Hey November, What's New?

November is already shaping up to be a busy month for us here at the Hut. We've added quite a few unique pieces of hardware that I'm willing to bet you'd have a hard time finding someplace else.

Let's just say you need a door knocker in oil rubbed bronze, that's not so difficult but let's just say you need an oil rubbed bronze door knocker that says Mozart (because that just happens to be your last name....it could be) Well then, you've come to the right place. The Hardware Hut now offers three choices for engraved door knockers. The differences being; one is pretty large-8", one is a "normal" size, and the last is a "normal" size but with a door viewer built in.


How about cabinet lock that can hold either a padlock or a combination lock. Yeah, cabinet locks are pretty common but if you've got a storage shed or a rental property with cabinets and you just want to use a combination lock as opposed to worrying about carrying a key then this is the right item for you. It's pretty neat, you just drill a 3/4" diameter hole through the cabinet and when the two front pieces are lined up for the padlock to go through the door will be locked. When you remove the padlock and rotate one of the front pieces about 45 degrees the cam inside the cabinet rotates as well and allows the door to open.


Another really cool new item is the Warmrails Dual Position towel warmer. Not only is it a standard freestanding towel warmer where your towels are draped over the top of the unit but each panel folds down into what is essentially a heated towel shelf. You can fold both panels or just one or neither. Also, the top rail is heated on this model which in previous versions of this style it was not.


And, a little more on the mundane side of hardware but still cool are a couple of hardware pieces by Emtek. They've added an entry set called Apollo to round out their modern line of hardware. I really like this! Emtek has also come out with an affordable version of Mortise pocket door locks. You can get these dummy, passage, privacy, and keyed functions.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

EPCO Stainless Steel Cabinet Hardware

Stainless steel is a material that is timeless; it's durable, versatile, as well as functional. Today's kitchens all seem to feature a stainless appliance or two. Stainless steel typically is used in a modern design setting but it can be used in a traditional room as well.

EPCO (Engineered Products Company) has the largest offering of stainless steel styles in cabinet hardware that we carry. They've embraced the idea that people love the stainless look but they also want choices. The Bar pull type of handle has traditionally been what people have ordered because, for a while that was the only design choice. If you choose the bar pull design, I have seen kitchens with one length on all of the doors and drawers and I have seen kitchens where multiple lengths are used that cover almost the entire length of the door or drawer. This offering still has largest number of size options available, ranging from a 5 1/2" to a 33 3/8".

EPCO's arch pull comes in five size offerings and tends to be used in either a minimalist setting or at the opposite end of the spectrum in a traditional setting. The arch design seems to be a softer look than a straight pull does.

Square, angular shapes have also become increasing popular. The square designs are pretty much exclusive to a modern design but because they are so simple they could pass on a neat piece of furniture of a built in that wouldn't typically be considered modern. EPCO's square design comes in five different lengths as well, ranging from 5 3/8" to 14 3/16". Because these are offered in larger sizes and with the square design they definitely give the impression of being heavy duty.

EPCO offers another four Stainless Steel style choices that are shown below. They've got another style that is a combination of round bar with square posts for those of you that can't decide which look you want to go with. Whether it's round or square or both that you choose, Stainless Steel is a great choice for cabinet hardware. The material itself will last practically forever.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

Schlage's New Deadbolt

Schlage has introduced a new deadbolt this year to take the place of their B360 & B362 model. It is now the B60 or B62. The B60 is the single cylinder version and the B62 is the double cylinder version. The difference between the two is that the single cylinder has a key on the outside and a thumbturn on the inside, the double cylinder has a key at both sides.

The reason for the change over is that they have improved the deadbolt. The first difference from the old style to the new is that is looks slightly more decorative. As seen below, the B360 was very simple with no decoration. The new B60 has an extra "lip" around the base for added decoration.


