by Jill Diffenderfer | Nov 21, 2018 | Forestry Management, George's Furniture
At George’s Furniture, we believe that incorporating earth-friendly processes into our furniture-making and doing our part in preserving our natural resources ensures the success of future generations.
According to Dan Meyer, editor of the Hardwood Weekly Review, hardwood growing stock inventories were 3 to 12% higher in 2017 than 10 years earlier in each of the four subregions of the East. Additionally, East-wide volumes were up 7%. What does this mean to us and to you, our valuable clients?
It simply means that despite a 10-year depression in global demand, as a nation we are turning that depression around by increasing active management of our hardwood forests to ensure their health, productivity, and sustainability.
At George’s, we are very conscious of our natural resources. Our shop is set up to make the most of each slab of wood that comes through our door. By streamlining our process to eliminate our woody waste, we do our part to ensure that not only are you getting the best quality in solid wood furniture but that our environmental footprint is minimal.
Using hardwoods native to our region such as Cherry, Red Oak, Maple, and Black Walnut goes a long way in ensuring both quality and low environmental impact. We take extra measures to ensure that our wood is harvested at the right time and to rigid specifications. We slow dry our rough-sawn Black Walnut in our own kiln and moisture check the commercially dried Cherry, Oak and Maple. Why? Because, if not dried properly, the wood may form stress cracks that result in costly waste. Additionally, any moisture that remains in the wood after drying can lead to loose joints and warping. This would be a disservice to you, our client, and to the environment.
Throughout the design process, our craftsmen are conscious of minimizing waste. Our craftsmen thoroughly review the design and carefully select the wood that will be used to create the requested piece. Each board is processed with care, while legs or finials are hand-turned on a lathe. Meticulous attention is paid during the assembly process to ensure a proper fit and finish.
If you would like to learn more about our environmentally-friendly furniture making process, please contact us to schedule your personal tour. We look forward to seeing you soon!
by Juanita | Jul 3, 2018 | Forestry Management, George's Furniture
Here at George’s, we pride ourselves on being effective and resourceful in our business practices. Each piece of custom furniture is built with ultimate quality and little waste. We utilize our wood for multiple purposes to reduce our waste output. The wood cutoffs from our table saws are used for the construction of our drawer interiors. The unusable wood is chipped up and used to dry the walnut wood in our wood drying kiln and heat our woodshop. Our mission is to have each piece be hand-crafted to your exact specifications all while being conscious craftsmen.
By investing in solid hardwood from George’s, you are investing in a renewable resource that ultimately is environmentally friendly and also helps protect our local forests. The PA lumber used in our furniture helps slow the spread of pests by reducing the risk of importing invasive species to our forests.
Shop renewable, local and handcrafted with George’s.
by Juanita | May 26, 2018 | Forestry Management, George's Furniture
George’s Furniture is a second-generation family-owned business located in the farmlands of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Our furniture is still made the old-fashion way – handcrafted by artisans who take great pride in the quality of their work. There is no shortcut to quality. Make our shop one of your stops as you tour Lancaster County, Pennsylvania!
Each piece of furniture is handcrafted right in our workshop and signed by its maker. There is no factory assembly line – just skilled craftsmen who lovingly follow each piece from the selection of the lumber to the final detail.
Arrange a time to see your furniture being made and meet the craftsman by scheduling a tour on our website: https://georgesfurniturepa.com/take-a-tour/
Tour hours are Monday through Thursday, 9am to 4pm and Friday, 9am to 2pm. (Groups of 10 or more individuals should call ahead at 1-800-799-1685.)
by Juanita | Apr 19, 2018 | Customization, Forestry Management, George's Furniture, Rocking Chairs, Stools, Tables
We often get asked what makes our furniture last so long. Many of our customers own George’s Furniture heirlooms that have been passed down to them—or they themselves plan on passing their pieces down to their children and other family members.
There are several reasons as to why our high-quality, hand crafted furniture is built to last right here in Lancaster County.
- Built from strong solid hardwood — Wood is a resource that keeps on giving. Pennsylvania forests are managed and cared for to strengthen and increase sustainability and the quality of our products.
- Constructed with the ability to adjust to moisture changes — between seasons and different climates. When the furniture is sitting in your home, the wood continues to move as the seasons change or the pieces move with you to different climates—but you’d never know it. Our furniture is assembled to allow for this movement without affecting its construction.
- Crafted by one craftsman with precision and seasoned skill — We do not have assembly lines. The craftsman who makes your furniture onsite will sign and date every masterpiece. Each craftsman takes pride in the personal work that goes into each piece they build—from start to finish. This goes a long way in controlling the overall quality and beauty in your own piece of furniture.
- Quality control at multiple points throughout the building process — The initial build of your furniture is by one the craftsman. While being hand stained, each surface of the furniture is checked closely. Final assembly includes hardware and possible lighting. We personally deliver our furniture; this allows us to check it while blanket wrapping it for delivery with one final check at your home while you’re present.
- Time tested joinery methods — Our gift to you through our joinery methods is a promise for long-lasting construction. Craftsmen are trained to know the “feel” of a solid joint during assembly.
- Durability and life of furniture is taken into account at the design stage before building starts — Each piece is reviewed together by both a designer and a craftsman—and continues throughout the building stage. Our designers enjoy working with you to create your own unique piece for your home.
- Maintained temperature and humidity in the wood shop and finishing room — Temperature and humidity levels are taken into consideration throughout the year to keep the wood in a constant stable condition from the building stage, and through to the finishing stage. The wood or furniture never leaves the building between building and finishing. We use humidity control in the building throughout the year.
- High grade sanding materials — we use the highest grade of sanding materials to give the perfect surface for receiving a consistent stain. Sanding materials are never overused and our craftsmen have the experience to know when enough sanding is enough.
As you can see, a lot of time and care goes into each piece of furniture made here at George’s Furniture. Contact us today or stop by our beautiful showroom!
by Juanita | Mar 14, 2018 | Forestry Management, George's Furniture
As we gear up for National Forestry week (March 20-25), we believe now is the perfect time to think about what items in your home are environmentally sound. Here at George’s Furniture, we are passionate about sustainable products—those that are good for the earth and hold great quality in your home.
Products from George’s Furniture are one-of-a-kind, and are handcrafted with the finest hardwood furniture made from trees grown in Pennsylvania’s forests. Locally made right here in Lancaster, PA, buying from George’s Furniture is naturally the most sustainable choice.
Unlike other materials—such as plastic, steel, or other metals—wood is a renewable resource as trees grow back! Using only the best trees for your furniture, the wood being used actually helps to offset the carbon emissions in the air.
In addition to reducing pollution, harvesting and manufacturing wood doesn’t produce wasted materials. While the main bulk of the wood is used to build our beautiful hand crafted furniture, the by-products are then used to produce mulch, wood pellets, and paper pulp. Additionally, the forest products industry is responsible for generating 77 percent of the country’s biomass energy. They are the largest producer of renewable energy and exceeds the nation’s solar and wind energy combined.
You may be wondering what we do with the wood waste, which we actually use to heat our air drying kiln which dries our walnut woods. Slowly air drying the walnut wood helps maintain the natural beauty of walnut grain, making it beautiful and unique!
So the next time you’re looking for eco-friendly, sustainable furniture, think of George’s Furniture. Come visit our woodshop and get a tour!
###
For more information on wood harvesting in the Pennsylvania Forests be sure to check out their website: http://paforestproducts.org.
