About Wood Frames
There are a few basic things we need to know about wood frames before we choose the appropriate one for a picture. Wood can be categorized two ways, soft or hard. Soft woods are light in weight, easy to dent, and quite porous. Hard wood is dense and heavy. It is very durable and can withstand a lot of physical abuse without showing the bruises of time. Oak would be a good example of a hardwood, used quite often to make a durable piece of furniture.
Picture frames are made from a wide variety of woods from all over the world. Very soft wood is not usually the best wood for making a frame, especially if the frame is large in size. This type of wood tends to shrink and crack in the mitered corners, and warpage would definitely occur. These very soft wood frames can be found on the stacks and stacks of pictures we see in many of the big box stores. They look nice for now, however, they will not be long lasting.
Medium density woods are most commonly used for good quality frames. They are less likely to warp or shrink. Hard woods, such as oak and ash, are also commonly used and are stained in a variety of colors to match the woodwork in homes. In general, if the consumer needs a good quality frame, the best place to find it is at the picture framing store where there is a large selection of samples to choose from to give the picture a custom look.