If you have thought about buying country furniture, you need to be wise. This is something a lot of people dive into without much knowledge and it comes back to bite them. What you don’t know is that there are a lot of little things you need to know when you are looking at this type of furniture and unless you have that knowledge, you could be walking away someone elses problem.
Wood is its own special animal and making things of wood is a very unique skill. If you are unfamiliar with any part of the process, you better educate yourself or find a friend that has experience with this. Do not go shopping for country furniture unprepared.
Make sure your furniture has extensive corner blocking. This is something basic but very critical for wood furniture. This blocking is simply a couple of pieces of wood pieced together that add extra support and strength to your furniture joints.
Something that you are going to want to immediately check is the rear construction of the furniture. Quality items will feature screws and nails in the back that make the backing an integral part of your furniture. If the item is put together with staples, forget about it and move onto the next item.
While the finish on the piece may not be in the best shape if you are buying a used piece, it still should have been well done. A proper finish is done over time and takes as many as 15 steps to complete. Regardless of what the piece currently looks like, the wood itself is probably preserved if this was done. It will take some recovery but you will be able to have a piece as good as new. If you are buying a new piece and this should already be done and if it is not, look elsewhere.
Now here comes a fun one, checking the alignment of the drawers. Sounds like it should be automatic but how many times have you tried closing your drawer only to have it come off of its tracks. We all work hard for our money and the last thing you want to have to do is replace a $100 shirt because the drawer came off of its track and ripped it in when it got stuck. Take the time to check this out very thoroughly and ensure that they are done properly.
While furniture is always made square or boxed, it should have quality levelers on the bottom of the legs. As we all know, houses shift, are built on hills, settle, etc., which means that over time, your furniture may be in a position where it will have to be adjusted. If it does not have a quality leveler installed, you are going to have a piece that will be on an angle and could end up being unsafe or end up getting damaged.
Buying furniture isn’t as easy as you thought it was is it? It really is not that difficult, but you do need to know what to look for so that you don’t fall victim of an inferior piece or something that is just plain junk. Do the homework and bring a friend that knows his business and before you know it, you will have a great piece of country furniture that you can be proud of.