Another difference is that it can be easily installed by one person, Schlage has designed the new deadbolt with an internal lip that holds the exterior piece onto the door while you are screwing on the inside half.
On the new deadbolt, Schlage has also upgraded the latchbolt that comes with to a grade 1 commercial latch. The diameter of the latchbolt changed from 3/4" to 1". The new B60-B62 can now fit into either a 1 1/2" or a 2 1/8" diameter face hole as well. And, as always Schlage offers a lifetime finish and mechanical warranty.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

Hey October, What's New?

I can't believe it's fall already, where does the time go? It's starting to get gloomy and cold, it's dark when we come to work and dark when we leave. Next thing you know, it'll be snowing. Towel warmers are perfect for this time of year. I've never really given towel warmers much thought before I started working here. They seem like such a frivolous item, but now that I've seen them in use I can't believe everyone doesn't own one. A warm towel or robe right after your shower when it's 30 degrees outside is one of the best feelings! Not only are they great for warming up your items, but they're good dryers for small items. If you've got children, and they've got wet socks or mittens from playing in the snow you can lay them on the warmer and they'll dry. Items that can't go in the dryer such as undergarments can dry on the warmers. Some models even help heat up a room. Amba has come out with some new styles that I just love. They're not your traditional bar type so they've got a modern look.


We've also added an Oil Rubbed Bronze curved shower rod by Taymor, we've carried the satin nickel and chrome version for some time and it seems to be a fairly popular item. These are great because it gives you a little more room inside the shower without touching the curtain. You see these a lot in hotels.


Deltana makes a number of different door stops in pretty much every finish that's made. We added a new style to their line. This floor mounted type is easy to install, it's relatively discreet, and it comes in a variety of colors to match all types of decor.


As I've mentioned in a few previous posts, we've been adding items from our print catalog to our online catalog, this month we've added a ton to our Pemko selection of door shoes, door bottoms, and weatherstripping.

The last item I'll talk about is the Grass Unisoft door bumper. These are a great way to customize/upgrade your existing cabinets. They allow the door to slowly close and not slam shut. They are universal in the sense that you can use them on both a framed and frameless cabinet and the tension is adjustable so it will work on almost any cabinet door.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

Restocking Fees, What?

It's Monday morning and the phones are ringing like crazy, and I'm typing away like a mad woman (I'm pretty sure I can see my fingertips smoking) and then the call comes in. A customer wants to return their order because the finish didn't quite match everything else. I don't mind doing a return on product sometimes it's just not right, but with returns comes restocking fees and that's not always the most pleasant call to take. I'd like to shed some light as to what restocking fees are and why they're charged.

When an order is placed; a person has to manually process the order, the order is sent to the warehouse-someone pulls the order and makes sure it is correct, a different person packs does a double check to make sure it's correct and ships the order to the customer, then the order goes to accounting and gets charged. When an order needs to be returned this process is almost exactly the same just in reverse. Except, someone has to inspect every piece and make sure it's in perfect resalable condition when it comes back. In most cases a return is made to a manufacturer since that it where it is shipped from and they will forward us a copy of the credit memo so that we can issue credit to your card. This process takes a lot of manpower and time to complete.

There are some manufacturers that literally stock hundreds of the same item and the process is fairly simple, but there are a good number of manufacturers that offer one product but with a number of different configurations. When an order is placed with these manufacturers you are essentially getting a custom piece of hardware. These items are assembled to your specifications and if they are returned they need to be disassembled. There are also companies that sell specialized, niche hardware (let's just say a pine cone knob in antique brass) now, this is something that's not going to fit into everyone's home decor like a round satin nickel knob would. Naturally, the stock availability will be much lower on these and when a few sell the manufacturer replenishes their stock. If that item were to come back to them, they would be "overstocked."

I don't like having to enforce these policies, but I can at least understand whey they are charged. There are a few manufacturers that do not charge a restocking fee, but these are a very small number. I do think that restocking fees are a necessary part of doing any kind of business. So, what type of restocking fees am I talking about exactly?

