THE Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is advocating that consumers, when purchasing furniture, pay careful attention to quality and labelling requirements.
Usually, this season presents the opportunity for consumers to purchase new pieces of furniture to add to their décor to enhance their homes. As with all other products, it is important to be knowledgeable about such purchases.
According to the GNBS, furniture must be of good quality, otherwise their imperfections and defects will quickly show during usage.

Further, these products are very expensive and consumers expect that they will get extensive usage from them; so the structural integrity of furniture must be sound to withstand prolonged use.

The National Standard “Code of Practice for the manufacture of furniture” offers a guide to manufacturers who are desirous of producing quality pieces. In addition, manufacturers must comply with the National Labelling Standards “Specification for the labelling of commodities – Part 5: labelling of furniture”.
Conformance to these standards goes a far way in ensuring that consumers get the furniture they deserve.
Based on the standard, the GNBS noted that the labels of furniture should have the common name or type of item; mark/code to distinguish the manufacturer; the country of origin (for imported furniture) and the predominant material from which the item is made (wood, metal or plastic).
Other information, such as the type of finish (lacquer, varnish, paint) and precautionary note for care must also be included on the label.

When buying furniture, the following consumer tips can be helpful:

• Conduct a simple but detailed check of the furniture: When buying wooden furniture, consumers should take a closer look to ensure that the lumber and other materials used in manufacturing are free from rot, insect holes, open knots cracks and other common defects. It is often the practice of some unscrupulous manufacturers to use defective materials and use finishing materials to conceal these defects. Whenever this is done it is the enduser/consumer who loses because he/she has purchased a rapidly deteriorating or easily weakened piece of furniture.

• Measure your furniture: Don’t neglect to measure the room ahead of buying to see if your new furniture will fit. You will be amazed at the number of furniture purchases that never make it into a home because the buyer neglected to measure the furniture or forgot to take into account hallways, doors, elevators and stairs.

• Understand scale: A sofa that looks just right in the showroom might look too big in your room or not big enough. It is hard to judge when you are looking at a picture or seeing it in a showroom. In addition, measure to make sure that your new piece matches the scale of the furniture you already own.

• Avoid paying too much attention to fads: It is best to buy a piece of furniture that you will feel comfortable with for years to come. That goes for colour as well as style. Fads can come and go very quickly, so look beyond a few months of excitement. Instead, buy furniture that truly appeal to you and will look good even years later.

• Read the labels: Reading labels that are affixed to furniture available for sale is very important. Labels provide useful information on the product and should include information such as the common name of the item, manufacturer’s distinguishing mark/code, type of materials from which the furniture is made and the type of finish used.

• After sale services: It is important that you find out whether after-sale services are available and who will bear the costs. Ask for a written warranty and secure your receipts for at least one year.

• Understand how the furniture will be used: Before you buy furniture, make sure that you know how it will be used, and who will be using it. If you forget to factor in small children, pets, and snacking while watching TV, you could be heading for disaster. Your fabulous cream coloured sofa will be no match for grubby hands, or muddy paws. A gorgeous coffee table with a delicate finish will not last too long when you have people putting up their feet on it.