Important facts about your new furniture…
You have chosen to purchase a handcrafted piece of furniture.
Not all customers realize exactly what they are buying.
Many items on the market today are factory built and veneer
covered meaning the piece you buy may only have a very thin
layer of oak covering particleboard. The piece looks great
when you buy it, but it isn't true solid oak therefore will
have different features from a true solid oak piece.
Since solid oak comes from a living breathing tree it has
a life of it's own. It will continue to breathe even after
your furniture has been built and sealed. It will continue
to dry out and take in moisture its whole life. Many things
are out of our control due to this process. We have outlined
a few common facts to help you understand exactly what you
have purchased and help you take proper care of your piece.
When the tree grows the surroundings will play an important
part of the finish look. The age of a tree will also play
an important part. Depending on what the tree has been exposed
to will produce the out come. If you get your piece and
see a difference in color between a leg or a trim board,
trust us it is not that we didn't stain it, it is the way
the tree accepted the finish in that area. If the grain
was tight it tends to have a lighter finish. Sometimes after
staining and sealing the piece may "bleed through",
this is common and happens from time to time. Simply use
a soft cloth to wipe the stain and apply a coat of wax.
You may find darker spots on your piece that appears to
be stain splashes, again, this is not a stain splash, it
is grown into the grain of the wood. Sometimes a tree may
be shot by a hunter, when this happens and the tree continues
to grown, the lead left behind will cause the tree to darken
in the surrounding areas. If you receive a piece with the
dark spots and do not accept it as part of the natural growth
process and the thrill of own real oak, we will happily
replace the item for you.
If your piece feels a little tacky to the touch, it is
not that the sealer has not dried. In the process of finishing
your piece, we use a tack cloth as a final step. You are
feeling the tack cloth. A simple coat of wax will stop this.
We cannot apply the wax prior to it leaving, as bubble wrap
and wax do not seem to get along well.
Tabletops, again this is not veneer, it is not pressed
wood, your top will not be glass smooth as it is real wood
that has been sanded. We do apply sealer to the tops to
make them soft, but try to leave the natural grain finish
so you can always pick out a piece of true oak verses processed
wood products.
We do our best to assure your new piece is built rock solid
to last for years and years. We are constantly testing our
furniture for durability. It's common to have a toss across
test here. Meaning, we actually pick up a piece of furniture
and throw it across the shop to see how it holds up. We
have been known to jump on end tables to make sure that
when your child uses the end table to bounce to the sofa
they will have a steady launch pad! No one likes an unstable
take off.
Finally, on a personal note, If for some reason you're not
happy with your purchase, please allow us the opportunity
to take the item back. Or do our best to make you happy.
We are all human and sometimes customers forget that. We
have never refused to take an item back. If something is
not correct, please let us know in an intelligent fashion.
We are always willing to work with you. However, harassing
or threatening phone calls or emails never solves a problem.
We have never understood why a customer gets angry without
speaking to us or notifying us, they are not happy. We have
always gone far and above to make you happy, all we ask
is for a little kindness. Don't instantly get angry if something
is not correct. Thank you again for your purchase from Mission
Oak Designs and we hope to hear from you again for all your
furniture needs.
Care Of Your Piece:
How Does Natural Light and Humidity
Effect My Solid Wood Furniture?
A Unique Charm and Natural Wood
In both the manufacturing and finishing of handcrafted oak,
cherry maple and walnut furniture we try to bring forth
the character and beauty of the wood. All hardwood lumber
has variations in the color and grain; this is part of its
natural beauty. But these variations will make it impossible
to guarantee an exact match in finishes between tow pieces
of furniture, even though identical finishing processes
are applied. These characteristic qualities give solid wood
furniture its unique charm.
A Natural Fiber
Hardwoods are a natural fiber. Because most solid wood are
open grained, your solid wood furniture will breath, expand
and contract with temperature and humidity changes even
after protective finishes have been applied. These minor
cracks are part of the natural beauty of the wood. Care
in controlling the furniture's environment can help minimize
cracking and warping.
Control Environment
Keep the indoor humidity in the 35 to 45 percent range to
minimize these effects. Ultraviolet light from the sun and
fluorescent fixtures can cause chemical changes in the wood
and or furniture finish, so avoid placing you furniture
in an area where the sun will shine directly on it. Keep
furniture away from directs sources of heating and cooling.
Avoid storing furniture in an attic or cellar type environment.
Potential Changes
If the humidity move out of the ideal range, solid wood
table tops could expand or contract, causing a gap in the
center or at the ends where the two halves meet. It can
also cause splits or cracks in the grain pattern and joints
of the wood panels. These are not abnormal - the table is
not considered defective.
