Terms & Conditions
Order Details
It is our top priority that your order at least meets, if not exceeds, your expectations. There may be many emails and conversations during the sales process to reach an agreed specification. Therefore, it is critical that any notes, relating to any details that are important to you, are included on the sales invoice to ensure they transfer from the sales process to the production process. If no special notes are included on the sales invoice, then your product(s) will be made under our normal specifications.
We understand that buying a piece of furniture from us is an important investment. So, once it is delivered, if you feel that the size or style (the base/leg design) is not right, we will happily adjust, alter, or replace that component. This guarantee is in place to ensure you end up with something you love and to give you peace of mind when investing in NATU furniture.
If a product is received with aesthetic damage or structural fault, we will expedite the repair and return it to you. If it cannot be repaired using standard production methods that would be used in making a brand-new product, we will replace the affected part or component.
These terms, along with our sales process and hundreds of photos and descriptions across our website, attempt to set expectations as accurately as possible of how your natural furniture may look.
Special Requirements
If the product has not met your expectations aesthetically, if replacing that product with another like-for-like specification will guarantee your satisfaction, we will replace the product.
However, if you have any aesthetic issue that is due to the unpredictable, natural variation of the material, a like-for-like replacement may result in the same issue occurring. In this situation, a replacement will not be offered.
The limits of predictability of natural timber products include the frequency and size of knots and cracks (within the bounds of the timber grading), consistency of coloring between tabletop pieces, and the waviness, angle, and coloring of a live edge.
If you are concerned or have any specific needs relating to any of these natural variations in the timber of your table, or the standard production process outlined below, please ensure your special requirements have been included in your sales invoice. If they have not, then please contact your sales consultant before confirming your order so we can agree and account for your needs, set expectations accurately, and amend the sales invoice.
We want to do everything we can to make something you will love. But every table top is different because natural materials vary. We can not accept a request to return or replace a tabletop because it does not look like something you have seen on the website unless we knew (i.e. it was recorded on the sales invoice) what you wanted to achieve/avoid so we could do our best to select the most appropriate materials for you.
Please note we can not accept returns based on agreements made only in discussions or emails. The special requirements or preferences must be recorded on the sales invoice and you should not make payment until you are happy this has been recorded accurately. This is to mitigate any risk that you will not love the furniture we make for you.
Lead Time
We will provide you with a target delivery month at the time of order. This is an estimated lead time based on payment being received within 48 hours of the invoice date, plus current known lead times on all materials and parts at the time of order.
The order lead time is also based on full and complete product specifications. Items that are critical to lead time include dimensions, configuration (number of pieces), edge style, material type, and upholstery color. Once the final critical details are confirmed, the order lead time starts from that date.
Please note – we do not provide full or partial refunds or compensation for delayed deliveries. If the predicted delivery is subject to any delay during the production process, you will be offered a courtesy table (and seating if included on the order) to use until your order is delivered.
2-Year Wood Movement Warranty
As natural timber products acclimatize to their surrounding environment, there can sometimes be changes in the material and this is called Natural Wood Movement. We take multiple measures in the design of our products, material sourcing, material preparation, and production processes to minimize the chances of you experiencing any noticeable issues.
But because it is impossible to eliminate the risk of natural wood movement in any environment, our tables come with a Wood Movement Warranty for your peace of mind.
Wood Movement normally occurs when there is a change in the surrounding environment. The timber begins acclimatising from the moment the tree is felled and continues to adapt to its environment, through the seasoning and production processes, up to the point where it has been in your home for a full 12 months. At that point, it has experienced the full 12-month cycle of varying temperature, humidity, and sunlight that it will be exposed to in your home environment.
During these first 12 months, you may notice temporary changes in the timber (cracks opening and closing for example) as the timber expands and contracts. At the end of the initial 12 months once the timber has settled, if there are any excessive or practical issues as a result of the wood movement, please get in touch with photos for us to assess.
What is Covered by the Warranty
Wood movement is normal and small amounts of wood movement are to be expected with any natural timber product. Only “excessive or practical” wood movement issues are covered by this warranty which are defined as being 1. Cracks that have opened by more than 3mm and/or 2. Differences in the flatness of the tabletop that are over 1% of the table’s width (for example any difference in flatness of over 10mm for a 1000mm wide table) and/or 3. Steps where timber pieces meet of over 2mm.
Natural timber products may lose width (across the grain) and thickness naturally as they acclimatize to any environment. But please be aware that the refurbishment process may require losing additional material from the table surface and/or edges, so it is always better to avoid refurbishment work if possible.
Environmental Factors Affecting the Warranty
The following environmental factors can increase the likelihood and the degree of wood movement your furniture experiences: adjacent large windows, skylights, underfloor heating, wood burners, radiators, fires, and other local heat sources. The closer these sources of heat and light are to your furniture, the greater their potential effect on any wood movement it will experience.
Your furniture is still covered by this warranty if your home environment includes any of the above factors. However, because of these factors being present in the environment, both the natural reduction of width and thickness, as well as any loss of material from the refurbishment process, may be increased.
This warranty includes refurbishment work only. It does not include any replacement of the material in your products. So if the loss of material due to refurbishment work will not be acceptable to you, we can provide you with a quote to replace any necessary material to restore the original dimensions where possible.
Duration of Warranty Cover
You have up to 24 months from receiving your order to notify us of any wood movement issues you would like us to address. After 24 months, any refurbishment work we carry out will be quoted at our labor and material rate at that time.
