What is furniture finishing?

Why we need to finish the furniture?

Finishing furniture is a process that requires time, labor and materials with equipment and facilities that are considered expenses. Logically the cost expense of finishing process must generate added value significantly. Yes it is the finishing will bring the big changes to the furniture. Finishing will form the color and look to the furniture. The furniture with the right color and look (finishing with the proper finish) will be marketed with better price. The high end furniture will always requires the right finishing to develop the interesting look. But the furniture with low price still need finishing to keep exist in he market. The finishing for furniture is more then a woodworking job. Is is an art job. The art of furniture finishing is the art to incorporate the elements that is already exist in the furniture product such as: design, model, type, substrate and function to make a high value furniture product that is interested and liked by people who use it.
The finishing is also function to give protection and stability to the furniture. The finishing material that is layered on the surface will give protection to its underneath substrate. On the metal substrate, finishing layer protects the metal from the contact with the air and prevents the corrosion. In the furniture made of wood, the finishing material will cover and close wood pores and it help to stabilize the wood moisture content. The stable wood moisture content will minimize the wood movement that caused many construction problems. The bending wood, open joint, crack or other construction problem in the wood furniture can be reduce with the right finishing layer.

furniture finish for mahogany bed

Functions that must be fulfilled by furniture finishing

• Protection to the furniture product

At the first time when people finished the furniture, the main purpose was to provide protection to the furniture. People wanted to protect their furniture  by layering a finishing material. Until now, the finishing layer is still expected to provide adequate protection to the furniture. The finishing layer on a furniture product must be strong enough to let the furniture fulfill his function as household goods. The strength of a finishing layer required depends on the function of furniture. Finishing for outdoor furniture is expected to be strong enough to withstand the outside weather such as: sunlight, cold, rain, etc. While the finishing for indoor furniture is expected to be able to be cleaned easily without dragged the objects that are placed above. Finishing for a kitchen cabinet need to be strong and safe to the hold the food such as: soy sauce, oil, milk, etc. Finishing for a baby furniture and toys, must be poison free and safe for the baby.

• Aesthetic function of the finishing

The finishing is also wished to give the beauty to the furniture product. The development in the civilization has made the aesthetic value is increasingly more important. For the ordinary peoples, the furniture product could be more considered as a household product. But according to the rich peoples, furniture product can be more than just a household. Furniture product could be considered as the part of lifestyles. Some people by furniture to fill their taste instead of to use it. Furniture product now is more considered as a fashion product when its model could be changes every time. Since this reason, the model and design is very important tool to grab the market. And the finishing is the tool to complete the furniture model.