We build a lot of our furniture from pine but we don’t just use any pine, we only use furniture grade pine. It is more expensive to purchase and it has to be milled which we do ourselves. Some builders, especially hobby builders, might be using lumber from a big box store or another lumber supplier that generally supplies to the construction industry and not the woodworking industry. While you might not think there is a difference, there actually is. Pine lumber is graded according to strength and appearance; dimensional lumber is generally graded by strength. Most of the lumber that comes from places like Home Depot and Lowes is #2 dimensional and for a table top, you will not be able to get over 1.5″ thick. We use only 8/4 C&btr pine for our tables which means our tops are actually milled to 1 3/4″ thick. When using hardwoods, we only FAS select hardwoods.

Along with material, joinery methods are important to consider because the stronger the joint, the longer the furniture will last. Mortise and tenon, tongue and groove, and bridle joints to name a few have been used for centuries and are the standard for higher end furniture while nails and screws will be used on lower end. Table top construction is also important to keep the panels flat. We use a long tenon in our table tops and though it is more time-consuming than an edge glue or pocket screw, we feel that it is superior.

The last detail that we would like to touch on is the finish. A properly finished piece of furniture is completely finished with professional grade, materials that will protect the piece for many years to come. Whether applied by hand or sprayed, a good finish will be free of streaks, splotches and bubbles and will be smooth to the touch.

The level of investment of a business, materials used, construction and finish are important factors to consider and should affect the price point. Know what that is for the product that you’re looking for by also comparing that to similar products from major retailers. Awareness of all these things should help you purchase tables that will last for years to come.

If you believe “Good things come to those that wait” then shop our custom furniture now. Happy hunting!