Privacy

Do you sell my personal information?

• No! Great Lakes Rustics LLC knows that you care how your personal information is stored, shared and used. We do not sell or give away any information whatsoever to any other business for marketing purposes.

What information do you collect?

• We need certain information in order to ship your orders, contact you for tracking information, and to process your payment. This information such as your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and your credit card information allows us to conduct business with you. We never give this information out to others not associated with your order.
• Automatic information: Our website makes use of cookies to enable our shopping cart. The only information contained in the cookie is the cart id that identifies the cart. It contains no personal information at all and is set to expire after 24 hours. We also track the IP address used to connect to the internet, browser and operating system type, and what URL you can from, which of our pages have been viewed and where you left to go to. None of this information can be used to identify you!
• WebTrends Live is used to analyze traffic to this web site. WebTrends Live does not create individual profiles for visitors. Unlike some tracking services WebTrends Live does not have a database of individual profiles for each visitor. WebTrends Live only collects aggregate data.

Security

Is my personal information secure?

• Great Lakes Rustics LLC uses the industry standard security protocol Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to encode your credit card number and personal information. Credit card information you send is encrypted preventing others from accessing your private information. Your shopping experience will be completely safe when using a SSL capable browser. When in doubt, just look for the little yellow padlock at the bottom of your browser, which tells you that you are on a secure page when entering your sensitive information.

Shipping

How will my order be packaged?

• We package your order with materials that allows you will receive it without damage.
• Most items will be in boxes. Finished furniture and case goods (dressers nightstands, etc.) also get packaged with sheets of packing foam and bubble wrap.
• Some larger items such as beds and lawn swings may be in multiple boxes to make it more manageable to carry. Many of these items are partially assembled for your convenience. After packing, these larger items are secured to pallets with nylon straps for shipping. The strapping holds your furniture in place and prevents it from being damaged. When it arrives at your home or cabin, simply cut the bands that secure your furniture and carry it in.

• Smaller items will ship via UPS or FedEx. You do not have to be home to to recieve a FedEx or UPS shipment.
• Larger items such as king size beds, dressers, and armoires will ship by truck freight (semi truck). The carrier will call you ahead of time to arrange a time for someone to be available to receive your rustic furniture. Please remember that if your order is sent truck freight then your furniture is larger and you will need more than one person to unload!

• When you place your order, we will contact you and give you a projected time frame to give you an idea when you can expect it.
• We will email or call you with shipping and tracking information when your order has shipped. We will give you a tracking number so you can go online and follow the shipping process to give you a better idea of when it will arrive!

• If it is sent freight truck then yes, you will. For liability reasons the freight companies hesitate to allow their drivers to help you unload or to carry your furniture in your house. Find out how big your item is and how much it weighs ahead of time so you can be prepared to unload it when it arrives. Occasionally you may get a really nice helpful driver who is willing to help unload, but you'd better plan as if he/she will not help. If you would like a truck with a lift gate that can be arranged at additional cost to you.

• This occurs very rarely but should it occur, following proper procedures will guarantee that you not be stuck with a damaged or broken product. Naturally, always inspect your shipment immediately, while the truck is still there. If you find damage, do not sign for it. (The paper that you sign that says you received your product) It will be sent back at no charge to you and we will replace it. If the truck driver will not wait for you to inspect the shipment you must note on the freight bill, "Driver would not wait for inspection." Please call and report all delivery problems immediately.

• Yes you can! Many clients have us ship their furniture to their cabin or work. Some even send it to relative's house as a gift! As long as you are accessible by freight truck, we can send it anywhere in the Continental US. Smaller items that go UPS or FedEx can even get into the more remote areas!

Does your furniture come with a warranty?

• Our hickory furniture comes with a 25 year warranty on all parts.
• The Lodge Series and Up North Series, which we build, have 3-year warranties.
• Our Cottage and Mountain Series Furniture come with a 1-year warranty.

• As logs dry, the moisture content is not the same throughout the log. This causes cracks to develop vertically in the log as the wood shrinks at different rates. This adds to the natural look and is not considered a defect. The warranty does not cover this natural drying process.

What if I don't like my furniture?

• We want you to be happy with your order! This is why Great Lakes Rustics LLC offers a 60-day satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, it is not damaged, and you have not altered it in any way you may return it at your expense (you pay shipping), minus a 15% restocking fee for a refund except defective or damaged merchandise.

• We so rarely have a return we almost didn't need to address this question but in trying to keep you well informed, here it is. Please do not return any item without first making arrangements with us except when refusing a damaged shipment. You must call or e-mail and request information about how to go about returning the product. You will be responsible for shipping any returned product in its original packaging and you should use only reputable carriers capable of providing proof on delivery and insurance for the entire value of the product. You would bear all shipping costs and responsibility for the returned product being returned in new condition.

