# Furniture question- help me buy new dining room chairs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392 "2009-06-29T20:33:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/1 "2009-06-29T20:33:19Z")
Mr. Neville and I are shopping for new dining room chairs. We’ve got it down to two. One of the possibilities is described by the furniture salesman as solid oak, and by the manufacturer’s website as “oak solids and veneers”. The other is described by the furniture salesman as solid cherry and by its manufacturer’s website as “solid American black cherry”. The price is the same for either. Is there likely to be a significant difference in strength or durability between those? The oak chair has a seat cushion that is covered in a textured polyester. The cherry one has a microfiber covered cushion. The Neville kitties like to sit in our dining room chairs. How might those materials stand up to their claws? How easy would it be to clean cat hair off either? I’m also a messy eater, and we’re considering kids in the future. Is one of those likely to be easier or harder to clean food stains off of? What about getting them Scotchgarded- could we do that with either material? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/2 "2009-06-30T12:47:03Z")
Pictures of the chairs in question: [Chair #1](http://www.homegallerystores.com/shop/universal/chairs//23012_slat_back_side_chair.html?sid=368f99288c85f0cc1d1ac085a82edc9b#details) (oak) and [Chair #2](http://www.homfurniture.com/Online/Home/Store/Product_625324) (cherry) ---
**Author:** ![JerseyFrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@JerseyFrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyFrank)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/3 "2009-06-30T13:16:11Z")
While most of my furniture is probably veneered, I generally prefer solid hardwood over a laminated surface. For durability, I’d pay more attention to the joinery than to anything else. Glue & Screw will come loose. Mortise & Tenon will last a lifetime. I think both upholstered surfaces will be bad for kitty claws, but the microfiber might be worse for hair. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/4 "2009-06-30T14:33:32Z")
Damn. Go with the cherry. Mircofiber is tough, and solid cherry to an American woodworker is like **gold.** Oak is tough, middle-of-the-road in appearance, and reliable. But Cherry? No contest. I would go for the Cherry and microfiber combo every day of the week and twice on Sundays. other fun facts: Cherry get better looking as it ages. Oak just gets duller. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/5 "2009-06-30T15:22:18Z")
Cherry, Cherry, Cherry. It is the best! ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/6 "2009-06-30T15:48:19Z")
Veneers can, and usually will, chip - eventually. Scratches on veneer is ugly. Scratches on wood is character - and more easily repaired. Go for the cherry. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/7 "2009-06-30T16:26:52Z")
Concur. Cherry all the way. And the price is the same? Buy before they change their minds! ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/8 "2009-07-01T00:09:17Z")
Cherry. Veneers can also be damaged by very high/very low humidity. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/9 "2009-07-01T00:42:54Z")
I vote cherry! ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/10 "2009-07-01T04:53:17Z")
The cherry (solid wood) ones, definitely. IME working in a furniture factory, the wood under most veneered pieces is usually made up of small pieces, finger jointed, put into a glue press side by side (kind of like laying out flooring) to make big boards, then sawn into various components to be veneered. Maybe not a bad deal for a low stress piece like a headboard, but not one that will likely hold up as long for something that gets the wear and tear that a dining room chair does. That, and what **Philster** says. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furniture-question-help-me-buy-new-dining-room-chairs/501392/11 "2009-07-02T12:43:02Z")
We went back to the furniture store last night and ordered [the cherry ones](http://www.homfurniture.com/Online/Home/Store/Product_625324). They are supposed to arrive next week. Thanks, everybody, for all your help!