"Checks" in commercial table finish

[Don Morris]

Is my thinking correct: "Checks" in a "catalytic" finish of a commercial casual dining room table top (solid maple/cherry), which enlarged over time would indicate to me they got a bad batch of not completely pre-dryed wood from their source. I'm going to build some of the furniture to replace what we got rid of in a recent whole home renovation. I don't have time nor knowhow to build all of it. The only negative comment we found about the company that makes the casual dining room table we're thinking of was from one person who had that one complaint. All the many others were very satisfied.

[Steve Schoene]

What brand are we talking about, and how do you know it was a catalytic finish? What do these "checks" look like?

There are quite a few catalytic finishes used in the industry, and for that matter there are lots of things that could go wrong besides the moisture content of the wood. Manufacturers can easily determine the MC and do in some case make adjustments to the manufacturing process depending on the moisture content.

[Don Morris]

The brand name was Saloom. We found it in a high end furniture outlet next to Stickley furniture...a high end brand. The Saloom was obviously a cheaper alternative to the very expensive Stickley. But we doubt they would have carried it at all if it didn't have at least a decent reputation. We found the complaint on a blog so we don't know any more details about the type of "catalytic" finish or the exact look of the "check". The company doesn't say what type of "catalytic" finish they use. We liked the style and flexibility the company incorporated into their product...like edge designs of the table and what type of legs, etc. in addition to being a product sold by a locally reputable company. The enlarging "checks" caught our attention though!