For centuries oak furniture was the furniture of choice for the wealthier middle and upper classes. It was used to manufacture chairs, tables, chests, beds, as well as ships and wagons. This versatile wood was revered for its strength, durability, water resistance and thickness.
Today the oak is once again a popular choice for more upmarket furniture. Its price prohibits everyday furniture, so it is used to produce faux antique furniture, upmarket home furniture and furniture for decoration.
The oak is a hardwood which means that it has a solid leaf and seasonally loses its foliage. Hardwoods are not as easy to work with as soft woods, but are generally more durable. Its hardness appeals to craftsmen and the wood’s natural chemistry is employed by winemakers across the world to add flavour to their wines and liquors.
Along with its strength, oak is also very dense and is in fact almost as dense as water. This means that the wood is very water and fluid resistant. It won’t draw in fluids as easily as other woods and therefore won’t stain as easily as other woods.
Oak is also mould resistant, which means that it will remain well-preserved in moist areas. Although oak furniture may expand and contract in changing temperatures, there is a slim chance of mould growing on the furniture. A great example of this durability is the well-preserved shrine of Edward the Confessor who died in 1066 AD.
Oak also has a very pleasing grain which can further be enhanced by specialized sawing and carving by the craftsman working with the piece of wood. This wood adds to the decorative function of the oak furniture and this is another reason why it is so popular. However, the grain has large pores which must be filled with paste in order to give it a fine finish. It also gives the enough elasticity to be used for the famous oak floors that medieval mansions boasted. Today oaken floors are still very popular albeit very expensive.
One of the drawbacks of hardwoods such as oak is that they are maintenance intensive. Once manufactured, the oak furniture may become vulnerable to its environment and one of the consequences is that it can dry out very quickly, leaving cracks and unsightly finishing in its wake. It is also not advisable to use an aerosol based polish, as it will also dry the wood out. Oak needs to be treated with special oils approximately every three months in order to avoid it from drying out and cracking.
Whatever the time, oak furniture has stood the test of time and is today as popular as it ever was. It is almost imperative that you own at least one piece of oak furniture in your lifetime.