Wooden furniture or metal furniture, which one is better in your opinion?

My dear friend,
Wooden furniture always looks good compared to modern metal furniture. Now a days people think for compatibility, safety and also durability. In such case modern metal furniture will be best option.
The wooden furniture though looks good have some disadvantages, as we will not knowing decaying period and also quality of wood. This indeed may problematic when it comes in contact with Water, moisture. Also usually wooden furniture is bit heavier and also difficult to move compare to modern metal furniture.
Now if consider case for Modern metal furniture, we have different options for choosing varieties in it. As it metal we can make sure about quality by inspecting it. Another important thing is detachment. In most of the metal furniture, they can be detachable in small parts which are easily movable and also easy for transportation too. In wooden furniture sometimes it is difficult to detach few parts and difficult or takes lot of space during transportation too.
Another good thing is maintenance, for Metallic furniture it is easy to replace particular part or bolt, etc or get repaired particular part for example welding, painting,etc.
Now when it comes to price, metal furniture is almost or sometimes available in lesser amount compared to wooden furniture. So it is best option for value for money and also durability, along with other advantages mentioned.

No doubt wooden furniture is better than the iron furniture. But it depends on the items like CupBoards. If you are talking about cupboards then it better to get iron cupboards embedded and polished to look alike teak wood. Wooden cupboards have tendency to get eaten away by termites whereas the iron or steel cupboards have long life as compared to wooden furniture. But if you are talking about Sofa Sets, Dining Tables and Double or Single Beds to be used as Dewan then I will like to have made in high quality seasoned wood like teak or sheesham. Articles made of good quality wood, properly maintained and treated against termite or other pests can last long to have good resale value but the iron furniture will fetch its resale as scrap of iron as per market prices even if not maintained properly whereas termite eaten furniture may not have any significant value as scrap and may be used only as wood for burning fire at the eve of Lohri or otherwise.

Kerala is famous for getting different types of high-quality wood for wooden furniture. So, being in Kerala, your friend has to go for teak-wood furniture or other special wood furniture. Generally, wooden furniture gives a classy look to the house and one can go for it without worrying about longevity or other issues.

Additionally, one should opt for metal furniture wherever necessary. For example, as one of the experts mentioned above, one can go for metal cupboards which last long as compared to wooden cupboards. You will get good second-hand value for both types of furniture as nowadays we have used items selling websites like Olx or Quikr, which help us get true value for old items in our home.

I would suggest you to buy wooden furniture as it is the most attractive among the rest and can last for long if necessary precautions are taken. In my house all my furniture are made of teak and was prepared in our house itself with the help of some skilled workers. It has been about 5 years from then and it still remains as new as it was before. We had just polished it lately and it looks brand new now.

If you would like to sell these furniture in future then wooden made will have great value and people have great demand for it. The reason that our trees are been chopped enormously these days, so it will be very rare to have such traditional furniture in coming years. So try to buy wooden furniture with full sleek coated and all other preventive measures been made.

Hi Chitra,

My best wishes to your brother on his relocation to Kerala. I have relocated myself to nine cities inside and outside India in the past 19 years of academic and professional life. I hope I can add a little value based on my experiences.

It is not advisable to demarcate purely between wooden and metal type for your home furnishing requirements. There are some items that would be better in metal finishes and some other items which would preferably be in wood. This choice will also depend upon how long is his expected stay in the southern coastal city of Kerala.

Kerala is a place of abundant wood; as well as skilled carpenters. It would be advisable if he can get his cot done by a local carpenter in wood. I would also advise all wooden furniture to be treated for termites and bugs for longevity. There are unique and ethnic sofa designs made of bamboo or teak wood which would otherwise be either expensive or only available in imported modular units in Delhi. Hence it is better to utilize this opportunity of being in Kerala to get movable assets done in Wood as much possible.

Wardrobes once done for any particular room, cannot be relocated. Hence he has to choose between Metal and Wooden wardrobe based on his expected stay in Kerala. If he is for a long haul, let him get a local carpenter to design his wardrobe and fixed shelving. If its for a shorter duration like 2-3 years it is more advisable to go for Metal cupboards which can be of use later on.

Standalone shelves and dining sets can be done with wood because he can get good quality of wood and better craftsman in Kerala at rates better when compared to Delhi.

However, since he is not permanently going to stay in Kerala, he can go for modular kitchen made of Aluminium or Stainless Steel which is sleek in design and is now available at almost uniform prices across the country. Metal would anytime earn good resale value; and can also be positioned conveniently in any other place that he may relocate to at a later date. Metal is also easier to be disassembled, relocated and re-assembled. Any kitchen interior once done in wood, cannot be re-used or dismantled. It can only be relocated as one whole unit. Waterproof plywood or boards are not as effective as the name suggests. Hence Aluminium or Stainless Steel are anytime better than Wood in Kitchen.

So I would suggest to choose the type based on usage and his duration of his stay in Kerala.

Regards,
Mubeen.

The kind of furniture you buy depends on the look you want to create. However, here are some tips on what to look for in both materials –
Metal furniture -
1. Look for pieces that have powder coated paint. The paint does not chip easily and such furniture lasts longer.
2. If the furniture has metal legs then make sure that it has plastic shoes. This prevents rust formation when the floor is being mopped and prevents scratches on the floor.
3. Good metal furniture should be made from high gauge metal, as thinner metal pipes etc will bend and dent easily.
4. Ensure that the edges are well rounded and no sharp corners are present on the furniture.

Wooden furniture –
Wooden furniture can be broadly divided into 3 types – solid wood, chip board/compressed wood and plywood.
1. Solid wood furniture made from teak, oak, pine, cedar etc is sturdy and lasts long.
2. Chip board/compressed wood furniture is the use and throw variety. It does not stand water and begins to wrap, bulge and disintegrate with regular contact of moisture/water.
3. Most upholstered furniture has a plywood base. Only the frame is made of solid wood.

I would suggest wooden furniture because it is resilient and strong, good in looks, easy to clean and maintain, worth to invest and long lasting, but only thing it is bit expensive compared to metal furniture. The problem with metal furniture is rusting and very less re-sale value. metal furniture is not expensive and easy to shift during transfer. Since you are more concerned about maintenance, long lasting, good looks and re-sale value, I suggested wooden furniture.

When you are shifting your place of living only for few years, it is always better to go for furniture which is easy to maintain. Wooden furniture gives grand looks but it is very heavy to maintain and shifting. Comparatively plastic furniture is easy to carry and shift. The price of plastic furniture is lesser than that of wooden furniture.

Now variety of plastic furniture is available in the market which is strong enough for more durability. The plastic furniture is available in many colors and designs for a better look. It is very light weight to move or shift and has very good resale value as well. Whereas wooden furniture needs more maintenance, it needs to be saved from termites and other insects. It needs polishing for new looks and the resale value of wooden furniture is very less than the original.