Dining Set and Chairs

Though we have a dinning room table and chairs it's on it's last... You get the idea and we are looking to replace. We want something that will look good, stand up to everyday use, last but it doesn't need to heirloom quality or anything. Size wise something 40"-44" wide, and length to seat up to 8 either with 1 or 2 leaves. Probably either a rectangular or oval table.

Brands I have come across are
Bermex http://www.bermex.ca/produits/prod_g...eng.php?pk=215
Canadel http://www.canadel.ca/index.php?lang=en&section=1
Saloom http://www.saloom.com/Wood/Wood%20-%20European%2008.htm
Whittierwoods http://www.whittierfurniture.com/index.html

Now the whittierwoods is one we discovered just recently and of course has to be finished but price wise it's very reasonable though the chairs seemed on the small side. Saloom haven't looked at yet but there is supposedly a local dealer, as to Bermex & Canadel Canadel chairs seem more comfortable and a bit larger.

So what are your ides/opinions of these brands? Are there other brands in this price area to look at?

I have a Bermex set for four in my kitchen and am quite happy with it. The chairs are on the larger side and a bit heavy, but the cushioned seats are very comfortable and have held up well with medium use over the last two years, as has the table.

Saloom then Bermex. Can't speak for Whittier.

Thanks for the responses, keep them coming.

So far I have seen Bermex, Canadel, and Whittier. The tables of Bermex/Canadel have both seemed similar though the chairs of Canadel have been more comfortable. Whittier seems decent but I can see differences such as just metal at the corners where the other brands had a wood block with metal and the chairs seem on the smallish side but Whittier is much less expensive. So far have gotten a price from a dealer of Bermex, Canadel, and Whittier. Both Canadel and Bermex were about the same for either a rectangular or oval table that can seat 8, with 4 regular chairs with cushions and 2 captains chairs which was in the 4000-4500 range does this seem normal or a little high?

There is a listed Saloom dealer so hopefully I can check that out soon.

Wanted to update and checked out Saloom and found it very nice and the price beat the Canadel/Bermex mainly in the chair category. Though it looks like I may have to go for one of their premium finishes which I didn't ask how much more it would add to the pricetag.

Right now I would say all three rank close though we still keep finding the Canadel chairs more comfortable than the others.

Question do you prefer upholstered or wooden seats?

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Originally Posted by soster

Saloom then Bermex. Can't speak for Whittier.

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Mind if I inquire why Saloom over Bermex? Just wondering what I should look for and think of paying more for (if saloom is more than bermex). I did notice a thread at another forum about Saloom not covering checks in the wood/finish.

Any opinion of the new canadel? Seems just as nice as the other two but again novice here and not sure what I should be looking for/at to judge.

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Originally Posted by Briant73

Mind if I inquire why Saloom over Bermex? Just wondering what I should look for and think of paying more for (if saloom is more than bermex). I did notice a thread at another forum about Saloom not covering checks in the wood/finish.

Any opinion of the new canadel? Seems just as nice as the other two but again novice here and not sure what I should be looking for/at to judge.

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Maple is better than birch. Saloom chairs have better seats too. There's nothing wrong with Bermex. I've sold it and its nice furniture. Saloom is just nicer though.

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Originally Posted by soster

Maple is better than birch. Saloom chairs have better seats too. There's nothing wrong with Bermex. I've sold it and its nice furniture. Saloom is just nicer though.

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Thanks for the response, would you mind if I ask why maple is more desirable than birch (remember I'm a novice)? You could say I'm asking more about it being better from a build quality and functionality perspective than appearance. Also what about the seats, did you mean wood seats or the upholstered seats being better and what makes them better to you?

So far what we have seen of these three brands really any of them would work so trying to learn everything I can about their differences. Let me add that I appreciate your responses and look forward to learning more about quality furniture.

Birch is used as a substitute for maple. Its not as strong and the grain pattern not as attractive. Most people won't see the difference but I do. Most chairs are foam over a hard board. Saloom cuts a hole in the board of most of their chairs and stretches an elastic material over the hole to make a more comfortable seat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by soster

Birch is used as a substitute for maple. Its not as strong and the grain pattern not as attractive. Most people won't see the difference but I do. Most chairs are foam over a hard board. Saloom cuts a hole in the board of most of their chairs and stretches an elastic material over the hole to make a more comfortable seat.

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I am glad to know that though Birch is good and that maple can be better. Also a salesperson did point out the Saloom upholstered chair difference but wasn't sure if it was marketing hype or actually a good thing which you have verified.

One thing that concerns me about Saloom is a thread in another forum about checks in the wood/finish. I wouldn't even think about it but I noticed Saloom unlike the other brands went and specified in their warranty to say checks aren't covered at all. I didn't see any language about checks in the other warranties so curious why Saloom added it and if you ever had an issue with checks in Saloom pieces you came across.

Saloom's warranty was very loose for a long time. But I think people were making warranty claims when it wasn't appropriate, for example extreme sun exposure. Especially with a dark finish this will damage the table. I've not had a problem with it.

Checks don't affect the strength of the wood, they are cosmetic. Its only cracks you have to worry about.