- Artificial laminate
– A surface of plastic, foil or paper printed with a wood grain pattern
and bonded to a composite such as particleboard or medium density
fiberboard.
- Bird's-eye –
Markings of small spots that resemble birds' eyes. Often found in the
wood of the sugar maple. Prized as a decorative feature in veneer.
- Burl – A tree knot
or protruding growth that shows up as a pattern in the grain when
sliced. Used for inlays and veneers.
- Dovetail – A
wedge-shaped tenon that fits into a corresponding cut-out space to form
an interlocking joint.
- Dowel – A wooden
peg that fits into a corresponding hole to reinforce a joint.
- Dust panel –
Horizontal panel placed between drawers to keep dust out of the drawers.
- Engineered wood –
Wood made from slices of lumber (plywood) or the chips and fibers that
remain after a tree is milled into lumber (particleboard or fiberboard).
- Hardwoods – Trees
that lose their leaves in winter, including oak, ash, cherry, maple,
walnut and poplar.
- Inlay – A design of
contrasting wood.
- KD – "Knocked
down." Furniture sold unassembled or partially assembled. More commonly
called "RTA."
- Kiln-dried – Wood
that has been dried to resist warping, splitting and cracking.
- Medium density
fiberboard – Made by breaking down wood chips into fibers, mixing
the fibers with glue, and fusing the resulting mixture under heat and
pressure to produce a board.
- Particleboard –
Chips of wood coated with glue and pressed into a board.
- Plywood – Three to
five thin slices of wood glued together like a sandwich under high
pressure.
- RTA – "Ready to
assemble." Furniture sold unassembled or partially assembled. Sometimes
called "KD" furniture.
- Softwoods – Trees
that remain green in winter, including pine, cedar, redwood and spruce.
- Solid wood – Can
mean one single board or plank of wood or also several wood boards or
blocks that are glued together.
- Tropical hardwood –
Hardwood form a tropical forest, the most common of which is mahogany.
- Veneer – Thin
sheets of wood applied to a core, which could be solid wood or
engineered wood, for decorative effect.
Construction Terms for
Upholstered Furniture
- Corner blocks –
Used to strengthen the corners of seat frames. Can be glued, screwed or
both.
- Down – Soft, fluffy
feathers. Used by itself, down creates a luxurious, soft seat cushion.
Down-covered foam is less expensive and offers more support.
- Eight-way, hand-tied
springs – Each coil spring is placed in the seat by hand and tied
into place with twine using a series of interlocking knots.
- Flexible polyurethane
foam – (FPF) A synthetic foam used in almost all upholstered
furniture. Generally, the higher the density FPF the more durable and
more expensive the cushion.
- Natural fiber –
Natural fibers used to create upholstery fabric include cotton, linen,
silk and wool.
- Synthetic fiber –
Synthetic fibers used to create upholstery fabric include acetate,
acrylic, nylon, rayon and polypropylene.
- UFAC – The
Upholstered Furniture Action Council. A voluntary industry organization
that created manufacturing standards to reduce the likelihood of
upholstered furniture catching fire from a smoldering cigarette.
Fabric Terms
- Brocade –
Originally heavy silk with an elaborate pattern in silver or gold
threads. Has an embossed appearance.
- Chenille – From the
French word for "caterpillar." A plush, fuzzy yarn used to create
upholstery fabric, which is also known as chenille.
- Chintz – Originally
any printed, cotton fabric. Now refers to fabric with a glazed or
"polished" surface.
- Damask – Named for
the ancient city of Damascus, where elaborate floral designs were woven
in silk. Flatter than brocade and reversible, though the pattern changes
color on the reverse side.
- Jacquard – Damasks,
tapestries, brocades, matelasse and all upholstery fabrics with
elaborate figures woven on a Jacquard loom.
- Matelasse – French,
meaning to cushion or pad. Refers to fabric with a quilted surface
produced on a loom.
- Moire – A fabric,
particularly silk, with a watered or wavy pattern.
- Toile de Jouy – A
fabric of cotton or linen printed in a single color with scenes of
landscapes and people, especially from 18th century French prints.
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