡木

Because oak wood is high in tannins, the oxidized finish really pops. 橡木获得了不同色调的灰色和黑色，同时仍然保持了纹理的可见性. 

回收木材

从拆除的建筑物或破旧的结构中获得的木材是不可或缺的 联合木材公司的开端 in handcrafted wood furniture. 我们制作了许多回收木材家具，并因我们在温哥华的摆脱游戏电子而闻名. Now the reclaimed wood market is so tapped it’s tough to find decent boards.

再生杉木色

当我们得到我们的手 回收杉木做桌面在美国，我们不能保证穿着或外观，有些客户(可以理解)不舒服. Additionally, trends have changed and our furniture designers prefer 当代设计 超过了质朴的外表.  

回到我们的主要木材类型——我们用来制作家具的三种硬木都有自己独特的品质，是制作家具的绝佳选择. 最终, your wood choice boils down to personal preference, 设计注意事项, and the wood’s specific characteristics.

See all of our woods and finishes on our 材料页面.

木制家具的制作过程

订购木材

的 raw lumber is ordered by our 商店经理 two to three times per month specifically by project. 这意味着我们保持经济的库存选择，不占用宝贵的车间空间.

我们与我们的主要木材供应商有着长期的合作关系，这有助于确保我们获得高质量的木材 森林管理委员会认证的 我们的家具. 

板的选择

接下来，被分配到这个项目的木工仔细地挑选木板，以相互补充. 他们可能会在知道客户要求特定的饰面后专注于特定的纹理图案, or focus on what each wood piece will 看 like in the finished design. 与工厂生产的木制家具相比，这种经验丰富的个人风格使成品家具有很大的不同.

艰苦的摆脱游戏电子

木工修补木材的缺陷——填满木节，打磨表面. 在打磨和施工后，对表面进行抛光或染色. When the woodworker is happy with the 看 of the finish, the surfaces are sealed with a durable commercial-grade clear coat. 

内幕消息: When shopping for solid wood dining tables, check if the end grain of each plank is alternating (not matching), i.e. 上，下，上，下. This is a sign that the furniture is high quality and made with care. 交替使用木板有助于防止木材因温度波动而翘曲.

的 raw lumber is transformed into quality-made furniture to be loved by, 为了活得更久, 子孙后代.

Responsibly-Sourced森林

Now more than ever we get asked about the sustainability of the wood that we use.

当你 buy furniture from 联合木材公司, you’re making a responsible decision connected to maintaining a healthier planet. 首先, 作为一种天然材料, 木材是可回收的，是一种可再生资源，这也是我们在2009年开始建造再生木材家具的主要原因之一.

如今，我们从负责任的国内木材供应商那里购买木材.e no tropical woods with questionable origins. 我们购买的木材是fsc认证的，以防止森林砍伐和保持生态系统的平衡.

In 2022 we began contributing to the 蓝绿色星球项目这是一个小型但强大的组织，专注于森林管理，以减少我们对环境的影响. Every year a percentage of our furniture sales goes towards reforesting Canada. 

森林管理对于平衡森林资源的利用及其长期保护至关重要. 它确保森林继续为今世后代提供其所有利益，同时保护生态系统的完整性.

Find our current selection of wood finishes on the 材料页面. As always, if you have any questions you can get a 通过电子邮件摆脱游戏电子.