Terms of service

Handmade items are exactly that, handmade.

You won’t find factory grade precision in our work but you will find uniqueness, attention to detail and of course heaps of character and charm! All of the wood is cut by hand & built by hand. Painting, oiling and sealing? All done with our own fair hands!

We are the affordable, ethical choice for solid wood furniture handmade in the U.K.

All of our wood is kiln dried to a humidity of 8 – 10% moisture which is a standard industry level.

In very dry or warm settings the moisture content percentage may decrease leading to cracks and / or movement. This is usually over the winter months when homes are warmer and dryer than usual due to central heating.

Wood is a natural ‘live’ material and care should be taken to avoid fast changes in the environment. Our furniture is made with wood movement in mind, however we cannot take responsibility should the piece react to the heat and / or humidity of your own environment.

Underfloor heating, strong sunlight or exceptionally warm homes can impact on shrinkage and movement of the wood. We recommend you avoid any heated room for the first 4 – 6 weeks whist the wood settles to your environment, you should then slowly acclimatise it to your normal conditions.

Do not store your furniture items in a damp cold space such as a shed or garage as this may lead to movement due to the moisture levels and temperature.

We recommend avoiding the use of a PVC or waterproof table cloth on your table as this may result in uneven moisture distribution and can result in warping or other issues.

Our reclaimed wood COULD contain some of the following characterful traits…

*Dents, scratches & discolouration that are original to the timber

*Small missing knots of wood

*Splits that do not interfere with the function of the item. These can be present on arrival or can develop over time.

*Signs of odd nails or staples within the wood (made completely smooth and do not interfere with the function)

*Unevenness to surfaces from the natural cupping of the timber. These planks are usually placed in the middle of the tables to aid with cups and plates being able to sit flat, sometimes it maybe necessary to use a placemat.

*Minor gapping of up to several mm between planks at certain times of the year if / when the wood shrinks.

*Wood is a live material and solid wood items even when kiln dried are liable to movement.

*Lips between planks where one may be slightly higher than the next sometimes develop over time and are part of normal movement.

*We add adjustable feet to most items (if the item allows) which you can adjust if needed.

The underside of our products are lightly sanded but not as fine as the top. The underside central area between the table frame work is not oiled, only the outer edges up to the skirt.

Due to the nature of the wood used the final finishes may vary from photos online but we will always do our best to get a good / similar match.

You will find a variety of features from item to item. These may be from their previous life or simply the natural grain and pattern in the wood. We enhance these features and will never send out a piece of furniture we wouldn’t want ourselves. They are ‘imperfectly perfect’

Reclaimed wood is not for everyone, it can be full of character and charm which of course makes it unique but it is very different to high street furniture that is made to be uniform. Reclaimed wood can come with dents, scratches, minor splits, missing knots and uneven surfaces.
We always select planks that work well together to ensure a beautiful overall look.

We will not accept returns, make alterations or offer refunds due to issues arising from the customers personal preference on wood grain, colour or any of the character of the wood.

Our furniture specifications are standard for the handmade furniture industry.

Terms Outlined

1. In the event of the customer deciding to cancel an order deposit are non-refundable and in cases where furniture has been given in exchange for the deposit any furniture items will be non-returnable. Deposits of any form are non-refundable and only refundable or returnable if The Grinning Dog cancels the order – except in the advent of an order being cancelled due to non-payment from the customer. The deposit is deductible from the full balance.
2. All deposits received at the time of ordering are non-refundable.
3. If you have paid a deposit, the remainder of the balance owed is payable in full within 24 hours of completion unless otherwise agreed prior to completion. Photos will be dispatched to you on completion.
4. All items displayed or promoted as being available for sale are subject to availability. Your order goes into process as soon as your order is received and accepted and whether your goods are from our standard offering within our current portfolio, or they are bespoke/customised goods i.e. an item that is not offered as standard by us (custom made goods) the process of allocating or ordering materials to create your goods begins immediately. We ask that you choose carefully, match your colours where necessary and measure any areas you think may be a problem prior to placing your order.
5. If we are unable to accept your order, we will inform you of this in writing and will not charge you for the goods and we will refund you any money you have paid in advance for the goods. We reserve the right to refuse any order.
6. If we are making the goods to measurements, you have given us, you are responsible for ensuring that these measurements are correct.
7. If you wish to make a change to the goods you have ordered, please contact us. We will let you know if the change is possible. If it is possible, we will let you know about any changes to the price of the goods, timings of supply or anything else which would be necessary as a result of your requested change and ask you to confirm whether you wish to go ahead with the change.
8. You own the goods once we have received full payment.
9. All drawings, descriptions, illustrations, samples, weights and dimensions provided are approximate and intended for general guidance purposes only and their accuracy cannot be warranted by us.
10. Although we make every effort to be as accurate as possible, because all our goods are handmade, all dimensions indicated on our website have a + / – 5cm tolerance. Many of our goods are made from natural materials which have variations in their colour, markings, texture, look and finish, such as wood which has knots and inconsistencies within the grain. As a result of this please be aware that goods purchased in separate sales orders may vary in appearance. Please contact us prior to placing your order if this maybe a problem for you.
11. The images of the goods on our website are for illustrative purposes only. Although we have made every effort to display the colours accurately, we cannot guarantee that devices display of the colours accurately reflects the colour of the goods. Your goods may vary slightly from those images. Colour charts / samples are available on request.
12. If the customer has chosen to collect the items ordered or unable to receive any items ordered once completed due to house move, delays or renovation we can store items free of charge providing full payment has been made.
13. The Grinning Dog is not responsible in any way shape or form for the size of vehicle the customer chooses to collect items in, it is up to the customer to ensure they have sufficient means of collection.
14. It is up to you as the customer to ensure you have suitable access into your property for the size of furniture ordered. The Grinning Dog cannot accept any liability of damage occurred due to lack of or unsuitable access.
15. All items are bubble wrapped before dispatch and The Grinning Dog cannot be held responsible for any damage occurred in transit by a third party whether this is the customer or courier.
16. The Grinning Dog cannot be held responsible for how goods are loaded / secured & transported when in transit by a third party whether this is the customer or courier.
17. All items are checked and photographed by The Grinning Dog before being bubble wrapped and dispatched.
18. If you do not pay us for the goods when you are supposed to, and you still do not make payment within 3 working days prior to delivery we will suspend supply of the goods until you have paid us the outstanding amounts. We will contact you to tell you we are suspending supply of the goods. As well as suspending the goods we can also charge you interest on your overdue payments.
19. The Grinning Dog reserves the right to change the style of chairs chosen to a similar style in the event of the chosen style being no longer available due to reasons beyond our control without informing the customer.
20. All collections, drop offs and viewings are by appointment only.
21. Reclaimed timber will have marks, cracks, gaps and signs of use from its former life, whilst we make every effort to it is not intended to be perfectly flat or smooth. This is part of the character and charm.
22. All our tabletops and any other wooden areas of furniture are coated, sealed, water and stain resistant to most things including red wine and coffee.
23. All our paintwork unless otherwise stated is coated with a liquid product which enhances its durability and is water / stain resistant and fully wipeable with warm soapy water. Please do not use abrasive products or scourers.
24. With all fully painted chairs / benches we advise using seat pads to aid durability.
25. Returns, refunds and ending your contract email us info@thegrinningdog.uk