Wood is a natural raw material used in many industries. The furniture industry, in particular, uses a great deal of wood. Most of the furniture sold in Germany is imported from China. This furniture is often inexpensive and is made from reconstituted wood—compressed particleboard that contains potentially harmful adhesives and varnishes. This can lead to high levels of pollutants in our indoor environments. In this article, we’ll explain why solid wood furniture is a good alternative and what the differences are between solid wood and real wood. You’ll also learn how to buy wood furniture sustainably.
The Definition of Real Wood, Solid Wood, and Solid-Wood Furniture
Furniture made of solid wood, real wood, or whole wood is often considered a better alternative to furniture made of reconstituted wood. The various types of wood differ significantly from one another, because not every piece of wooden furniture is automatically sustainable.
Echtholz
"Real wood" is not what it sounds like. "Real wood" refers to veneered wood, not high-quality solid wood. This includes, for example, plywood. The term "real wood" applies to furniture made of wood. The term indicates that the piece of furniture was not made of steel, plastic, concrete, or other materials. This term also encompasses lower-quality wood materials, such as plywood, particleboard, and fiberboard.
The exception is real wood veneer. This refers to wooden furniture in which plywood is bonded to a thin layer of real wood—the veneer. In Germany, the DIN 4079 standard applies to the production of veneer. When compared to solid wood, real wood veneer is of significantly lower quality, even though there are also differences in quality among real wood veneers.
Solid Wood
Solid wood is known as the most natural form of wood. This type of wood is very demanding to work with. That is why solid wood is quite expensive compared to other types of wood. Solid wood includes pieces of wood that are sawn in one piece from a tree trunk. These include construction lumber, such as square-edged lumber, beams, or wooden boards. They consist of a naturally grown, solid piece of wood. Solid wood is thus obtained directly from a tree trunk that is sawn into boards. These boards are called sawn timber or are referred to as lumber. The sawn boards are air-dried and then used in construction.
Solid Wood
Solid wood consists entirely of real wood. However, the processed wood is not made from a single, continuous piece of wood. The components of solid wood furniture do not have to come from a single, continuous piece of wood in order to be classified as solid wood furniture. In the case of solid wood, pieces of wood—or solid wood slats—of the same size are glued together, planed, and finished. The wood for solid wood furniture is first delimbed, debarked, cut to size, dried, glued, and finally joined together using a panel press. The surface of the piece of furniture is sanded and then treated with a wood preservative such as varnish, wax, or oil. Due to the composition of the wood pieces, this type of wood is less sensitive to temperature fluctuations and therefore does not warp as much as other types of wood.
To manufacture solid wood furniture, panels made of solid wood or glued strips and slats are used, which are joined together in a later stage of the process.
The term “solid wood” is governed by the DIN 68871 standard. This is because not every piece of furniture labeled as “solid wood” meets this standard. Furniture may only be designated as solid wood furniture if it is made of solid wood that is not veneered and consists of a single type of wood. This could be, for example, oak, beech, or pine. Only the back panel and drawer bottoms do not necessarily have to be made of solid wood. In solid wood furniture, adhesives are used to join the pieces of wood together.
Solid wood furniture is considered very sturdy and durable. It will last for many years. Kipli’s new solid wood furniture line is made from French beech wood sourced from sustainably managed forests. All products are manufactured in workshops in northern France. The solid wood furniture, crafted from solid wood slats, is finished exclusively with plant-based varnishes. These are free of endocrine disruptors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Did you know: According to a WWF study , approximately 16–19% of timber imports into the EU come from illegal logging. In Germany alone, 7–9% of timber imports come from illegal sources. Whether in the Amazon, the rainforests of Indonesia, or the Far East of Russia, a massive proportion of the timber harvested there is illegal. This means that national and international laws were violated during the harvesting, transport, or sale of the timber. Forest owners and companies that source and grow their timber sustainably and legally face unfair competition. In this article, you’ll learn more about consumer behavior and environmental protection.
A Sustainable Investment When Buying Solid Wood Furniture
When purchasing solid wood furniture, it is important to ensure that the glue used does not contain any substances that are harmful to your health. Choose solid wood furniture that is free of endocrine disruptors and volatile organic compounds. This is the case with all Kipli products.
It is also important that the varnishes or oils used are plant-based. Invest in furniture that is PEFC-certified. PEFC monitors forest management to ensure it is ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable. In addition, the organization is committed to preserving animal and plant biodiversity in forests.
Forests absorb more than 10% of the CO2 emitted annually in Germany, so they play a significant role in terms of climate. When it comes to upholstered furniture, the materials used for the upholstery should also come from sustainable sources. Transportation distances from the manufacturer to your home should also be as short as possible. It is therefore beneficial if the materials come from Europe, since transportation distances are particularly short in that case. Keep these points in mind to ensure that the solid wood furniture you purchase is sustainable and healthy. Learn more here about how you can design your bedroom sustainably.
Conclusion
When buying wooden furniture, it’s important to know the different types of wood and to be aware of the differences in quality. Solid wood furniture is more sustainable than other types of furniture. The term “real wood” is often used to market inexpensive furniture that will need to be replaced after just a few years of use. Even though solid wood furniture is a better alternative to “real wood” furniture or other types of wooden furniture, it’s important to ensure that it has been produced sustainably and ecologically. Before making a purchase, make sure that:
Natural varnishes, oils, or waxes used to treat the furniture should be free of endocrine disruptors and volatile organic compounds. Adhesives or glues should not contain any substances harmful to health. Look for quality seals such as the PEFC certificate or the FSC seal, which stand for sustainable forestry; the wood should be sourced from Germany or Europe.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us via chat, by email at kontakt@kipli.com, or by phone at +49 (0) 32 21 22 96 570.