Office Furniture: Wood Veneer vs. Plastic Laminate

Knowing the advantages of both wood veneer and plastic laminate materials will guide you to the product more suitable as you contemplate your purchase of new office furniture.

Most of the office furniture sold is made of solid wood and ground up wood called particle board or plywood. The solid wood is used to provide the structural integrity of the furniture. The particle board or plywood is used in constructing the tops and large panels. These tops are finished with a thin sheet of either wood veneer or plastic laminate. The wood veneer is edged with a sold wood trim, while the plastic laminate is either self-edged or with a 3mm plastic edging. Basically, the major advantage of wood veneer is the image that it portrays. Wood veneer furniture is finer and more classy. It will add stature and prestige to your office's personality.

On the other hand, plastic laminate has many advantages. Plastic laminate can take abuse, it will not stain and scratch easily, and it can also be ordered in many colors. Another great advantage is that laminate furniture is easily customizable, in terms of special sizing, drawer and cabinet configuration, and two-tone coloring. Customizing laminate furniture will usually not increase the price.

There is a major price difference between wood veneer and laminate furniture, wood veneer being much more costly. The country of origin where the furniture was produced should not be a major concern, provided that the company that is importing the item is reputable. Most of the better firms employ a quality control staff at the factory location, in order to ensure that it meets their standards. Since most of the furniture is being imported, it is less expensive to ship KD, which means "unassembled." Some firms import the case goods KD, and others fully assembled. While it is true that buying a desk or credenza KD will lower the price, it is worth the extra cost to purchase these items already assembled at the factory, provided that the doorways and passageways are wide enough for the assembled item to pass through.

Understanding Office Furniture Options and Features

When purchasing a desk, the buyer should be aware that there are several options to consider. An office desk can be a single pedestal or double pedestal. A pedestal is comprised of drawers. These drawers can be 3/4 ped or full ped. A 3/4 ped consists of two drawers, and the pedestal reaches 3/4 way down, leaving an open space till the floor. While a full ped consists of three drawers, and the pedestal reaches the floor.

Another consideration is that it may be more beneficial to buy an "L"-shaped desk, which gives the user more desktop while not taking up too much space in the room, since the chair uses the same space as the return. An "L" desk can be bought with a right or left return.

Whether purchasing a single desk or a "U" Station or a complete office suite, a decision must be made about the materials. Would you benefit more from furniture utilizing a wood veneer finish or plastic laminate? Please see future articles describing the difference. The wood veneer finish or the plastic laminate is applied to a particle board. Good quality furniture is made using a dense particle board or plywood. Most of the office furniture sold is not made entirely of solid wood, which is used to provide structural integrity. There are those who claim that using particle board or plywood is even superior to solid wood for the tops and flat panels. The reasoning is that since wood is porous by nature, solid wood has a tendency to expand and contract as the humidity changes, while ground wood and plywood are more stable and less apt to warp or split.

Another very important consideration when purchasing office furniture with drawers--for example a desk, credenza, or lateral file--is to ascertain whether the drawer tracks are of good quality. Better quality will ensure quiet and smooth operation, especially important on file drawers.