DIY: How to Select Your Kneeling Chair Wood

Perhaps you have decided to build your own kneeling chair, so choosing the kneeling chair wood is very important. It is the type of wood that determines the structural reliability, beauty, elegance, and durability of your kneeling chair. There are some factors to look at when choosing your wood.

Imagine the final product made out of the wood you choose. With that in mind, consider the firmness and sturdiness of the wood, the wood color, texture, density, durability, ease of use, design requirements, and the ability to maintain its shape.

1. Type of Wood

To begin with, kneeling chairs need very sturdy wood. Given the structural complexity of kneeling chairs, the wood you opt for must be resilient and solid. The wood must also be a hardwood rather than a softwood. Some of these wood types will be recommended at the end of this article.

2. Color and Texture

The kneeling chair will also be a part of the interior decor both in the office or home. As such, you need to select the kneeling chair wood based on its color, so you can match this to your décor theme. Like all chairs, kneeling chairs demand a smooth textured wood because you will be brushing against it frequently. You need a smooth texture to avoid scratching your hands every time you come in contact with the chair.

3. Density and Durability

Kneeling chairs are usually moved around. Unlike other furniture pieces like cabinets, you need a light wood type to ensure the kneeling chair is not unnecessarily heavy. This should not, however, mean you have to compromise on the durability of the wood. Insist on hard woods that cannot be destroyed easily either by insects or water. Such hard woods are infinitely durable.

4. Ease of Use

The ease of use for a particular wood type will determine which kneeling chair wood you select. Ideally you need a wood type that can easily be fashioned in shape and texture. This is especially true when the design requirements of the chair are complex in style. After the chair has been fashioned into the desired style, the wood must be able to hold the same form without shrinking, expanding or changing in dimensions. That is the only guarantee that the chair will remain functional.

5. Wood Choices

Mahogany is an ideal kneeling chair wood, mainly because it is a light hardwood type that resists enlargement, warping, or even distortion of shape. Other wood types that have the same characteristics of mahogany include oak, walnut, rosewood, pine, teak and sheesham.

The following list of wood types is best used for general purposes and not for complex furniture pieces, like the kneeling chair. Do not use cedar, softwoods, hemlock, maple, cherry, apple, chestnut, tupelo, cypress, pear-wood, cottonwood, aspen, and fir.