At Headwaters Woodworking we take great pride in each and every unique piece of solid furniture we sell. Each piece is literally created with our own hands. Our furniture is handcrafted and professionally finished by our team and built using solid wood that is sourced in the USA from sustainable forestry programs. Our wood was once living trees, which maintain a character and unique features and patterns, including some distressed areas.

Given the handmade and hand-finished nature of the products we craft, variations and imperfections in the wood should be expected and celebrated! Just as every tree is unique, so too is every piece of furniture that is handcrafted and hand finished just for you.

Please read through our cosmetic standards below before placing an order with us.

NOTE: By placing an order with us, you are agreeing that you understand and agree with the conditions of these cosmetic standards

WOOD & STAIN VARIATIONS

Every piece of furniture will have a unique grain pattern, density, and slight color variation as a result. We cannot guarantee exact stain matches to other tables we've done in the past. Wood does have a mind of its own and every piece of wood accepts stain differently. We cannot control it. We will use the correct stain or paint color that you requested for your order, but there is a chance the color will vary slightly from the table or picture you were thinking of when you placed the order. This is normal. We cannot rework the finishing on your table to get a precise exact match between pieces. 

MATCHING STAIN COLORS

We do NOT match stain colors off of photos. The only way we can do any type of custom stain color for you is if you bring us the stain yourself and tell us which type of wood to use. All wood types receive stain differently. Once you bring us the stain and tell us which wood to use, we will do what you've asked, however - we cannot rework staining that did not come out exactly as you had in mind. Why? Because - every piece of wood has a unique grain pattern and density and there will always be slight color variations. 

DISTRESSED FEATURES AND NATURAL WOOD MOVEMENT

Hardwoods were once living trees - they all contain natural features from living and growing in wild areas. All wood has areas of dense or lighter grains, knots, distressed points, beetle holes, worm holes, fire scars, lighting strikes, etc. Why? Because they were all once living and dealing with the forces of nature. Because wood milled from trees can contain all these natural characteristics, sometimes the wood we use will have distressed points, knots, holes, sags, depressions, rot, etc. Throughout our building process we try to eliminate or disguise these features, so there will be natural variations in the feel of the grain, small holes and cracks filled, knots planed down or filled in, depressions blended, and boards with irregular grain. 

Due to the variations in seasonal humidity, especially in Colorado, wood can experience large swings in moisture exposure. We do our best to source thoroughly dried lumber and let wood acclimate to our shop before milling. We ensure even milling on both sides of wood, consistent sanding, and finishing both the top and bottom of tables to lock moisture out and prevent exchange of humidity through the wood. However, given our best efforts to control for this, sometimes wood will move and this will result in slight expansion, cupping, or twisting as wood absorbs and exhales moisture. Wood can also experience movement when exposed to frequent heat, sun, cold temperatures, or swings in humidity. We advise our clients to keep furniture away from large swings in temperature and humidity, but we cannot control this, so any cupping twisting or other wood movement over time is expected and we cannot guarantee against it. This won't degrade the quality of the pieces, but will result in wood swelling and contracting. If wood cracking or breaking occurs however, we will fix or replace it. 

GENERAL SIZE VARIATIONS IN FURNITURE

Characteristics of handcrafted, solid wood furniture include open knots, visible breaks, micro-imperfections, worm holes, and distinctive nicks, splits, cracks, and other imperfections that wood naturally has. When dealing with natural solid hardwood we remove and eliminate as many imperfections as possible, that's why we allow up to approximately 1" of variation across length and width measurements, and 1/4" variations across thickness - due to the custom nature of the handcrafted furniture we build. 

Those who do not appreciate variations and imperfections should not purchase handcrafted furniture, but are better off with machine-made veneer pieces.

We do not offer machine manufactured perfection - no two pieces are exactly alike since Headwaters Woodworking furniture is crafted to your order specifications.

We celebrate the true uniqueness of every piece of solid wood furniture that is built and finished by hand in our wood shop. It is our hope that you will as well.