Tips on buying teak furniture in Asia.

Guide for buying Wooden Furniture in Asia.

Summary:

What to look for when selecting and purchasing wooden furniture.

1. Seasoned wood:

The wood has to be kiln-dried to below 12% for it to stand average differences in temperatures.

2. Mature Hard Wood:

Untreated softwood and immature hardwood are easily affected by termites and white ants while mature and dried hardwood has a strong resistance against these.

3. Craftsmanship:
Furniture has to be well constructed, sturdy and strong.

4. Furniture Joinery:
Dove tails joints for handmade and mortise and tenon joints for machine made furniture are strong and durable.

5.Finishing of the furniture:
Finishing materials made from natural sources such as Shellac are long lasting and harmless. Melamine and other cover up materials are only meant to hide the defects in the furniture. An even and a smooth finish without woodchips are desirable.

6. Furniture Warranty:
A warranty of 3 years is a standard practise industry-wide. Be aware of sellers pushing sales by claiming lifetime warranties which usually do not exist.

7. For Custom made furniture:

A price close to similar furniture in store is a good price. A time frame of up to two months for imported custom made furniture and an upfront deposit of 30% to 50% is reasonable and industry-wide practise. However, make sure that the deposit you pay upfront is refundable if you are not satisfied with the furniture when it's made.

8. For expatriates and high net worth individuals.

Choose stores where prices are clearly displayed to avoid having to pay more than other customers. Avoid stores where the furniture does not clearly display prices.

This is only a summary and the full article is located at furniture buying guide.