Every restoration leaving our workshop carries a five-year workmanship guarantee. If a joint fails, a finish lifts, or a veneer separates because of something we did, we fix it — at no cost, without argument.
Issued at completion of every restoration commission. Valid five years from the delivery date, transferable to a new owner if the piece is sold within the guarantee period.
If something we did fails within the guarantee period, we repair or replace it at our expense. Below is exactly what falls inside the guarantee.
Joints we reglued or rebuilt, dowels and tenons we replaced, cracks we consolidated — all covered if they fail under normal use.
Veneer we laid, patched, or replaced. If it lifts, bubbles, or separates, we re-do it at no charge.
Premature flaking, clouding, or peeling of a finish we applied. We refinish the affected area, or the whole piece if necessary.
Any hinge, latch, handle, or fitting we supplied and installed. If it fails mechanically, we replace it with the same or better.
Boards we replaced, patterns we rebuilt, and finishes we applied to parquet floors. If a board lifts within the period, we re-set it.
Whether the work was done in our atelier or at your home, the guarantee travels with the craftsman. Same terms, same period.
We are equally clear about what falls outside the guarantee, so there are no arguments later. If you are ever unsure whether something is covered, call us and ask.
Scratches, dents, patina, and sheen changes from everyday use. These are signs of a piece being lived with, not defects.
Drops, impacts, heat marks, pet damage, or anything a piece sustains once it is back in your home. Insurance territory, not warranty.
Damage from external events — burst pipes, smoke, powder-post beetle — is not covered. We handle it as a new commission under insurance.
Failure caused by placing a piece in a humid basement, an unheated attic, or next to a heat source. Wood moves with its surroundings.
Damage from solvents, abrasives, or household cleaners that are not appropriate for the finish. We always send written care instructions — follow them.
If someone else modifies, repairs, or refinishes a piece after we have finished it, the guarantee on the affected area is void.
If you believe something is covered, contact us. You do not need the certificate — we keep the original on file in the workshop.
Reach us at (650) 967-5761 or [email protected]. Describe what you are seeing. A photograph from your phone is often enough for us to know what is wrong.
We either come to you, or arrange pickup and return. Assessment is free — even if the answer turns out to be "not covered." We will always tell you why.
If it is covered, we repair at no cost — including pickup, delivery, and any materials. Typical turnaround is two to four weeks, prioritised ahead of new commissions.
Most warranty claims we see could have been avoided with two minutes of care every six months. Here is what we recommend.
A soft microfibre cloth, no spray. Solvents and soap break down every finish eventually — including the ones we use.
UV light darkens some woods and lightens others. Rotate pieces if they sit near a window for long periods.
Wood likes 40–55% relative humidity. Below 30% it shrinks; above 70% it swells. Both cause joint failures we cannot warranty against.
Oil and hardwax finishes want a thin coat once a year. We supply a small bottle with every commission — a few drops and a cloth is enough.
Heat marks and scratches from dragging are the two most common callouts we get. Both are avoidable in ten seconds.
If something does not look right, ask. Small issues caught early are usually five-minute fixes. Left alone, they become refinishing jobs.
No. We keep a copy of every guarantee in the workshop with the original commission details. If you tell us your name and the approximate date of the work, we can find it. The certificate is for your records, not ours.
The guarantee is transferable — the new owner simply needs to notify us in writing (an email is fine), and we transfer the remaining period to their name. There is no fee, and the terms do not change.
Yes, but the logistics change. We will still repair the piece under guarantee, but transport to and from Mountain View is at your cost. Many clients in that situation choose to have us repair it and ship it back — we can quote for that on request.
As long as the transfer was registered with us, you have exactly the same rights as the original owner. If it was never registered, we will still help — but we may ask for documentation that traces the piece back to the original commission.
Only the parts we worked on. If we restored the top of a table and the original legs subsequently fail, the legs are not covered — unless we also repaired or refinished them as part of the same commission. When in doubt, ask.
We will show you exactly what we see and why we believe it falls outside the guarantee. If you still disagree, we will offer a second opinion from an independent craftsman — and if that second opinion supports your claim, we repair it as a warranty job, no argument.
Call us. We would rather spend five minutes on the phone now than have you worry about a crack, a wobble, or a lifting edge. Assessment is always free, covered or not.