Frequently asked questions
You can purchase Jo Alexander furniture through our website, by phone or by visiting one of our Pop up Shops (these generally take place between April to the end of August).
Alternatively you could visit our Show Barn near Cambridge (Knapwell Wood Farm, High Street, Knapwell, Cambs, CB23 4NS) to view our full range of furniture and accessories. Please call us on 01954 267857 to give us one hours notice of your visit. Thank you.
Teak is a close grained hardwood with a high natural oil content. This makes it hard wearing, highly resistant to rotting and almost impervious to the effects of sun, rain, frost or snow. These characteristics combine to make it the ideal timber for all outdoor furniture. Other hardwoods are often used for outdoor furniture, but they do not perform to the high standards of teak.
Teak wood graded 'A' is the wood taken from the heart of the trunk where teak oil is much more concentrated. Also 'A' grade teak has more silica and rubber making it more resistant to water and insects. Coming from the heart of the teak log also means that your won't find as many knots in the wood. This means that the wood's texture is more uniform and resistant. The colour is also deeper boasting a gorgeous golden brown colour. 'A' grade teak is, consequently, more expensive than B or C grade teak.
Teak wood graded 'B' (not supplied by Jo Alexander) is taken from the outer part of the heart of the tree. It still has a fairly good concentration of natural oils and is used for making furniture. The touch is not a smooth and is less shiny than 'A' grade teak.
Teak wood graded 'C' (not supplied by Jo Alexander) is the lowest quality teak and taken from the outer part of the teak log.
We use one of a number of delivery services to get your order to you safely; either our own delivery team, a courier service (Parcel Force, DPD or UK Mail), or a Pallet Service (for which a signature will be required on delivery but we will liaise with you direct to ensure the pallet delivery takes place on an agreed/convenient day).
Please note: Jo Alexander do not take liability of goods in transit which are sent overseas or internationally.
We aim to keep all our product photos up to date and relevant. Jo Alexander carries out its own photo shoots (for Jo Alexander Products only) and aims to get the product colourings as accurate as possible, but where there might appear to be slight variances, (specifically in relation to the Teak, Concrete and Concrete Resin products), this will be due to the light conditions at the time the photograph was taken.
Sadly no - these dates are a general guide only and are subject to change depending on: the date the goods are finally released from the Factory in the Far East, any Shipping delays (eg. due to weather conditions), any customs hold ups, documentation delays, delivery delays once in the country. We aim to keep the 'Stock Due' date as up to date as possible on the Website and we will contact customer's direct if there is going to be any major delays to their order. Please be aware that timings can change up to 2 - 3 weeks beyond our estimated due date.
If our driver is carrying out the delivery (as opposed to a Courier or Pallet Company) then we will aim to assist you as much as we can - time allowing. However, if you do require assistance to get the furniture in place, please ensure that you bring this to our attention prior to the delivery date so that we can build in the time and agree any charges that may be necessary.
If you live within three miles of the sea, you may need to be aware that the salt in the sea air can have a corrosive effect on metals (such as aluminium and Iron products).
We would advise brushing and wiping your furniture down on arrival as there may be dust residues on the surface of the teak. Before placing cushions on the furniture, let the teak settle outside for 24 hours to help avoid transference of any dust/natural occuring oils from the wood to the cushions.
This sometimes happens when a Natural / light cushion is placed on newly delivered item of furniture. This happens due to a combination of dust and teak oils transferring from the wood on to the cushion. We would advise wiping down the furniture with a damp cloth and letting the furniture dry out before placing the cushions on to the item. We would advise washing any soiled covers on a 40 degree wash.
All our cushions (excluding some of the scatter cushions) will be shower proof but not fully waterproof. However, we generally recommend covering or storing the cushions away when not in use to assist with the longevitiy of the cushion's life. Our cushions will either be made from one of the following fabrics:-
Sunbrella Fabrics (Trade marked) - are produced to have a longer lifespan than cotton. Sunbrella has become widely adopted for shade structures, marine canvas and upholstery fabric for both outdoor and indoor applications. With a robust performance characteristic that provides resistance to fading and degradation from sunlight and chemical exposure. The fabric is tactile yet durable is easy to care for and offers long life.
Sunproof Fabrics (Trade marked) - a high performing fabric against weathering, rubbing, colour fastness to chlorinated pool water, sea water and is soil and stain repellent with anti bacterial, anti mildew and UV resistance. 100% recyclable.
Jo Alexander uses Feefo, the Global Feedback Engine, to generate our customer feedback. Feefo is a closed invitation only platform, thus guaranteeing every single review we have received is matched to a genuine customer who has transacted with us. We remain committed to providing the best customer experience to every customer and it is through a transparent feedback process that we truly understand what we really do right and, sometimes, wrong. You can be sure that our reviews, because of our relationship with Feefo, are the opinions of genuine customers.
Yes, Jo Alexander furniture can be kept outside all year round. It will get dirtier than furniture that is just used in the summer, but the long-term performance and durability of the furniture is exactly the same. If you would prefer to store furniture over the winter, we advise that you do so in a garden shed or garage. It is not advisable to store the furniture near an indoor radiator as the differences in temperature and humidity may cause the wood to split.
When purchasing Jo Alexander Teak Garden Furniture there are two main care options:-
Option One
Leave the furniture untreated to age naturally. The effects of the suns rays will bleach out the timbers natural colour, gradually turning it a soft silvery grey colour. This silver grey ‘patina’ which develops over time gives teak furniture a distinctive appearance. The silver grey colour resulting from this natural ageing process is considered to be very attractive, and allows the furniture to blend in well with any outdoor environment. Teak Cleaner will be required periodically to clean and restore your teak garden furniture.
