Wood: beech, oak, walnut and ash, veneer and MDF

“Real wood” can mean several things: a solid board, a slice of real wood bonded to a panel, or a painted MDF panel. Know the difference, and ask exactly what a piece is made of.

Four woods

Janka hardness is the force needed to press an 11.28 mm steel ball halfway into the wood.^[1] It tells you how well a wood stands up to knocks and scratches.

A higher number means a harder wood against dents and scratches.

Beech is the hardest of the four, but it moves a lot with humidity, so the design has to allow for it.^[2] Walnut is a little softer, with a dark colour and distinctive grain.^[5] Note that “oak” or “walnut” in shops can mean other species; these numbers are for the species named.

Veneer: real wood, only thin

Veneer is a slice of real wood, 0.1 to 6 mm thick, bonded to a stable panel such as MDF, particleboard or plywood.^[6] Because it sits on a stable panel, it reacts less to humidity than solid wood and is less likely to warp or split,^[6][7] and it allows matched grain across a large surface.^[7]

Its limits: it may not take deep sanding if scratched, and it lasts only as long as the panel and glue beneath it.^[6] So ask: what is the veneer bonded to?

MDF

MDF is wood fibre mixed with resin and pressed under heat, with a flat, smooth surface and no knots or grain.^[8] That makes it a good base for veneer and paint.^[9] But no MDF is waterproof, a screw in its edge splits it without a pilot hole, and it is heavy.^[9]

Wood breathes

Wood takes up moisture and swells when the air is humid, and dries and shrinks when the air is dry. Paint and finishes slow this but don’t stop it.^[10] The movement is mostly across the width, with almost none along the length. For example, an 81 cm wide sugar maple table top can change by about 1.6 cm with a 6% change in the wood’s moisture.^[10] That is why solid wood furniture is designed to let the wood move.^[10]

Care

Keep wood away from heaters, heat vents and direct sun, because changes in humidity can crack it and damage the finish. Dust with a slightly damp cloth, use coasters, and wax at most once a year, only on the surfaces people touch.^[11]

At NOAH, each piece’s page says what it’s made of. If you want to know exactly what sits under the surface, ask us before you order.

Questions we hear often

Sources

The information in this article comes from these references. Hardness figures are for the species named, on wood at 12% moisture.

Every NOAH piece carries a 5-year warranty + lifetime maintenance.