Frequently Asked Questions... What are the products made from? All products are made with Western Red Cedar. Some of the wood is dark (heartwood) while some is light coloured (sapwood). This is the nature of cedar. Both will weather the same colour in time (barn board gray). What is the paint? The paint is non-toxic acrylic. Some weathering will show over time as the product ages but this is intentional. Our aim is to have a comfortable product with a weathered look. What other finish is used? None, the products are intended to be unfinished: the cedar is naturally preserved so no chemical preservative is necessary. It is the natural resins in cedar that prevents the chair from rotting. How do they stand up to the weather? TThe paint may wear and the wood may check, yielding a naturally weathered and rustic appearance. We recommend the furniture be put in storage over winter. The harsh weather of winter is hard on any raw exposed wood surface. (See the weathered chair - this chair is one of the original four chairs constructed in 1994 and it has been facing direct sunlight and enduring Maritime elements for each of the gardens seasons since then.) Are the chairs easy to store? The chairs are designed in such a way as to be easily stacked, so storage space is kept to a minimum (see the chairs stacked). Chairs may be stacked four high for winter storage; thus four chairs only take up the floor space required to store one chair. The wood is cracking, what's the problem? The first season may show some signs of stabilizing, small checks or cracks, as the wood becomes acclimatized to the outdoor elements. This is natural to most woods. Why are parts of the chair not planed? The parts of the chair that the body makes contact with (such as the seat slats, arms and backs) are planed and sanded. The rest of the chair parts are sanded only, leaving it mill-sawn to enhance the intended rustic look. By allowing these parts to be un-milled, the dimension of the wood is thicker which makes the chair stronger because the screws have more wood to grip into. The wood grain seems to be separating, what can be done? Should the grain on the arms or seat raise slightly from weathering simply give them a light sanding in the direction of the grain with 100 grit sandpaper. What holds the chair together? Screws with a non-corrosive coating to prevent rusting, most are 2 inch screws (a#2 Robertson flathead) for maximum holding power. The seat slats are glued as well as screwed to help keep the chair squared and prevent loosening. How are these chairs for comfort? Slight modifications to the Adirondack pattern that was used for a model. The result is a stronger, more comfortable chair that is easy to get into and out of, or to sit in for a long period of time. Is the design functional? The arms are level and wide to hold drinks and plates. The overall lightweight of the chairs makes them easy to move and rearrange, yet heavy enough that they don't blow around. What are the chair dimensions? (all measurments are in inches) Item Depth Width Height Chair 38" 32" 40" Table 23" 23" 16.5" Wall Planter 11" 23" 36" Child's Chair 32" 26" 33" Swing 31" 65" 38" Settee 38" 57" 40" Rocker 39" 32" 36" What about shipping? Most of our shipped products require some assembly. All products are completely assembled in the shop prior to shipping to ensure accurate fit. All alignment points are marked and alphabetically matched. The screws are backed out enough to separate the pieces but remain in the wood. The screw holes along with the other assembly aids ensure an accurate and solid assembly. The eight easily asembled pieces are packaged for shipping. The chairs are shipped Canada Post or Courier.