Who live ecologically wants to bring solid wood into his four walls. Solid wood furniture is made from trees that grow in the forest - right? It's not quite that simple: There are differences when it comes to the natural material wood used in furniture construction: in terms of quality and also in processing. Softwoods such as spruce or pine are cheaper and easier to process. Hardwoods such as walnut, ash or oak are in demand in furniture construction because of their high degree of hardness and attractive appearance.

Oak wood also has a high tannin content, which is used in wine barrels: The tannin tannin gives wine its special aroma during the maturation process. At the same time, the tannic acid has an antibacterial effect - this is what oak wood does Solid wood tables or for cutting boards Interesting.

Properties of solid wood

You have probably heard that “wood works”. What this means is that Wood shrinks and swells can. This depends primarily on fluctuations in humidity. The wood absorbs excess moisture in the air and releases it again when the humidity is too low.

You can take advantage of this effect: In addition, the wood also ensures a pleasant indoor climate, which makes a decisive contribution to healthy living. An optimal humidity ratio can, for example, reduce headaches and fatigue. So that you can benefit from this effect, we only refine the wooden surface with natural oil - this way the material retains its natural properties. Painted and glazed surfaces lose this positive property.

What is solid wood?

But what exactly is solid wood? A DIN standard specifies this precisely for retailers: solid wood furniture must not be veneered or have a chipboard core - but rather it must be made of solid wood. Excluded from this are back walls and drawer bases.

Solid wood without glue

As a rule, solid wood furniture is not made of one piece, but consists of several wooden parts. These first have to be put together to form a piece of furniture. In addition to glue, you can use wood connections and screws.

In order to combine the individual wooden elements into a piece of furniture, we rely on traditional craft connections wherever possible Solid wood stools or solid wood tables can be used. Although these are more complex to produce, they are extremely stable. Dovetail, tine or tenon joints are also characteristic of furniture from our wood factory. These wood connections have always been considered a quality feature and have proven themselves for many centuries.

In certain areas, for example table tops, we also use glue.

By the way: Quality-conscious manufacturers of solid wood furniture use harmless glue. That's why we only use glue that is completely free of harmful substances, which is of course free of formaldehyde and similar substances.

Warping in solid wood

“Aha,” the layman now thinks: the tree trunks are simply sawn into boards and then assembled into furniture. Not quite. Unfortunately, wood has a tendency to warp. Moisture and temperature fluctuations make the wood work. Only very thick boards – around 35 millimeters or more – remain relatively flat.

In order to minimize warping in solid wood, some solutions have been found in the carpentry trade: For example, strips are screwed onto the back of the solid wood panel across the grain - so-called ridge strips. These are narrow wooden or metal strips that are pushed into a corresponding joint. In particular, ridge strips that are made entirely of wood are extremely stable. This type of wood connection is hundreds of years old.

You can also prevent the wood from warping noticeably using special gluing techniques.

What many people don't know: A single, large panel sawn from one piece has a greater tendency to crack. That's why high-quality table tops usually consist of several planks that are joined together in a specific way with glue. The tensile forces in the wood then interact in such a way that hardly any cracks occur. This is the only way to create long-lasting wooden furniture.

Gluing techniques for solid wood

There are essentially two gluing techniques used in furniture construction. These two working methods differ significantly from each other both qualitatively and visually.

• Solid wood patchwork gluing (PV)

Solid wood PV is the name for so-called patchwork gluing. With this gluing technique, approx. 4 to 5 centimeters narrow and relatively short (approx. 40 cm) strips of wood are put together. In terms of appearance, the result is reminiscent of parquet. This technique is of lesser quality in furniture construction than slat gluing (solid wood DV), because much more glue is used.

There are also an unnecessary number of connection points that can become uneven over time and are potential weak points. Since the individual wooden boards are sawn into small pieces, inferior wooden planks can also be processed. Areas that are infested with pests or are unusable are simply sawn away. What remains are the small pieces of wood, which are put back together to form a plate. Overall, this method results in a significantly lower quality product - which is why we do not produce any furniture with solid wood PV at Anton Doll Holzmanufaktur.

• Solid wood continuous gluing (DV)

A special quality feature for table tops and benches is the slat gluing, which we also use for the furniture from the Anton Doll wood factory. The abbreviation DV stands for consistent Gluing . Hand-picked and continuous boards are assembled along their entire length to form a piece of furniture. The individual planks that can be used for this must therefore be of particularly high quality overall. Because here, faulty or unsightly areas cannot simply be cut out, such as: B. in patchwork gluing.

The entire board must be of excellent quality so that it can be processed in one piece. The result is called “solid wood DV” for short and is closest in appearance to naturally grown wood. This gluing technology is the highest quality and stands for excellent quality, as only first-class wooden planks are processed.

Surface protection for solid wood furniture

Depending on the use, the piece of furniture made of solid wood can remain untreated, or a surface refinement to protect the wood makes sense. There are various methods to protect the surface of solid wood. Glazes and varnishes often contain harmful substances and change the properties of the wood. It is not uncommon for these surface treatments to be toxic and have a negative impact on the health of your home.

That's why our furniture is only finished with wood oil that is completely free of harmful substances. The oil gives the surface the necessary protection and at the same time allows the wood to ensure a healthy indoor climate.

Alternative to solid wood

Three-layer panels or multiplex panels should be mentioned as alternatives to solid wood: Although these are significantly cheaper to produce and process, they have nothing in common with the high-quality solid wood from traditional craftsmanship. In addition, the lifespan of furniture made from these materials is significantly shortened. It should also be borne in mind that toxic adhesives are often used to glue the individual thin wooden plates together.