Q & A
Because recycled furniture made from reclaimed wood is such a revolutionary new idea we find that many of our customers want to know more about the process.
We have tried to answer some of the most frequently asked questions here.
About Timber
Q: What kind of timber do you use?
A: The wood we reclaim is mostly larch, pine, fir and assorted semi hardwoods from the Northern Hemisphere.
Q: Where do you get your timber from?
A: Most of our timber is obtained from discarded packing crates, dismantled buildings and old pallets. It is a raw material which in the past would have been burned.
Q: Do you use wood treated by Chorium Copper and Arsenic?
A: No, we don’t, because of the toxicity.
Q: Do you use railway sleepers?
A: No, we don’t. We tested a small amount of railway sleepers in the early days of our business, but we had problems effectively removing the smell of creosote.
Q: Are the holes in your timber the result of wood worm?
A: No, there is no wood worm in our timber because we select only the best pieces for manufacturing. The holes are nail holes from the timber’s previous life.
About Social Responsibility
Q: Do you use child labour?
A: Absolutely not. Vietnam has an extremely skilful, hard working and enthusiastic adult workforce.
Q: Do any of your products contain Formaldehyde?
A: Absolutely not.
Q: Do you provide anti-tip devices into your larger products?
A: Yes we do. We think it is a vital safety feature.
Q: What kind of glass do you use in display cabinets?
A: We always use tempered glass to ensure no one will be injured in the unlucky event of a breakage
Q: Will your metal parts and handles become rusty?
A: No. Coming from the coastal city of Sydney, Ian was particularly aware of this problem and designed a method of ensuring it doesn’t occur.
Q: Where are your products made?
A: All our products are made in Vietnam using traditional joinery techniques and hand-brushed, multi-step finishes.
About Carpentry
Q: Why do you choose to use traditional joinery methods?
A: Because only traditional joinery allows the wood the flexibility to breathe and adjust itself without splitting or otherwise becoming damaged when subjected to different temperatures and climates.
Q: Do you ever use plywood or MDF in the base of drawers or as back panels?
A: No, never. It is important to us that we use high quality, properly treated timber throughout.
About Finishes
Q: What type of finishing materials do you use on your products?
A: We mostly use high quality water based finishing materials, and nitrocellulose without formaldehyde.
Q: The finish on your products looks like it is raw timber, why don’t you apply a top coat on the product to protect it?
A: We deliberately give our furniture a natural look and feel, but in fact this is only achieved through a multi-step finishing process. If you spill water on one of our surfaces you will see that it can’t permeate the sealed wood.
Q: Why do you use hand-brushing techniques?
A: Because the automatic spraying system couldn’t preserve the attractive imperfections of the wood. We aim to achieve a natural look on all our products in order to bring warmth to your home.
Q: My cat scratched the furniture. Can you sell me your finishing materials to fix it?
A: We can’t send you the finishing material, because our finishes are achieved in multi-steps. Please advise your retailer of the problem, and they will assist you by contacting our local representative on your behalf.
About Warranty Service
Q: How do I receive your warranty service?
A: You will receive our warranty service through the retailer where you purchased our product.
About Supply
Q: Do you sell direct to the public?
A: No. We distribute our products through various retail outlets. Please contact us to find your nearest distributor
About Quality
Q: How long do your products last?
A: The true answer is we don’t yet know. We have customers who are still using products they bought from us when we first started. We have designed and built them to last for as long as customers continue to enjoy them. We hope that they will be handed down from generation to generation and last for many lifetimes.
About the Look of Reclaimed Wood
Q: I like your designs and finishes, but I don’t like the nail holes or the marks on the wood. Can I have your products without the nail holes and marks?
A: Because our timber is recycled most of it bears the marks of its previous life. We believe this enriches the finishes and adds great character to the designs.
About Recognising Our Authentic Product
Q: How do I recognise genuine PGT-RECLAIMED products?
A: We place our logo stamp on a wood panel on each product, and also a “certified authentic” stamp. For aesthetic reasons the stamps are always in discreet positions, such as behind a bed head, inside a drawer or a door.
