When it comes to decisions that affect your lifestyle and home, replacing or buying furniture could have a big impact on your finances. We have two options regarding the material from which we could make our furniture; solid wood and compressed wood fiber. Solid wood furniture would be the more expensive premium option in this situation, since fiberboard is a reclaimed wood alternative, where the wood is compressed and glued to form a firm, workable material. However, this wood board doesn’t look like wood, so a fine veneer wood texture is adhered to the surfaces.

So what are the benefits of using compressed wood boards? Mainly that it usually costs less than solid wood and that it can be easily recycled. It is also a lighter material and therefore can be moved to different places more easily. Some designs can even be taken apart and then put back together when moved to a new location in the house or to another house.

If the choice is simple, then it is possible to enjoy real wood furniture without the high price tag. Furniture can be made from woods that are generally inexpensive, sustainable, and fast-growing, such as pine and tulip. There is also the issue of the brand. Some furniture manufacturers charge a premium no matter what the items are made of. If you can find independent manufacturers, then you will probably save and may even receive a higher quality, better made product. Many independent manufacturers offer a custom service for kitchen and bedroom furniture.

Fiberboard is known to bend under sustained load; Like for example, if you’ve had a TV on a table for an extended period of time, you’ll notice that the table will have buckled under the weight. For this reason, you can choose not to use fiberboard if the furniture has to be load-bearing.

Solid wood furniture is easier to maintain and is generally a sturdier material. You may have experienced that when you move into a new home or move furniture into a new room, your dresser or cabinet breaks at the joints because the fiberboard cannot withstand the force of moving the full weight of the item.

If the furniture is used regularly, such as a dining table, it will get dents and scratches or the finish could wear off. These blemishes can be easily repaired with little to no expense, but when compressed fiberboard is damaged, it may be best to simply replace the item. Solid wood can sometimes look its best after it has seen some use by developing a patina or aged appearance.

Both types of furniture materials have their uses in different usage situations, but solid wood will always be the best choice. You may think it’s expensive, but custom made furniture can be comparable to name brand self-assembled fiberboard, you’ll get the beauty, quality and durability of solid wood for less than you think.