Where are you located?

• We are located in Central Michigan at 119 W Superior St in Alma, Michigan. We are open Monday -Thursday 10:00 - 5:30 and Friday 10:00 - 4:00. We can be open Sundays and evenings by appointment. We are closed on Saturdays for Sabbath observance according to the Bible scriptures.

What is the difference between clear and honey?

• Clear finish is transparent and will cause the wood to take on a slight darkening when used on Pine. The heartwood grain of White Cedar actually darkens somewhat when a clear finish is applied.
• Light Honey finish is what we call our finish that has more of a golden color to it. Color is hard to describe as people have different opinions about what color something is, so the best thing to do is look at the pictures we have provided as examples on the product pages.

• Our Lodge Series furniture is normally sold as "peeled" logs. This simply means that the logs have been run through a machine called a German Peeler, which takes off the first layer(s) of wood, making them more uniform in size and cleans them up. It can be uneven and dimply, but should be free of splinters.
• Sanded furniture is taken a step further and has been sanded smooth. In the sanding process, there may still be dips and small crevices in the log, but has a more refined smooth look than just peeled. Our Mountain Series and Up North Series have all been sanded.

• The natural look of log furniture is one of the reasons it is becoming a more popular home décor not only for the log home market, but other home styles as well. We are frequently asked this question. I want to keep my log furniture looking as natural as possible, should I have it finished? The answer to this is in our opinion is yes. Finishing can change the appearance somewhat depending on the type of wood or finish, but the rewards are well worth it in the long run.
• The oils in our hands are easily absorbed by unfinished wood. Of course our hands are never perfectly clean and the dirt is also absorbed right into the wood with the oil leaving soiled areas where your hands frequently touch the furniture. On a bed this is usually either the headboard or the footboard. One will reach out and grasp the bed to steady them self while taking off shoes or socks. Right there on that post will be a big dark stain. The headboard sure makes a good handle for getting out of bed in the morning too! Another stain. On dressers, of course the drawer pulls and the edge around the top gets the most handling. If an item is finished, washing is easy. It's another story on bare wood. Some folks have taken the furniture out to the shop and sand it down again, but most people don't like the bother. It's easier to just have it finished. Finished log furniture will pass the test of time in keeping your furniture looking good for many years.

• We use two to three coats of an acrylic matte finish on all but the Red Cedar of our indoor finished log furniture. This finish is an environmentally friendly water base variety that is non-yellowing and very durable.
• The Red Cedar furniture is finished with a two-part catalyst lacquer, which brings out the deep beautiful color of this wood.

Red Cedar

• The most surprising thing about Red Cedar (also know as Aromatic Cedar) is that it is not a member of the cedar family at all, instead belonging to the juniper family. Everyone knows the deep aromatic smell of the red cedar. The wood is heavy, and naturally insect and rot resistant. Clothes stored in a chest made of red cedar will be protected from moths. Red cedar has tight knots that add character and beauty. It is sometimes purple, but most often a brownish red that will in time become browner even when preserved. Furniture built with red cedar will last a long time and can definitely be handed down from generation to generation.

• Pine has been used in this country even before our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. The ease with which cutting, drilling and sanding can be done has made it a favorite among woodworkers for generations. Its light color readily takes a variety of stains and finishes. Unfinished Pine also has a light fragrant aroma that is unmistakably recognized by the careful observer. Pine has darker unique knots randomly spaced throughout its subtle grain patterned wood. Various species of Pine can be found throughout the U.S. It has many uses, but we like to make rustic furniture out of it!

• Northern White Cedar grows in Northern Michigan and Canada. It withstands the abuse of seasonal elements without breaking down or rotting like other woods. It is a beautiful light tan color when freshly milled and turns silvery-gray with age, but can be treated with a good quality finish to help retain its color. You will notice cracks, some small and some larger in your rustic furniture. This occurs naturally in the drying process and adds to the rustic look of our products. These cracks do not diminish the function or design of our furniture. They are not a manufacturing defect, just a natural part of seasoning, enhancing.

• Hickory is a very durable, flexible wood. Many a child has climbed to the top of a green hickory sapling to ride it down as it yields to the weight without breaking.It is strong enough to be used when dried as handles for tools such as hammers, axes, etc.
• When heated with steam for a period of time, Hickory poles can easily be formed into various unique pieces of furniture.The steamed poles are placed in a jig and left to dry. They will become very rigid and retain this shape when dry.

Misc.

Will products from one line of furniture match other lines of furniture?

• Pine and White Cedar is very much interchangeable. In fact many builders mix the two wood species on the same piece of furniture. The sapwood of these two types of wood is often undistinguishable to many people.
• Red cedar while not as interchangeable, can be used together in some circumstances.