FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions


Product Questions

Question:

How do you measure your coco liners?

Answer:

Liners for Hayrack Planters:
The dimensions listed for our hayrack liners are the interior dimensions of the baskets in which they fit.  The actual liners may be slightly smaller. Note that these are intended ONLY for hayrack planters and not regular windowboxes—hayrack planters curve in the front and do NOT have a flat bottom.

Example:  GL24 fits a 24" Window Hayrack.  Measurements are 24" L x 7.5" W x 7.5" D
The liner for the 24" window hayrack may actually only measure 23" across the back rather than 24".  The other measurements we give for the window hayrack liners are the depth, which is measured top to bottom on the back, and width which is measured back to front across the top.

Liners for Hanging Baskets and Round Planters:

Measure from side to side across the top in the center for the diameter, and from top to bottom for the depth.  Note that some of our liners are made for baskets with a flatter bottom, so you should match the shape to your basket or planter.


Question:

Why is Teak furniture more expensive than other hardwood furniture on the market?

Answer:

There are a number of cheaper hardwoods used for outdoor furniture with all of them inferior to teak. “Jarrah” is the most common of these woods and it does not have the same life expectancy as teak - let alone the same touch, feel or aesthetic quality. Teak furniture is not expensive when you relate the cost to its life expectancy; you must remember this when comparing prices. You are not comparing like with like when you compare teak with any other wood. It is a strange anomaly that despite the fact it is built to endure decades in harsh weather conditions, our furniture is less expensive than other quality indoor chairs and tables.

    - Do less expensive items in the range have the same quality as the more expensive?
    Generally price is dictated by the shape and weight of a piece of furniture. The more shape a piece has, the more wood is required to make it along with taking more time to create. Also, the heavier the sections of wood used means more weight and thus more cost. No matter which piece of furniture you choose, you can be assured that the same quality teak and standard of workmanship is used along with the same methods of manufacture and assembly.
    - How do I look after my teak furniture?
    Teak is a natural product; it can be left out in the open all year round through rain, hail or shine. Its color will gradually mellow to a graceful silver grey. The character of your furniture will alter, but its strength will remain. An occasional scrub down with hot soapy water will compliment this process and discourage any moss growth.
    - How long will it last?
    Teak furniture should last a lifetime if properly built in the first place. We use only the top grade kiln-dried timber, epoxy resins for lasting strength, and any metal parts are either stainless steel or solid brass, which will not rust or corrode when left outside. The top grade teak furniture which is used in all our furniture and with its high natural oil content, resists both warping and rot and ensures that Indian Ocean teak furniture will last more than a lifetime.
    - Cracks appear periodically in my furniture and then go away?
    This is perfectly normal as the wood breathes and reacts to variations in the moisture content of the air. The cracking tends to appear on the end grain sections and usually happens early in the life of the furniture. Cracks come and go depending on seasonal variations but rarely do they affect the strength, performance, or life expectancy of the item.
    - Should I keep the furniture indoors during the winter months?
    There is no problem wintering furniture outside, though it may need a washing down in spring before use. Should you prefer to bring your furniture indoors, our range of folding tables and chairs are perfect and can be easily tucked away when not in use.
    - Spills, Stains, Chips and Scratches?
    Most drink stains will weather out naturally or can be cleaned down with soapy water and a hard brush. Other damage or stains can be removed quite simply using ordinary sandpaper. The grade of sandpaper depends on the degree of damage. Serious damage - start with course and move up to fine. Light damage - fine grade is all you will need. Stains usually disappear with a light sanding.
    - How easy is the furniture to assemble?
    Most of the time the furniture is supplied flat-packed in semi-assemblies. Only few products come in fully assembles. All flat-packed items come with the hardware, dowels, screw glue and instruction manual. To make the furniture stronger and more stable, glue is required even though in some cases glue is not required. In most cases the furniture can be assembled within a few minutes by a single person with a minimum of tools. However, a helper is always useful.

Question:

Do your planters come with drain holes?

Answer:

Yes and no. If you are planting directly in the pot, your pot needs drainage, so you may want to purchase a saucer.  If you are using it indoors as a cache pot or cover pot you will not need drainage.
Cast Stone:  These come standard with drain holes unless otherwise requested.  You may also specify your drain hole size for these planters because they are cast after an order is placed.
Resin:  Most of the Crescent line of planters come with drainage.  The Montana Bowl is the exception; it does not come with a drain hole but can be easily drilled if needed.  Some of the other planters, such as the Delano Oval and the Orinoco Bowl come with plugs so that they may be used for water gardens.  Riverside planters have drainage holes.
Aluminum & Steel from Ore, Inc: These are crafted once an order is placed, so drainage can be specified at that time.
Fiberglass:  Our fiberglass planters do not come with drainage so that they can be used indoors as well as outdoors.  You must specify drainage requirements at time of order.

Garden Artisans Exclusive Designs in Copper, Brass & Aluminum: Drainage requirements must be specified at time of order.
Fiberstone:  All of our fiberstone planters drainage must be specified.  

Yes and no. If you are planting directly in the pot, your pot needs drainage, so you may want to purchase a saucer.  If you are using it indoors as a cache pot or cover pot you will not need drainage.
Cast Stone:  These come standard with drain holes unless otherwise requested.  You may also specify your drain hole size for these planters because they are cast after an order is placed.
Resin:  Most of the Crescent line of planters come with drainage.  The Montana Bowl is the exception; it does not come with a drain hole but can be easily drilled if needed.  Some of the other planters, such as the Delano Oval and the Orinoco Bowl come with plugs so that they may be used for water gardens.  Riverside planters have drainage holes.
Aluminum & Steel from Ore, Inc: These are crafted once an order is placed, so drainage can be specified at that time.
Fiberglass:  Our fiberglass planters do not come with drainage so that they can be used indoors as well as outdoors.  You must specify drainage requirements at time of order.

