General
- Why is Decor Americana Furniture Superior to Others?
- How Does Brazilian Cherry Compare with Teak?
- Why do I want a Weatherproof Rocker?
Shipping
Assembly
- How long will it take me to put together a rocking chair or assemble other products from Decor Americana
- What happens if I don’t use the glue packets that are provided with the furniture?
Furniture Storage
Hardware
Painting Your Furniture
Maintenance
Weight Capacity
Wear and Tear
When will I receive my order?
Orders will be shipped from our warehouse within 2-3 business days. You will receive your order within 3-5 days after it has shipped. Most customers receive their order within 5-7 business days.
Are your products pre-assembled?
Each piece of quality furniture from Decor Americana is shipped in a partially assembled format that makes final completion easy and yet saves more than 60% of the usual cost of transportation. For most of our items, this translates to about $45 in additional shipping cost you would pay on each item (for customers who nevertheless prefer completely fully assembled pieces, many items are available – contact customer service if you would like more information). Assembly is quick and easy. Instructions are included and it takes approximately 20 to 45 minutes to build most items depending on the product unless otherwise stated.
How Does Brazilian Cherry Compare with Teak?
Brazilian Cherry is harder than teak and shares teak’s weatherproof qualities and natural beauty, and also weathers to a gray color over time unless treated with our wood care products. Brazilian Cherry can also be painted, while teak cannot – which makes our beautiful selection of paint choices possible. Most other painted outdoor furniture is made of far inferior woods that are NOT suitable for outdoor use – meaning they will rot when the paint peels or wears off. Even within the category of “teak” there is a very wide range of actual species, and an ever wider range of quality and weather resistance.
Unlike teak, Brazilian Cherry is not endangered and is therefore significantly less expensive to harvest and transport – the result is the quality of teak at 1/3 to 1/2 the price. As an experienced dealer of both high quality teak and Brazilian Cherry, I can attest to the high quality of the Brazilian Cherry we use, and we stake our reputation on it with our satisfaction guarantee.
As with any wood, it is important to insist on the finest quality Brazilian Cherry and manufacturing methods, as we do at Decor Americana. Don’t make the mistake of purchasing anything but top quality wood. In particular, be wary of other furniture called brazilian cherry or andean cherry from other South American countries such as Bolivia and Paraguay. The quality of Decor Americana’s authentic Brazilian Cherry outdoor furniture is far superior to these lower quality imitations.
Decor Americana proudly supports and adheres to environmentally responsible practices to ensure that no endangered species are ever used in any of our products. Through special permits issued by the Brazilian Department of Natural Resources, each tree must be approved for cutting, and each log designated for manufacturing is hand-selected, marked and transported under strict guidelines.
Why is Decor Americana Furniture Superior to Others?
Each of our pieces has been engineered for outdoor use at every step: the wood has been 100% kiln-dried, all hardware is exterior grade, glue is non-water soluble, slats are cut to shape-not bent, and all construction is mortise and tenon. Just one indication of our quality is the weight of each piece. Compare our items to those sold in big box superstores or traditional furniture stores, and you will see why our furniture is becoming popular all over the world so quickly, and why our customers so often return to obtain more items for the homes and gardens.
How long will it take me to put together a rocking chair or assemble other products from Decor Americana?
Every product that needs to be assembled will come with easy-to-understand assembly instructions. If you do not wish to assemble yourself, we do offer rockers in a pre-assembled state for an additional charge. Our rocking chairs can be assembled within 15 to 30 minutes.
What happens if I don’t use the glue packets that are provided with the furniture?
The glue is a vital part of the stability and the performance of the furniture. The glue does most of the work; the screws provided are mainly to reinforce. If you do not use the glue, the products will not be as sturdy and may squeak. Should your glue packets be dried out, or too hard to work with, we highly recommend using any wood glue available at your local hardware store.
Can my furniture be kept outside all year? Do I need to cover it in the winter months?
Our weatherproof furniture is built to endure the outdoors and the harmful effects of harsh weather. However, we do recommend keeping the oiled and painted furniture covered or out of the sun as much as possible to allow the wood and paint to age gradually. This would add to the life of the products.
What kind of metal is the hardware made from?
Steel with durable zinc oxide plating. We chose this metal because it is similar to marine hardware and will be able to withstand the outdoor elements.
