FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. How do I stain/finish my furniture?
  2. How do I find pricing?
  3. How do I order, pay for and have furniture shipped to me?
  4. How do I request replacement parts?
  5. What if I don't want to stain my chair, can I leave it natural?
  6. You recommend using wood glue... where does it go?
  7. I can't make head or tail of your instructions and I'm frustrated!
  8. further hints on assembly
  9. I'm missing my instructions.
  10. A link to Sikken's Cetol 1 and Sansin Enviro Stain.
  11. What's the current moon phase?

  1. Finishing your furniture

    Its better to assemble your furniture first, then stain it - especially if you are planning to use the recommended wood glue (staining before assembly doesn't give the glue anything to adhere to)

    PINE: If you have purchased the White Pine, you must finish it prior to putting it outside as pine is prone to developing mold if left untreated. We recommend using a wood stain such as Sikken's Cetol 1, several coats of which provides a long lasting finish. Do not use straight Varathane or Urethane, even though they look nice initially, they weather very quickly and will allow moisture to get at chair before you even notice. If you are looking for an environmentally friendly, one coat stain, we also recommend Sansin Enviro Stain If you prefer to paint your chair, or try something more artistic, you must be sure to use an EXTERIOR paint. You should consult your local paint dealer or hardware store, as they will be able to provide you with more information on which products are suitable for your location. Be sure to tell them that the pine is completely unfinished. You should follow the manufacturer's instructions, which often include a light sanding in between coats.

    CEDAR: The Western Red Cedar looks nicest with several coats of a good quality exterior stain, again, we recommend Sikken's Cetol 1 (some of the cedar items pictured on this web site have been treated with Cetol 1 in colour 078 natural). You should not paint or use Varathane on cedar as those products might react with the natural oils in the wood. You should consult your local paint dealer or hardware store for more advice on products suitable for your usage and location. Be sure to follow all of the manufacturer's instructions, which often include a light sanding in between coats. One nice thing about cedar is you can leave it unfinished - if you are considering this, you should read our suggestons in question #5

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  2. Pricing

    You actually won't find pricing on our web site, but if you e-mail us we can respond with the appropriate price list. You should also include a complete address (if you would like a shipping quote) and also let us know whether you need Factory Direct or Wholesale pricing in U.S. or Canadian funds. You can also fax this information to (705) 386-0915 or give us a call at 1 800 421-1406.

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  3. Ordering Furniture

    Please use our Dealers List to find a retail outlet in your area, or contact us and we'll try and find one for you. If we are still unable to find someone local for you, then you can certainly place an order by e-mail, fax (705) 386-0915 or phone 1 800 421-1406. If you would like a shipping quote, let us know which items you are interested in and include your complete address and we can figure that out and get right back to you with a total.

    We ship with Purolator here in Canada and with U.P.S. from our U.S. warehouse (except for the dining tables, which are too large for U.P.S. to accept - but we have other ways of shipping them).

    We accept either VISA or MASTER CARD. You can always arrange to send us a cheque (check) but that delays shipping until we receive it and it clears the bank.

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  4. Requesting replacements for missing or damaged parts.

    If you have missing or damaged pieces in your kit we will send you replacement parts within one year from the date of purchase. All you need to do is e-mail, fax (705) 386-0915 or call us at 1 800 421-1406 and let us know which item you have, whether it is pine or cedar, and if it is from the left or right side. With arms, sides, legs and most other parts, we determine the side as you are sitting in the chair except for back slats, which we number from left to right as you are looking at them. If this sounds confusing, just contact us and we can figure it out together.

    If you require a replacement part for reasons other than missing/damaged in the box (you'd be surprised how many dogs seem to find our chairs very tasty), or if the one year time limit is up - don't despair, we can still send you out some new parts but we may require you to pay a nominal fee for this service. Again, get in touch and we can let you know how much this will be.

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  5. Leaving your furniture unfinished

    Yes, finishing a chair is a lot of work but the benefits are more than worth it. If you have a pine chair, you must finish it. Pine will eventually turn black from mold if left natural, or crack from the lack of UV protection and from moisture levels. Please see the answer to question 1 for more details on finishing pine.

    You can leave your cedar chair to weather naturally - it will fade in colour to a silver-grey colour. You should be aware that this colour change is not always uniform and that sometimes if you've scratched the screw heads during assembly, they will dis-colour the wood. If you want to leave your cedar chair unfinished, we recommend that you use stainless steel or brass screws. You can order a stainless steel hardware kit from us, either by e-mail, fax (705) 386-0915 or phone 1 800 421-1406 - we can let you know the price of that upgrade then. You should also use a water resistant wood glue.

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  6. Wood Glue

    We like to recommend using wood glue as, over time, wooden chairs have a tendency to loosen up and get a little creaky. A dab of wood glue, wherever two boards join together will help keep your furniture nice and solid. A few things about glue you should know:

    • any good quality carpenter's or wood glue will do, if you are finishing your chair - if it is a cedar chair that you are leaving natural, then you should use a water resistant glue.
    • you need only use a small amount, you don't want it leaking out and getting on the outside boards (it interferes with the stain)
    • some glue sets very quickly (sometimes as quick as 5 minutes) - if you are unsure about a step in the instructions, its probably better to leave the glue out, then go back afterward, back off the screws a little and squirt the glue in

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  7. Frustrated? Call our help line at 1 800 421-1406

    More F.A.Q.'s
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