Garden Artisans Exclusive Designs in Copper, Brass & Aluminum: Drainage requirements must be specified at time of order.
Fiberstone:  All of our fiberstone planters drainage must be specified.  

Question:

Do I need a saucer?

Answer:

Saucers are optional and are usually preferred when water draining from a planter may stain or damage the surface below. The INSIDE dimensions of the saucer should be approximately 2 inches larger than the OUTSIDE BOTTOM of the planter. This will allow for a 1” space around the bottom of the planter when sitting inside the saucer. 


Question:

Galvanized Garden Structures - why pay more?

Answer:

To answer that question, you really need to understand the process of galvanization. It is our belief that anyone who buys steel for outdoor use and does not pay the extra cost for galvanization is making a poor long-term decision. Galvanizing provides a rust resistant finish for metal products. Products with a galvanized finish are much less likely to show rust, except where the galvanized coat wears off in use. In areas where products will be exposed to salt water (sea air) serious thought should be given to using products that have a galvanized base. Otherwise, it will be necessary to repaint as much as every year. Because the galvanizing process involves total immersion of the material, it is a complete process; all surfaces are coated. Galvanizing provides both outside and inside protection for hollow structures.

  • Hot-dip Galvanizing is a modern and technically advanced method that protects iron and steel from rust by providing a thick metallic zinc envelope that completely covers the steel surface and seals it from the corrosive action of its environment. A high quality zinc coating is welded to the steel surface by an alloying reaction between zinc to form a tough, durable and impervious coating. This protects the steel by electrochemical protection, also known as sacrificial protection because where there is damage or minor discontinuity in the sealing coat of zinc, the zinc sacrifices itself to protect the steel to which it is alloyed. It will go on doing so until almost the last atom of zinc, significantly reducing corrosion of steel and iron.
  • Unlike organic paint coatings that require frequent renewal, the galvanized coating cannot come off as it is alloyed to the surface of the steel, coating every surface of the product which can be reached in the hot dip process, both inside and out.
  • In hot dip galvanizing a product, the galvanizer cleans the steel by degreasing and pickling to obtain a chemically clean surface.
    The galvanizing reaction between zinc and steel takes place in liquid zinc, at high temperature for a few minutes.
Steel can be further protected from the elements by adding powder-coating. This combines the advantage of the durability of galvanizing with the attractive appearance of powder-coating. Economic Benefits: Because duplex systems (combining galvanizing with powder-coating) greatly extend the service life of a product, maintenance costs are significantly decreased. Additionally, a product lasts longer before it must be replaced, thus decreasing the life-cycle cost. The cost of a product, which has been protected by galvanizing and painting, is lower over the entire life of the product than most single system methods of corrosion protection. Synergistic Effect: Combining galvanizing with powder-coat finishes provides corrosion protection 1.5 to 2.5 times longer than the sum of the lifetimes of zinc and paint used individually. For example, if a galvanized coating is expected to last 40 years and a paint system is expected to last 10 years, galvanizing and paint together should last 75 years with needed maintenance, or 1.5 times the sum of both systems.

Shipping

Question:

How will my order ship if it is Free Shipping?

Answer:

That will depend upon the item shipping, but as a general rule we will choose the method that will safely get your order to you and is also the most economical.

Question:

Why does it cost so much to ship my item?

Answer:

There are many factors taken into consideration when a shipping rate is determined: weight, box dimensions and length of travel.   New to 2015, Fed Ex and UPS now calculate shipping weights by taking the dimensions of the shipping box, L x W x H, and dividing by a divisor that is a negotiated rate.  This is the weight then used to calculate the shipping weight.  So even if you have purchased a lightweight item, it can ship at a much higher weight.  We pass along all negotiated rates to our customers.


Question:

What does truck shipment or motor freight mean?

Answer:

Truck shipment means the product you have chosen will ship via a large semi-type truck rather than the small package trucks most often seen by residential deliveries via Fed Ex, UPS and the post office.

When we quote a truck shipment, this means your item will be delivered strapped to a pallet. Trucking companies charge an additional fee to bring these trucks into residential areas.  Most companies also charge a fee for a lift-gate.  A lift-gate is the apparatus on the back of a truck that allows the driver to lower the pallet to the ground.  In our quotes, the pallet will be left at your curb. It is then up to you to retrieve your item and move it to your desired location.  You will also be required to dispose of the pallet.

When a truck shipment is arranged going to a residential area, dispatch from the trucking company will call you to arrange the date of the delivery.  You must be home to accept and sign for this delivery.  You should inspect the pallet carefully and note on the ticket any damage to the pallet that you fear may affect the product on the pallet.  If you can see that the item is damaged on the pallet beyond what you are willing to accept, you should refuse the shipment.  If you think it is something that can be repaired and you can accept that, then sign the ticket, noting any damage you see, and contact us immediately.


Question:

When should I request a shipping estimate?

Answer:

When you are adding multiple and varied items to a cart, our shipping calculators are not always able to condense and pack appropriately; therefore, it may return an incorrect shipping quote.
Anytime you are not happy or question the shipping estimate, please request a quote! We are happy to provide them.

Discount Purchasing

Question:

How do I set up a wholesale account?

Answer:

At the bottom of all web pages you will find a Discount Purchasing link. Click on this and choose the appropriate discount account.

Coupon Codes

Question:

Do you have a listing of coupon codes?

Answer:

The short answer is no. We try to price our items fairly and charge only what it costs us to ship your items, so we are not constantly creating and sending out coupon codes. Click here to view our Current Promotions.