Can I paint my furniture a different color?
Yes, you will not harm the furniture, but this will void the warranty.
Can I paint my oiled furniture?
No. The oil that is applied saturates the wood below the surface. If you were to sand the furniture, the oil would soak back through to the surface. So even if you were to sand and then paint, the oil would return to the surface causing the paint to peel.
Do you recommend a water sealer?
No. The oil may react with the sealer.
How do I re-oil my furniture?
An application of our high-quality, Teak Cleaner and Protector is important to help extend the life and uniformity of the red color. As far as applying, please follow instructions included with our Teak Cleaner and Protector.
What is the weight capacity of the rockers and/or swings?
Our rocking chairs and other chairs can support up to 300 lbs and our swings can support up to 500 lbs.
How do I care for my furniture?
The most important step in the care of your furniture is to keep it clean. Dust, smoke, oils/lotions, insects, and sunlight are all common factors in reducing the finish’s longevity. Depending on what finish you have purchased, different cleaning approaches may be applicable.
For Natural Oiled Finish
Our natural oil finished Brazilian Cherry items are pre-applied with an organic linseed oil coating. Over time, Brazilian Cherry can be expected to weather in the sun to a natural grey. If the grey tone is preferred, no maintenance is necessary. If the red color is preferred, it can be restored by the application of our Teak Cleaner and Protector products. Do not use any “water sealer” type products on Brazilian Cherry. For the Natural Oil Finish, clean your furniture with a mild solution of dish soap, bleach and warm water. Apply the mixture with a soft bristle brush. Rinse well and let dry. To keep the natural rich red color, apply our Teak Cleaner and Protector. If not maintained, the wood will naturally turn silver-grey. If this look is desired, no maintenance is required. If you later change your mind there are further steps to restore the original red color. The gray color means that the furniture has oxidized and the oxidation needs to be removed. Use a wood cleaning product designed for this restoration or you may need to sand.
For Painted and Weathered Finishes
If you order a painted finish, please know that although we use a top-grade exterior paint, all paints weather outdoors and are subject to the natural expansion and contraction of the wood underneath. This movement causes very minor checking in the finish over time and is not a defect. Also, painted finishes have more chance of being rubbed or scratched in shipping, so if you receive a chair with such marks, we will provide you with touch-up paint rather than a new chair.
As the painted finish weathers over the years, you can touch up as necessary with any matching exterior grade paint. You may clean with soap and water as needed. A mild solution of bleach and water can be used if any mildewing occurs. If you need to touch up the paint, you may use any exterior grade paint. Please note: Bleeding may occur. If this happens we recommend that you wet your furniture down thoroughly on a sandy or grassy area 5-10 times until bleeding stops. Once it has stopped, it will never occur again.
There seem to be small hairline cracks in the wood? What causes this?
Wood naturally expands and contracts due to the effects of humidity and the UV rays of the sun – referred to as “checking.” This is a normal and expected occurrence in wood furniture and usually does not hurt the integrity of the furniture. If this develops into a larger crack and you are within the warranty period, it will be covered by our warranty.
Why do I want a Weatherproof Rocker?
Most “outdoor furniture” sold today is not weatherproof – it is usually made of oak, ash, hickory, or other woods, including exotically-named Chinese equivalents of these woods, that must remain finished in order not to rot. Those finishes cannot withstand outdoor conditions indefinitely, and so most outdoor furniture has a limited lifespan. Other than those made of premium teak or other dense, oil-rich tropical woods, most outdoor furniture available today can not be left unprotected indefinitely in the sun and rain. Brazilian Cherry can, and this fact makes it a very fine choice. Life is too short to let bad furniture run you down.
What if my Furniture is Damaged?
Brazilian Cherry is very strong and so it is hard to seriously damage the wood, so most damage is easy to repair. If the furniture is ever scratched to expose unstained wood underneath, you can purchase a furniture stain or paint “pen” from a hardware store in a similar color, using a cloth or your finger to wipe away the excess. In the case of our natural oil finishes, you can simply add a touch of unstained oil (preferably linseed oil) to achieve the desired effect – but frankly, most scratches are not noticeable on natural oil stained furniture. If your furniture is actually broken and structurally damaged, you should have it professionally repaired, either by a competent local expert, or by one of a number of nationally franchised furniture repair companies such as FurnitureMedic.