Our policy on The Hardware Hut is that if the item is something that is stocked here in our warehouse and it is perfect when we receive it (original packaging, no scratches, dents, other signs of use) then we will not assess a restocking fee(there are a couple of exceptions). The majority of items on our site are shipped directly from manufacturers and we have to enforce their restocking policy. The polices are displayed via link on every single product on our site. These restocking fee policies vary anywhere from 5% to 35% depending on the manufacturer. Just to give you an idea of where we are on the spectrum of internet hardware retailers, I have scoured all of our major competitors websites and looked at their policies. Here is a sampling of what is out there:

"Samples cannot be returned-25% restocking fee on all items. No returns on special order items."
"Return must be over $60.00"
"Refund of store credit valid for 6 months-25% restocking fee."
"No returns on opened packages-if shipping was free at the time of purchase, credit will be issued after restocking fees and the original shipping expense is assessed."
"Stock items 15%, non stock items 25%-30%"

One site has a 20%-40% and most sites have a flat 25% restocking fee on all items(with a few exceptions). There were also three sites that I could not locate their return policy at all (and I think I'm pretty internet savvy.)

After looking through these other sites, I'd have to say we're right in line with the rest of the industry. As a consumer myself, I'm always comparison shopping on what my best value is and what my repercussions are if it doesn't work out. I think a lot of sites try to conceal what there policies are, but I feel it's so much easier on everyone if it's all out in the open. Not only are our policies displayed on each item, but there is a link in the shopping cart, and there is a ton of helpful information in our FAQ section. With that, I hope you've become better educated consumers. That way there are no surprises, regardless of where you shop online. If you have any questions or need clarification feel free to contact me.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

Moooove On Over & Make Room For Leather

Leather hardware has become fairly popular in recent years. When I think of leather, I think of Western or Northwestern styles. Leather is typically seen in log homes, or rustic type settings, but lately we've seen a trend in contemporary homes that feature leather hardware.

For the past few years out manufacturers with leather offerings was limited to one or two, mainly a British company called Turnstyle Designs. It seems, Europeans do tend to be ahead of the curve on trends. Turnsyle Designs is well known for their exceptional quality and craftsmanship. All of their leather products are hand stitched, and depending on the collection have reinforced steel sewn into the leather. Turnstyle offers leather cabinet hardware and leather bath hardware.

Atlas Homewares is a brand that is new in our line up, we've been carrying them for about two years now and have had great success with their line. Atlas is well known for their product offering, they've created a versitile line of hardware with something for just about anyone. Atlas makes leather cabinet pulls in a traditional style, modern, and what I'll call sassy. They also make leather bath hardware and they also make leather switchplates.

Recently, Emtek has come out with door levers that are wrapped in leather. These levers tend to be more along modern design elements, but in the right finish and setting they'd go pretty well in any room.

I like the way the leather looks because it adds a soft element to the cold look of the metal. My personal tastes lean toward a modern/contemporary design and the leather is an added element to mix styles. These designs definitely can't be called boring.

Erica
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Hey September, What's New?

I can't believe it's September already! This month at the Hut we've added a couple of new items, but mostly rounded out collections that already exist. We've made additions to cabinet hardware collections like Lewis Dolin's glass series. Lewis Dolin offers glass knobs and cup pulls with metal bases, and he's come out with a clear glass and polished chrome base. A classic look.

We've also added a number of finishes to the Cliffside cabinet latches. These little gems are quite popular, and with pretty much every finish available you're bound to find one that matches your hardware. This month we added the Venetian Bronze, Iron, and Antique Brass to the IBCL model and for the SBCL model we've added Venetian Bronze, Antique Copper, Iron, Antique Brass, and Polished Nickel.




We do sell quite a few of the closet rods in both round an oval but there aren't very many center support options. Engineered Products Company (EPCO) has come out with a center support/shelf bracket combination in both stainless steel and oil rubbed bronze.


The last thing I want to talk about today is a pull from First Impressions They call this the "Germ Free" pull, I like the sound of that. This pull is perfect for a public restroom application. Whenever I have to touch a door handle after washing my hands, I have to use a paper towel or try to get the door open without actually gripping the handle. What a pain! The nice thing about the hands free pull from First Impressions is that you can fit your arm behind the handle so that your hands are still germ free. An added bonus, this pull is ADA compliant.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”