The likelihood of wood movement significantly reduces after the initial 12 months in your home, so we strongly recommend waiting at least 12 months before having any refurbishment work carried out, as any further movement after the warranty service will not be covered by the warranty.
Refurbishment work can take between 4-8 weeks from collection to re-delivery depending on the nature of the work. We do have some courtesy dining tables available so let us know if you need one when arranging the work.
What is Not Covered by the Warranty
Before Having Warranty Work Carried Out
Please be aware that any refurbishment work carried out under the wood movement warranty can result in changes in the table’s appearance. Refurbishment work may require some material loss which can result in dimensional changes in length (small changes), width (larger changes), and thickness (larger changes) of a tabletop.
Refinishing is always required as part of a refurbishment so please be aware that the finished appearance of the table may not be identical to the original appearance. Stains and oils may appear lighter or darker due to the environmental effects on the timber in the home (normally a drying effect) and material loss may reveal slightly different grain and features in the timber.
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch regarding warranty work, please contact our customer service team at: [email protected] / +385 91 7367013
Cancellations
Postponements
If you need to postpone delivery of your order, please let us know as soon as possible. If materials have been ordered but production is not underway, we can store your materials until you confirm when you will be ready and there will be no charge for storage. Once you confirm your “ready from” date, please allow 8-12 weeks for us to make and deliver your order.
If production is complete but you are unable to accept delivery of an order, we will store your completed order until you are ready for delivery and there will be no charge for storage. If production is already underway when you postpone your delivery then it will usually need to be completed to avoid additional production costs.
However, we do not have the facility to store tables fully assembled. So completed solid wood tops in storage are more susceptible to a greater degree of wood movement than fully assembled tables.
If your stored top(s) does experience movement whilst in storage (such as shrinkage, twisting or cracking) , we can carry out a refurbishment of your woodwork before delivering your order. Please be aware that this refurbishment will utilize the one-time warranty refurbishment that comes with each table.
Refurbishment work can result in some material loss/dimension reduction. If the degree of material loss, due to excessive movement in storage, is unacceptable to you then Abacus will provide a quotation to cover the cost of replacing any necessary material to achieve your minimum required dimensions.
Please allow 4-6 weeks for any refurbishment work to be completed before your delivery.
We are unable to postpone payments, so although we do not charge for storage of postponed orders, any outstanding balance owed on the order remains due for payment when the order was originally planned for delivery.
1. Cracking in the wood
Before the table is made:
There may be cracks present in the oak pieces when we make our tables (and other furniture). There are 2 possible reasons – Firstly the kiln drying process, which is the commercial seasoning of timber to prepare it for use indoors. Secondly, the air-drying process is the seasoning of the tree before kiln drying. The wider the pieces of oak you choose for your table, the more likely it is that cracks will be present.
After the furniture is made in your home:
It is perfectly normal for cracking to occur in a new table indoors. Depending on the time of year and the conditions indoors (see below), this can happen immediately or at any time in the first 12 months.
The initial shrinkage/cracking of timber indoors is primarily caused by the moisture content of the air indoors being lower than the moisture content of the kiln-dried timber. The dry air inside the home is a result of indoor central heating drying the air out, combined with a lack of fresh air circulating to replace the lost moisture. Modern homes with underfloor heating and/or air conditioning, combined with well-sealed doors between rooms, normally have the driest air.
As a guide, kiln-dried timber products can have a moisture content of anywhere between 8% and 15%, depending on the thickness of the timber, the time of year, and a variety of other factors outside the control of the furniture maker.
The warm dry air indoors will act as a kiln to dry/shrink the wood further, causing cracking and other visible changes in the surface and edges of the oak pieces. Many of our customers like the natural development of cracks to emphasize the authentic character of their oak as it ages.
However, there are steps that you can take to minimize this shrinkage and the chances of cracking. These steps allow the oak to acclimatize to the indoor conditions of your home as gently / slowly as possible. Here are our recommendations:
- Have a house plant or plants growing in the room, because they naturally put moisture back into the air through their breathing process (photosynthesis).
- Have a humidifier, controlling the moisture level in the room
- Allow fresh air to circulate through the home as much as possible. With central heating/air conditioning on and doors closed there will be virtually no moisture in the room’s air, so you can expect the fastest and greatest degree of shrinkage and cracking, visible even within hours.
- If you cannot allow fresh air to circulate through the home (in the cold winter months for example) then as a minimum you can have a container/bucket of water standing in the room, to evaporate into the air and help keep some moisture content in the atmosphere.
The Settling / Acclimatisation Period
2. Other Natural features
3. Overall Table Width
4. Live Edge Table Width
5. Gaps in Planks
6. Extending Tables
Because solid timber comes with a risk of wood movement, please be aware that extending tables come with additional movement risk factors due to there being the addition of 1 or 2 solid timber extensions. In addition to the wood movement in the main table, extensions can often move differently due to their size (allowing moisture to pass in/out of the timber differently to the main table) and the different storage environments from the main table.
When the finish begins to fade it can be replenished with a hand-applied coat of oil. Please contact us for instructions on how to do this. If you do not apply the oil in accordance with our instructions, the table’s finished colour, sheen and evenness can be affected. If your table finish is detrimentally affected by incorrect application of the oil, we can repair this at a cost price (labour and materials) for our customers. Please send photos of the surface to us for a quote if you would like this work carried out.
