Decorative Wood

4 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Wood Photo Frame

Wood photo frames are a favorite choice for displaying special photos however there are a few drawbacks that you should know about. Before you shop for that perfect wood picture frame, you need to be aware of these four pitfalls.

Pitfall #1- Be Careful of Mistaken Identity
When shopping for a wood frame, you need to be familiar with the difference between these three types of wood frames: solid wood, composite wood and wood veneer. These differences are important because the cost of the frame will vary widely depending upon the type of wood used to make it.

Solid wood frames don’t need any explaining but composite wood frames are made out of tiny wood pieces glued together with a special adhesive. Decorative frames, frames with beaded borders, decorative round frames or oval frames are all made of composite wood. It’s the most economical and quality conscious way to create a decorative wood edge without the high cost of hand carving or the poor appearance of glue-on wood ornamentation. Inexpensive wood frames are also made of composite wood which is why people often assume low quality with composite wood. However, composite doesn’t have to mean inexpensive or inferior quality or workmanship. It’s simply a more environmentally sustainable and superior way to make ornate and decorative wood frames.

Wood veneer gives a frame the real look of wood without having to use solid wood. Wood veneer is a thin sliver of real wood glued to a less expensive type of solid wood. The veneer can also be glued to composite wood in some cases. The beautiful look of burl wood is a great example of when a wood veneer is best used. With expensive hardwoods there is no point in having a beautiful solid burl wood frame when all you see of the frame is the outside. A veneer of an exotic or expensive hardwood will allow more frames to be made with this limited resource and is an economical way to make a unique and beautiful wood frame.

Pitfall #2- Wood isnt Perfect
Most people like the look of wood but sometimes forget it’s natural and can come with imperfections. Do not expect your wood frame to be perfect because wood naturally has variations. For most people its the natural wood grain, color variations and natural imperfections (like wood knots) that make wood frames so beautiful. High quality frame manufacturers minimize these variations as much as possible, but be aware that they can occur.

Pitfall #3- Danger of Unfinished Wood
You may already be aware of this pitfall if you have purchased unfinished wood pieces before but unfinished wood can easily be damaged. Unfinished wood frames are made out of raw wood and have no protective lacquer or coating to help protect and seal the frame. Generally most frames are “finished” so the best way to spot an unfinished frame is to feel the rough natural wood texture. Unfinished wood frames can easily be damaged by water or any oily or sticky substance that may come into contact with the frame. Be especially careful with oily fingerprints as they can leave a mark that can be impossible to remove.

Pitfall #4- Watch Out for Misleading Colors
Manufacturers of wood frames describe frames with words like cherry, walnut, rosewood or teak. Don’t think of the wood type as being the material used to make the frame. Many people can associate a color with the term so they know the exact color of the wood frame. Most frames are simply stained these colors but are rarely made out of solid wood like cherry or walnut. Usually if a frame is made out of solid wood, the description will identify the frame as “solid” like “solid walnut” or “solid teak.”. If it doesn’t say solid, it’s most likely just stained that color. Reading the frame description carefully or asking the frame retailer is the best way to know for sure if you are looking at a solid walnut frame, for example, or a wood frame stained a walnut color. Also, solid wood like teak, cherry or walnut will be considerably more expensive than staining a wood frame made out of a less epxensive wood.

By remembering and avoiding these potential pitfalls when buying a wood frame, you’ll be able to find a wood frame that’s exactly what you want.

making a decorative wooden bucket