What does "Amish-made" mean?
Not all Amish-made furniture is completely alike, but there is a specific meaning to the phrase "Amish-made" on our website. It is handmade by Amish craftsmen, often using power tools but never an automated manufacturing machine. It is built from raw materials like wood or poly lumber, not from mass-produced components. It is built in the USA, not imported.
What is the quality of the furniture?
The products we offer are crafted for excellence in their intended purpose and expected delivery method. An outdoor picnic table is not expected to be the same as a mahogany dining table, nor would a mahogany table be shipped in a cardboard box. Below are some distinct categories that we offer, and details of what you can expect from these categories.
-
Flat-Packed Furniture
This describes the majority of the items we offer. This furniture is made from real wood (like pine, cedar, locust, hickory) or high-quality poly lumber, not particle board or cheap substitutes. To make it shippable, partial assembly is usually required after delivery. This means hardware like screws are not completely hidden. -
Heirloom Quality Furniture
This furniture is made of choice hardwoods like oak, maple, and cherry. They typically come with an extremely high-quality finish and do not require any assembly. They are custom-built, taking weeks or even months. They are delivered by hand rather than shipped in a box, which means it is very difficult to offer this online. We can offer great prices on a wide variety of heirloom quality furniture, but we would need to work up a specific quote for local pick-up in PA or delivery. -
Lawn Ornaments
These products are actually how we started working with Amish craftsmen! They are built from durable exterior-grade plywood, high-grade laminates, or pressure-treated lumber. Poly is often an option as well, which is usually more expensive but will last for decades without much upkeep.
Is it in stock?
While a few items are immediately ready to ship, most items are built-to-order from in-stock materials. Production time varies by product, so each product page specifies the expected ship time. This means that there may be some time between purchase and shipping, but it is a consistent production timeframe. You're not waiting for an imported item to be unloaded from a container ship; you're waiting for a carpenter to build the exact item you ordered.
Can I expedite shipment of my item?
Sometimes expedited shipping (like 2nd Day Air) can be purchased for an item. However, expediting the production time is not something we typically offer. Whenever a built-to-order item is purchased, that item is placed at the end of the waitlist; products are built in the order in which they were purchased. If you have a specific timeline you need your product by, you can always ask us to see if it can be accommodated.
Do you ship worldwide?
We currently do not ship outside the US. Our prices includes free shipping within the continental United States. Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, and US Territories is typically available, but the shipping costs are high and very unpredictable, so that would require a custom quote with specific shipping cost added. We do not ship internationally, not even to nearby countries like Canada. If you are located outside the United States and would like to purchase, we would recommend coordinating with a US-based freight forwarding company such as MyUS.com.
How should I maintain outdoor furniture?
The majority of our products are for outdoor use, where they face inclement weather. If your outdoor furniture is made of poly, it is practically weatherproof, so this is not much of a concern. For wooden products, though, good maintenance helps extend the life of the furniture by many years. The recommendations for outdoor wooden furniture break down to three main categories: installation, location, and restoration.
-
Installation
For all wooden furniture, moisture is a primary contributor to wood rot, so it is best to minimize the amount of time the furniture spends in a wet location (e.g. puddles, mud, wet grass). This doesn't have to mean installing on a patio or concrete blocks; something as simple as placing wood chips beneath the furniture feet can make a big difference. -
Location
In seasons of heavy snowfall, it may be worth bringing wooden furniture under a roof to protect it from being exposed to moist snow for days or weeks. For painted wood, it is best to always keep it under a roof, since that will minimize the wear and tear to the paint from sun or rain (stained items are better able to handle being out in the open). -
Restoration
For stained wood, the finish naturally fades over time and requires recoating in order to keep the wood most protected and in best condition. The speed that the wood stain fades or deteriorates is highly affected by moisture, salt, and sunlight, so it is best to check frequently to see if the furniture is losing color (which shows that the stain is faded). Please note that for soy-based stains, recoating does not require that the old stain be stripped away. These stains soak into the wood and are best reapplied directly on top of the previous layer. Below is a general recoating timeline that applies to most situations. - During the 1st year of use, the furniture undergoes the most adjustment to the local climate and the most wear-and-tear. It is recommended to recoated at this time.
- After that 1st year, most furniture should be recoated every 2-3 years. Again, this will vary widely depending on the climate in the area.
Do I need to apply wood sealant?
If wood stain is reapplied as recommended, it helps protect the wood so that wood sealant is not necessary. However, many customers do prefer the extra protection that wood sealants provide against UV rays and water damage. Polyurethane wood sealant is a very popular product for outdoor wooden furniture, but our experience is that urethane wood sealants can bring a risk of sealing water inside the wood. Moisture may already have been inside the wood when the seal was applied, or if the sealant is not applied on every surface there may be a spot where water can still seep inside. Once moisture is below the sealant, it is difficult for the water to evaporate, which can contribute to wood rot rather than preventing it. Our recommendation is Natural-Kote™ Elite 501, which is a soy-based wood sealant that provides additional wood protection without the same risk of trapping water inside, as polyurethane sealant can do.