Order-made Furniture Maker - Where?

[Nordlys]

I'm looking for an order-made furniture shop/maker that makes and sells good solid wood furniture (no particle board, preferably teak) at reasonable price (say, no more than B30,000 for a book shelf). I found Peter & Son behind Four Seasons Hotel which looks OK to me, but I want to shop around a bit more. Anyone knows any such shop/maker in and around Bangkok that you would recommend?

I'm also thinking of renovating condo unit by changing parquet wood. I like the parquet of my condo but 3 years after polishing and coating, wears and scratches are everywhere now. Wood used for parquet in my unit is what Thais call 'Mai Makkha' (what is it in English??). Anyone knows any better wood material for parquet flooring than this wood? I heard teak is relatively maintenance free (no polishing, no coating necessary) and long lasting. Is this true? What is the best and most suitable wood material for parquet flooring that can maintain its original condition for a long time? Any advice appreciated.

Also, I heard teak parquet would cost around B3,000/m2. Is this about right?

[chownah]

Teak flooring is beautiful but I'm thinking it might be a bit soft and more prone to wear and scratching. Do you wear shoes inside?

Our strip flooring is from wood called 'mai theng' which is hard enough to stand up well...looks abit like oak. It's moderately priced (can't remember how much but was way cheaper than teak but not the cheapest. We bought the cheapest grade of mai theng which was a mistake because it did not have uniform width so I had to sort through all of it and make different piles for different widths and then show the carpenters how to make one strip all from the same pile. If I had to do it again I'd buy a better grade and get dimensional uniformity if available.

Half of our floor is strip flooring and the other half is 25cm wide boards 2 meters long made from a wood called 'mai phradoo'. It looks like rosewood and sometimes they'll try to tell you it is rosewood but it isn't....as far as I can tell. Anyway its really beautiful and is even used in Italy (Italy is famous for its wood floors..or so I've been told). Mai phradoo is expensive...not like teak but heading in that direction. You can also get furniture made from it and its beautiful too....your furniture could match your floor!

Also...on finishing floors...the quality can vary drastically from one finisher to another and would be well worth your time to go look at some floors already done by the person you intend to hire.

[MP5]

Teak flooring is beautiful but I'm thinking it might be a bit soft and more prone to wear and scratching.  Do you wear shoes inside?

Our strip flooring is from wood called 'mai theng' which is hard enough to stand up well...looks abit like oak.  It's moderately priced (can't remember how much but was way cheaper than teak but not the cheapest.  We bought the cheapest grade of mai theng  which was a mistake because it did not have uniform width so I had to sort through all of it and make different piles for different widths and then show the carpenters how to make one strip all from the same pile.  If I had to do it again I'd buy a better grade and get dimensional uniformity if available.

Half of our floor is strip flooring and the other half is 25cm wide boards 2 meters long made from a wood called 'mai phradoo'.  It looks like rosewood and sometimes they'll try to tell you it is rosewood but it isn't....as far as I can tell.  Anyway its really beautiful and is even used in Italy (Italy is famous for its wood floors..or so I've been told).  Mai phradoo is expensive...not like teak but heading in that direction.  You can also get furniture made from it and its beautiful too....your furniture could match your floor!

Also...on finishing floors...the quality can vary drastically from one finisher to another and would be well worth your time to go look at some floors already done by the person you intend to hire.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Speak to Richard www.matanaexports.com

Tell him his mate from Pattaya recommended him to assist you, he has a contact Dennis in Bkk.

I do our houses in Leo wood from New Zealand imported to LoS

Chok Dee

Edited June 6, 2005 by MP5

[Nordlys]

Teak flooring is beautiful but I'm thinking it might be a bit soft and more prone to wear and scratching.  Do you wear shoes inside?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, I don't wear shoes inside home.

But teak is soft???

I thought it's the hardest wood available which is part of why you don't have to worry about termite damage?

[bangbuathongben]

I agree teak is not soft it is a asian hardwood and would look lovely as a floor, matching furniture with the floor personaly a bad idea i think. I love wood as I am a furniture maker back home, but I have just had marble put down in my house in Nonthaburi and it looks lovely with teak furnishings. If you wont some funky modern ideas have a look at my firms website www.benchmarkwoodworking.com it may help you.

[Sel]

Teak is clased as medium in hardness rating. It's durable, weather resistant (used for boats) and it's heartwood has a high resistants to fungi and insect borers. Apparently has a natural insectacide in it's tanin and sap.

hardness (out of the ones mentioned so far)

Mai Makkha is clased as the hardest

followed by Mai Theng

then teak (mai sak)

prices are around (bought from the wood shop no installation Bangkok)

Mai Makkha 1700 B per cubic foot

Teak around the same

Mai Theng 1000B

Your probably looking at approximately 3 square meters in a cubic foot

I won't sleep right until someone jumps down my throat and flames me.

[expatgaz]

Don't know if it helps but the best Teak furniture maker I've found is in Pattaya. Prices are good and quality is superb.

[chownah]

Teak flooring is beautiful but I'm thinking it might be a bit soft and more prone to wear and scratching.  Do you wear shoes inside?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, I don't wear shoes inside home.

But teak is soft???

I thought it's the hardest wood available which is part of why you don't have to worry about termite damage?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Teak actually isn't extremely hard and it is naturally insect resistant because it contains alot of oils which repel the insects. Teak wood actually feels a bit oily. It is classified as a hardwood but hardwoods actually vary considerably in their hardness. I agree that it makes beautiful floors and if you don't wear your shoes inside you should have no problems. I'm just wondering why your existing floor has scratches as you described.

And just another note: Teak is not an especially strong hardwood either. It is strong but there are many that are stronger. For flooring or furniture this is a non-issue I just thought I'd throw this in to see if anyone wanted to argue about the strength of teak or had a link that shows me to be wrong.

[chownah]

Teak is clased as medium in hardness rating. It's durable, weather resistant (used for boats) and it's heartwood has a high resistants to fungi and insect borers. Apparently has a natural insectacide in it's tanin and sap.

hardness (out of the ones mentioned so far)

Mai Makkha is clased as the hardest

followed by Mai Theng

then teak (mai sak)

prices are around (bought from the wood shop no installation Bangkok)

Mai Makkha 1700 B per cubic foot

Teak around the same

Mai Theng 1000B

Your probably looking at approximately 3 square meters in a cubic foot

I won't sleep right until someone jumps down my throat and flames me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok, just to help you get to sleep.....You seem to have posted stuff with which I completely agree you slack jawed yokel! You have ruined my day you....poophead!