Services
Conway have a hard earned reputation for offering friendly and efficient customer service. Conway have five stores; Colchester, Ipswich, Chelmsford and Harlow, where you will find helpful and knowledgeable staff on hand to offer advice and to guide you through the vast product range.
Many products are available from stock or else they can be ordered in. Some products can be taken away from the store. Customer collections can be arranged from any of the stores or the central warehouse facility in Witham, Essex.
Conway operate a full delivery service throughout South East England and East Anglia with a fleet of vehicles each with a two man crew. Furniture can be delivered and if required positioned in a chosen room, unwrapped and assembled. Packaging can be removed for re-cycling. There is a modest charge for the delivery service.
Wood care
The variations in grain pattern and colour are what give real wood its natural beauty and timeless appeal. Different woods have different characteristics and no two pieces will ever be exactly the same. Your piece of furniture will be unique to you to look after and treasure. Real wood furniture will improve with age, the minor marks and knocks picked up through use will add character and the colour and texture will acquire a patina as the wood mellows.
Wood lives and breathes and reacts to its environment. It is natural for wood to shrink and expand depending on temperature and humidity. It is therefore best to avoid placing furniture in direct sunlight or in contact with radiators. In certain situations it is preferable to use veneers instead of solid wood in order for the furniture to perform better.
Rustic furniture
Where a furniture range is described as rustic, the construction is usually a little cruder and the finish less uniform than the more highly finished products on offer. For many rustic ranges, timbers with a lively grain pattern are selected which are often more prone to movement. The presence of small cracks, knots and imperfections in the wood give the furniture more character and are to be expected.
Wooden furniture comes in a variety of finishes which require a small amount of care to ensure the furniture continues to look good and perform well.
Lacquer
Many products are finished with a clear protective lacquer either on the natural wood or on top of a stained finish. Spills can be wiped with a slightly damp cloth. Lacquers offer a degree of heat protection, however hot objects will damage wooden surfaces and so protective mats should always be used. Solvents and alcohol can damage lacquers.
Lacquered furniture can be cleaned using a non-silicone ammonia-free furniture polish, such as Conway Natural Beeswax Polish.
Wax
Traditional wax finishes need to be re-applied periodically to prevent the wood drying out and to maintain a protective finish. Marks and scratches can often be removed using very fine steel wool, working with the wood grain, followed by re-waxing. Often furniture is finished with wax which contains a stain which will deepen the colour of the wood. Conway Natural Beeswax is suitable and is available in either clear or dark colours. A small inconspicuous area should be tested before wax is applied to the rest of the furniture, in case it is incompatible with the existing finish.
Oil
As with wax finishes, oil does not completely seal the wood surface, so any spillages should be wiped up quickly. To prevent the wood drying out a suitable oil such as Danish teak oil should be applied frequently, especially in dry, centrally heated environments.