Natural Living Edition Furniture

We have developed a special version of our entire furniture line which we call The NATURAL LIVING EDITION. We have done our best to eliminate all sources of chemical contamination that consumers would prefer not to bring into their homes. Anyone who would like to minimize their exposure to chemicals, as well as individuals with chemical sensitivities and allergies, should be interested in this option. There are several levels of changes that we offer to create a choice that will satisfy the desires and needs of each homeowner .

This line MAY be helpful to those with chemical sensitivities and allergies, but we can not guarantee that our furniture will be the solution to all of their problems. We send samples of everything that we use in the furniture as part of the purchasing process, and we expect that consumers will use these samples to test in advance of ordering for issues that they may have with the elements used in manufacturing.

There are obviously trade-offs to be made when discarding the modern chemical solutions to the mechanics of building and finishing furniture. The most modern and best solutions to several of the furniture makers’ needs are not necessarily the healthiest. Some of them are made with harsh chemicals and some of the finishes have those chemicals still in them, at least until they are thoroughly dry, and leave traces of them long after.

In the process of eliminating these unpleasant products we often have to substitute others which are either more difficult to work with, require special considerations in construction, or do not last as long as the less wholesome alternatives. The main examples are listed below:

1. Veneered plywood — our standard furniture uses the highest grade of plywood for the back of dressers and in the drawer box construction. Both of these parts are more stable when made from plywood, and require no allowance for expansion and contraction. In the thicknesses that are used, the plywood is also a stronger material. To eliminate these uses, we must substitute a thicker hardwood, which is more expensive in cost and requires additional labor to install and machine to allow for expansion.

-We choose to eliminate plywood because the adhesives used in manufacturing them emit vapors for years. These vapors, particularly from formaldehyde in the adhesive, can be an irritant and in the long run may be unhealthy. We have never, and will never, use plywood or particle board (MDF) anywhere in our Natural Living Edition Furniture.

-Several US manufacturers represent their furniture as "healthy", "natural", or "chemical free", yet still use plywood in the construction. It is wise to ask pointed questions and demand straightforward answers regarding the use of plywood, since some of these manufacturers have been known to duck the question, or give misleading statements.

2. Finish — our standard finish is boiled linseed oil thinned with odorless mineral spirits, and is not an objectionable finish. While raw linseed oil is natural, the "boiling" process requires the addition of traces of chemical driers that are not necessarily ideal. The people who sell this oil suggest that you can eat from the surfaces prepared properly and well dried and it is most likely true. Extremely sensitive people react to the driers and the odor of the linseed oil itself. The mineral spirits are designed to evaporate completely but, again, some people with sensitivities react to the traces. Our drawer boxes are finished with a polyester finish that is absolutely odorless and inert. It is not necessary to replace or delete the polyester finish for any health reasons but it can be done if desired.

-Our furniture can be purchased unfinished if you feel uncomfortable with all known finishes, but that leaves the wood pores open to dirt and stains. We offer an oil and wax finish from AFM coatings that has been designed for health and to minimize damage to the environment. This finish uses vegetable driers and thinners to replace all of the contaminants that we wish to avoid. Since we apply this finish by hand, we would be happy to use any finish that you provide that you know is safe and comfortable for you personally, as long as it can be brushed or wiped on and does not need to be sprayed.

3. Slats — Our standard bed slats are made from the offal of a foreign wood used for decks. It makes use of a product that would otherwise be thrown away. However, this wood will probably cause more reaction than maple, which is considered the most inert hard wood. In our Natural Living Edition we replace all bed slats with maple slats — a costly process but necessary. We use a non-natural fabric for the slat webbing, but that can be replaced with cotton or other products with which you are comfortable.



4. Glue - We use a polyvinyl acetate glue for all assembly - we have tried more natural adhesives but they do not hold up as well. Our glue contains absolutely no formaldehyde and should not cause any problems, especially since it is buried within the joints. A sample of the glue is sent with the test kit. Formaldehyde adhesives and the resulting off-gassing are the primary reasons for avoiding plywood and particleboard. Imported furniture can also use these adhesives within the construction of solid wood furniture.

We are now offering our complete line of furniture in the configurations listed below. Remember, we have been told that maple is the least reactive hardwood available, but cherry is our most popular wood and will not be a problem for most people. The backs, drawers, and drawer bottoms will always be made of maple or a similar non-reactive wood. Walnut is also available, but more people have issues with it.

The various levels of the Natural living Edition are:

1. Unfinished, with drawers and back replaced with solid, non-reactive hardwood. Beds have maple slats. If a consumer applies their own finish, we can not be responsible for the quality or issues that may arise.
2. Same as above with our standard oil and wax finish. Most people find this finish acceptable, and it is less expensive than option 3.
3. Natural finish — same details as above and a hand wiped and hand-rubbed application of our AFM oil and wax or a finish of your choice.
4. At your request, we can use certified lumber to build your specific furniture. Although our shop is not certified at this time, we can purchase wood from certified suppliers and reserve it for your order. We would guarantee that no non-certified wood would be mixed into your project.

There are standard upcharges for each of these options. A test kit will be sent to prospective buyers on receipt of a $50.00 payment. It will contain separately packaged samples of each of the types of wood and finishes that we use, as well as a dried glue smear and slat webbing fabric. This will allow a thorough testing of all of the components, after which we can not accept any responsibility for reactions to anything in the furniture as delivered. No furniture will be accepted for return for reasons of reaction to the wood or finish. This test kit places the responsibility on the consumer to test the products before ordering. If an order is placed for Natural Living Edition furniture the $50.00 will be deducted from the total sale.

NATURAL LIVING EDITION FURNITURE IS AVAILABLE ONLY BY DIRECT PURCHASE THROUGH OUR FACTORY STORE. CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Vermont Furniture Designs
P.O. Box 4533 Burlington, Vermont 05406 802-655-6568
4 Tigan Street  Winooski, Vermont 05404 Fax-802-655-5979
vfd@sover.net

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