Berne

Quality Furniture Chart
Use the following chart to make decisions regarding good furniture purchases.
	Tight Budget	Budget	Rainbow Furniture
Wood	Particle board or MFD board.	3- or 5-ply veneer, high quality plywood, higher quality MFD board in some areas.	Solid Wood, 5- or 7-ply high quality veneer. A combination of solid wood and 7-ply high quality veneer which provides strength to case sides and shelves.
Wood Finish	Paper or vinyl veneer, surface finish, glossy finish, house paint or enamel.	Colored lacquer, epoxy resin paint, Formica veneer.	Hand-rubbed look, colored lacquer, epoxy resin paint, most finished "processes." Our 20 step finish process is mostly applied by hand. Hand-rubbed painted and distressed finishes are optional features.
Side Construction (or other longer pieces)	Particle board or MFD board.	3- or 5-ply veneer, high quality plywood, higher quality MFD board.	5- or 7-ply high quality veneer. The Custom Shoppe uses 7-ply high quality veneer plywood for case sides. Solid raised panel sides are available options.
Joints	Joints are butt-laps and use a fastener system to keep the piece tight.	Joints are solid and may vary depending on the pieces being fitted together, strongest pieces will use dovetails, dadoes, some dowels, mortise and tenon and possibly miter joints.	Inside of the cabinet should be "blocked, glued and screwed." In addition the strongest pieces will also use dovetails, dadoes, some dowels, mortise and tenon and possibly miter joints in various areas. The insided of the cabinet is blocked, glued and screwed. Dovetails are used to join drawer boxes. Dadoes are used to join sides, vertical dividers and fixed shelves. Miter joints are used in molding.
Back	Back board is cardboard and stapled or nailed to the back.	Back board should be recessed in a rabbeted joint and usually nailed, back board may look different from the rest of the piece.	Back board should be recessed in a rabbeted joint and usually nailed, back is rarely finished enough to display the back of the piece. Backs are recessed in a rabbeted joint and stapled or screwed. The back is not finished.
Entertainment Center, backs			"Punch-outs" or holes in air-flow and wires are cut into the back for electronics. Vented backs, three large holes cut into the back panel, are standard on most wide screen TV cabinets. Interior cord management allows for cord flow.
Drawer bottom	Bottom of drawer is connected to sides with a dado joint, bottom might be made of heavy cardboard or light weight masonite board.	Bottom of drawer is connected to sides with a dado joint, underside also shows a continuous bead of glue, bottom made of masonite board or thin plywood.	Bottom of drawer is connected to sides with a dado joint, underside is also corner-blocked with glue, bottom made of plywood or solid wood. The drawer bottom is plywood connected to the sides with a dado joint and corner blocked with glue.
Drawer joinery	Front attached with glue, dowels or screws.	Front attached with a mortise and tenon joint.	Front attached with a dovetail joing. All four sides of the drawer box are made of solid wood and dovetailed for strength and durability. The decorative drawer front is attached to the box with screws.
Drawer guides	Some have no guides and the stop might be a protruding piece of plastic. Look for metal or plastic guides with a stop built-in to the guides.	Metal glide mechanisms, stop allows nearly full access to the drawer interior.	Wood on wood or Accuglide-quality glide mechanisms, stop allows nearly full access to the drawer interior. Accuglide-quality mechanisms operate smoothly with bearing drawer. The glides are full-extension, the stop allows full access to the inside of the drawer.
Drawer is inside finished?		Sanded and smoothed inside, not stained or finished.	Sanded and finished inside, possibly stained/painted as well. Drawers are hand sanded inside and out until they are smooth to the touch. A clear coat of finished is applied.
Armoire Doors	Heavy duty hinges, doors cannot rest against the outer sides of the cabinet.	Piano-type hinges, full access to the inside of cabinet, but may not open flat against the outer sides of the cabinet.	Doors slide back into the cabinet (also called pocket doors). Or, they are double-hinged (with piano-type hinges) and can open flat against the outer sides of the cabinet. Pocket Doors and Bi-fold Doors are standard in most TV openings. The smooth operating ball bearing glides allow the door to recess into the cabinet.
Entertainment Center, misc.		Multiple outlets are built-in to the piece and have cords at least 3-6 feet in length.	Surge protector outlets are built-in to the piece and have cords at least 3-6 feet in length. Pull out trays for electronics. Plug 'n Power Control Panel is an optional feature with surge protection and 10' cord. Fixed Pullout shelves are included in some designs and optional for all cabinets.
Details	Cast plastic or resin rather than carved wood.	Cast plastic or resin rather than carved wood it looks like wood.	Carved wood. Moldings and appliques are made of solid wood.