|
Your Questions Answered
I have tried to answer a few of the most frequently asked
questions below. Some of the answers can be a bit long for which I apologise,
but hope that you will appreciate that I believe in trying to give complete
answers!
If the answer to your question isn't here - feel free to call on
01483 489002 or drop a line at
info@adirondack.co.uk
Questions
Which wood should I choose?
Classic or
Basic? Which should I choose?
Is the furniture delivered flat pack?
What do I need to treat my new chair with?
Which oil should I use?
I have seen other chairs which are cheaper than yours - can you tell me why
yours are more expensive?
Do you do cushions for your chairs?
Which wood should I choose
All of the timbers that we use are naturally durable and selected to give
a long life with absolute minimum maintenance. On that basis any of them will do
a good job so it is necessary to work out which other factors are most important
to you.
Matching Existing Furniture - If you have existing
garden furniture in Teak or Iroko. and your new purchase is going to be placed
close enough to make similarity of appearance important, then Iroko is the best
choice. It will weather to a very similar colour to Teak or, if you choose to
oil your furniture, will take oil treatment in much the same way that Teak does.
Weight - If light weight is important because you
want to be able to move your furniture frequently, then Cedar weighs about half
as much as Oak or Iroko (about 11kg). If heavy weight is important (I have
several customers who have lost previous furniture to high winds!) then Oak or
Iroko are about the same weight at approx 20kg for a chair
Environmental concern - I believe that
timber, as a naturally renewing material, is an ideal choice for outdoor
furniture from an environmental standpoint. I also know that the issue of what
is "environmentally friendly" is complex and many factors have to be
taken into consideration. In general terms ,
- Oak is the timber with the best environmental credentials as it is
all harvested in Europe under government control. The suppliers that I use
source the majority of their timber from France with some also coming from
Germany.
- Cedar is the next best, It is harvested in Canada, again under
government control but scores a little lower than Oak because it has further
to travel to get here.
- Iroko is probably the weakest choice from an environmental
standpoint. While the sources we use are harvested under government control
it is likely that the level of control is lower than European standards and
also the distance travelled is a detraction from this point of view
Back To Top
Classic or Basic?
I introduced the basic chair as a way of offering the same comfort in a
lower priced chair. It is available only in a single timber (Western Red Cedar)
and the other major difference is that there are many more screws left visible
and most of the edges of the timber are not rounded over. Where the rounding
makes a difference to comfort it is done but where it doesn't it is not. So the
experience of sitting in a Basic chair and a Classic chair is pretty much the
same but the Classic chair looks more attractive and gives a higher quality
appearance. The other main difference is that as the Classic chair is available
in Oak or Iroko, both of which are longer lasting than Cedar. As such the
Classic chair is probably at least as good value in the long run although
somewhat more expensive initially
Is the furniture delivered flat pack?
Not really. Where we can we like to deliver furniture fully assembled but time
and distance often do not allow. What happens then is that each piece is fully
built by us and is then dis-assembled just enough to get it in a box and ship it
at a reasonable cost. That means it arrives with you as a seat, back and 2 arms.
Putting it back together takes about 5-10 minutes and involves just a
screwdriver. Its not like real flat pack because it has been a chair once. To
give you an idea of what is involved the instructions can be viewed
here
Back To Top
What do I need to treat my new chair with?
The simple answer is that you do not need to treat
it with anything. Anything you choose to do to your furniture after it arrives
is purely decorative, as the timbers that we use are all naturally durable and
do not need any treatment. If you decide to put a decorative finish you should
make sure that you follow the manufacturers instructions and try a small sample
first to make sure that you will like the end result. If you decide to apply an
oil finish I would recommend the products sold as "Garden Furniture Oils" rather
than traditional Teak oil, simply because they seem to last a little better and
are a bit easier to apply. But remember, any finish that you do apply will need
to be maintained at some stage.
Back To Top
Which oil should I use?
If you decide to oil your furniture, which is a purely decorative decision, I
recommend the use of a good quality "Garden Furniture Oil". All of the main
manufacturers supply them and they are generally readily available at good DIY
stores or garden centres.
Back To Top
I have seen other chairs which are cheaper than yours - can you tell me why
yours are more expensive?
We offer two main ranges of furniture. The
Basic range is , we believe, priced
competitively against any chair available in the UK built in a naturally durable
timber. Our Classic chairs are generally a bit more expensive than
some other chairs you may see because they are built to a very high standard
using quality, naturally durable hardwoods. We take time to do things like
concealing most of the screws and fittings which greatly increases the time they
take to build. In simple terms, where they cost more it is because they take
more time to build because we try to build the best as we think that generally
gives better value for money over time.
Back To Top
Do you do cushions for your chairs?
I'm afraid not. Most of our customers find the chairs to be comfortable without
cushions and I have to say that I always find cushions on outdoor furniture to
be a bit of a faff! At home I will sometimes grab a cushion off the settee in
the living room to go behind my head but even without that I never have a
problem falling asleep in mine on a warm afternoon!
Back To Top |