When you step into the world of wood furniture, you will get to know that there are more and more different types of wood and materials than you have ever imagined. Where this thing brings great advantage at one place, it also puts you in confusion because you may find it difficult to know what you should choose.
Experts and manufacturers claim that wood material should be different for not only different qualities and designs but for specific products and conditions as well. Some woods are only meant to be used for creating beds while others are just for the sake of furniture pieces with minimum usage. The same goes for external and internal furniture products as well.
With all this confusion going on, you may look at the Locust wood category and wonder, is Locust wood good for furniture? Well, continue reading this brief article to find out.
Table of Contents
Are Locust trees hardwood?
Locust is a hardwood and is considered one of the few species that grow with an immense fast speed. Experts claim that locusts, especially the black ones, grow at speed much faster than many softwoods.
People sometimes assume that locust wood will not be good as it takes a minimum to grow but the reality is completely different and locust wood is fairly hard, dense, and heavy as well. When it comes to its hardness, you can get an idea by the numbers that Oak’s Janka hardness is leveled at 1,360 lbf while Locust wood stands at 1,700 lbf.
What is Locust wood good for?
Locust wood can be used in various kinds of applications while manufacturing furniture, flooring, boat building, fence posts, railroad ties, veneer mine timbers, and turned objects are some of the most prominent and suitable.
Although it is good for various furniture applications, it is considered best suitable to be used for making fences around the farm, or to create posts decks in front of your house or something.
Do keep this fact in mind that there are different kinds of Locust wood such as Black Locust and Honey Locust, with varying colors, shades, and properties. So, you need to choose the one that suits you the best.
Is Locust wood toxic?
Locust tree itself is not toxic as long as it is Honey but Black Locust is considered toxic as it includes content like phasin, robin, and toxalbumins. Not just the wood of Black Locust but its leaves, bark, twigs, and almost all other contents in its compositions are categorized as toxic and should not be given raw to pets.
Apart from this, it is better not to plant black locusts in your house while some experts recommended avoiding honey locusts as well because their leaves could be toxic to a few animals.
When it comes to wood, it can be placed inside your house as it passes through different processes which makes it safe for pets and humans especially after it has been painted and polished. A person having allergic issues to the above-mentioned content should not bring locust furniture at home as it may cause irritation and itchiness.
Is Locust wood valuable?
Locust wood is extremely hard, strong, and sturdy wood and is widely compared with some of the stiffest woods in the market. The plus point of Locust wood is that it is far more stable than many other hardwoods and has the ability to withstand insect attacks with efficient rot resistance.
Experts claim that the wood composition includes some of the best organic compounds which can easily resist the rotting process for more than a century, 100 years. Apart from this, the wood is completely safe, environmental-friendly, and durable which makes it valuable to be used for furniture, post decks, and fences.
Pros of Locust wood furniture
- One of the strongest woods.
- Rot-resistant properties.
- Water-resistant to a great extent.
- Best for outdoor usage.
- Can live for decades even with minimum care required.
- No unpleasant smell.
Cons of Locust wood furniture
- Just because locust wood is extremely hard and sturdy, working with it could be difficult for the manufacturers while buyers may also have to put a bit extra effort to move it from one place to another.
How to identify Locust wood furniture?
First of all, there are two major kinds of Locust wood where one is known as honey locust wood which is not generally used for furniture while another one is black locust wood which can be found in almost all furniture stores. One of the best ways to identify locust wood furniture is through its color and shades.
- You should first ask the manufacturer if the furniture is freshly crafted with new wood or if they have used old locust trees for this purpose, this will allow you to get better results.
- Furniture created from fresh locust wood will be of pale greenish-yellow color while if it has a good age, the color will be dark brown.
- The other thing is that locust wood usually doesn’t have a distinctive smell which means that it will neither give you an unpleasant nor a pleasant feel while smelling it.
- Have straight grain patterns with a uniform texture.
- The furniture of black locust wood will be a bit heavier than many other related kinds of wood and will have great strength and durability which can be realized simply by pulling up or moving the furniture.
How to care for Locust wood furniture?
- Although it has excellent capabilities in resisting rot, it is still recommended to remove the insects and mold building-up regularly especially if it is placed in a garden or any other outside environment.
- While cleaning, it is better to use lukewarm water instead of cold as it will efficiently remove dirt without affecting its texture.
- Don’t treat your furniture like it is made of steel as some people do with locust wood furniture because of its hardness. It is better to let it age with grace as it will increase its lifetime to a great extent.