Option Two
On purchasing treat with Teak Protector which maintains the golden brown colour of the teak for a long time. (We recommend that you always test the Protector underneath the furniture to ensure that you are happy with the result that it will give you).
Some additional points to note:-
- When we have extensive wet weather conditions in the UK with more rainfall than usual, garden furniture does not get a chance to dry out. Mildew may, therefore, form, so treating with Teak Cleaner will help with this.
- We do not recommend the use of high pressure hoses as this may "chip out" small pieces of teak wood. We also do not recommend the use of steel wool or steel wire brushes. These can cause grooves to be formed along the grain of the wood during brushing and secondly can cause rust marks in the grain of the wood from steel residues.
- You could also clean your furniture with some warm mild soapy water and a soft bristled brush. Wash down afterwards with clean water.
- If the furniture has some stubborn and heavily ingrained stains, these can be removed by sanding with a fine grade of sandpaper, being sure to work only with the direction of the timber grain. After sanding stains away like this, if the furniture was previously teak oiled you may wish to re-oil, or if it had previously been left natural, the fresh colour exposed by sanding will soon mellow in with the existing silver grey patina.
Please also note that our team is always ready and willing to help should you wish to call us for additional advice.
We advise that you do not use abrasive cleaners or chemicals on the concrete / resin concrete. Wiping it over with a damp cloth and non-citric washing up liquid is generally recommended.
Acidic substances, such as vinegar or lemon juice, (and also hot tableware) could etch the surface of the concrete so the use of coasters and table mats under liquids will help protect the surface.
Concrete & resin concrete is porous and liquid can soak into the surface so ensure you wipe up any spillages immediately, but with regular waxing, (approximately every 6 weeks, using our concrete Wax) this will help to keep your table sealed. The resin surface will naturally react to its outdoor environment and will become rough to the touch. Regular waxing will help maintain a level of smoothness but the overall feel will be rougher than when first delivered.
We recommend the use of a furniture cover all year round which will help to protect your garden furniture. The Turin table top is made from a fibre glass resin mix which will naturally create a certain amount of flex on the table top - this is particularly important in a table of this length to ensure longevity of the table and to prevent any imperfections occuring. Pooling of rain water will naturally occur on this table as there are no drain holes or slatting.
Our concrete range is made from water, sand, cement and Jute. Some items are then re-enforced with a metal grid. Our concrete range is delivered with a pre-treatment – this will need reapplying - it doesn’t last forever! The concrete surface has not been designed to be smooth or flat. Micro-bubbles and indentations occur where the concrete has been removed from the mould. This is not a fault in the table - it is a natural characteristic of concrete.
Concrete is pretty robust, but it is prone to cracks and chips - it can react to its environment or it can be damaged by an impact of some sort. It is important to stress that cracks do not affect its durability they simply add character to the table. If character is not what you are after – you can carry out simple repairs by using fast drying cement and sanding with a fine sandpaper. The repair will be visible, but it will blend into the mottled appearance of the surface over time, especially with the re-application of our wax treatment.
The concrete surface, over time, will change in its appearance – this makes the product unique to you and your way of life. Bumps and chips are part of its charm.
While teak contains high levels of oils that prevent the wood from breaking down, any garden furniture is vulnerable to mould, mildew or moss - this can happen if the furniture is situated in a damp or shaded environment. A diluted bleach mixture and light sanding can help with this problem.
The use of a Furniture Cover all year round will help to protect your garden furniture and prolong the life of the concrete and wooden frame.
In order to protect your furniture in winter, (if not storing away in the dry) we have available sturdy furniture covers prolonging the use of your chosen furniture. These come in various forms including round/oval/rectangle set covers. We also have two sizes of parasol covers.
If covering wooden teak furniture, we advise that you enable an air flow around and over the table top and chairs to prevent mould growing and to avoid water settling and penetrating through the cover.
Teak is a natural material, which will change colour with time and exposure to the climate surrounding it. The occasional dark patches are found as a result of the natural, biological process in the starches, moistures and natural oils present in the timber. These patches gradually disappear as the teak matures with age.
It is normal to have fine cracks on the furniture as teakwood is a natural material which expands and contracts with weather changes. Consequently, cracks can appear and disappear with time. This will not affect the life of your furniture.
When wasps are looking for materials to build a home, they can start nibbling away at your teak garden furniture. We have a couple of suggestions which can assist with this problem. If you already use a teak protector on your furniture then by mixing in a repellant of 1 part eucalyptus oil, 1 part menthol, 1 part citronnella (into the protector), this will deter the wasps. Use it sparingly and do not saturate the wood.
If you don't wish to use a teak protector then an alternative solution is to hang a Waspinator in your yard. Wasps are territorial and if there is another nest, they will avoid the area. This is a clean, simple and environmentally friendly way to eliminate a nuisance pest.
The stainless steel is made from 304 grade steel, which has a minimum of 8% nickel and a minimum of 18% chrome.
To remove small marks and dirt simply use warm water and a clean cloth. Do not use cleaners containing chlorine. Stainless steel cleaner can be used to maintain or restore the polished look.
When cleaning it is important to use a non-foaming cleaner on woven furniture, as a foaming product will leave residues in the gaps in-between the weave which will then attract dirt. A pressure hose on a low setting is acceptable to use on wicker furniture.
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