Confessions of an Office Furniture Fitter

Happy Christmas from Desk Warehouse

2011-12-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

At this time of year we think of one of the symbols of the season, the Christmas Tree.

It has entered into our psyche re-enforcing all the good things we associate with this time of year, the giving of presents, family togetherness and happiness.
Cutting down and decorating a tree is an old tradition and has always been associated with the celebration of Christmas.

Trees and wood of all types is used as a raw material in manufacturing of all types of products and it is at this juncture I am duty bound to mention....Office Furniture!

However, the good thing is, 'SUSTAINABILITY' is the buzz word and trees are typically grown as a crop for this purpose and replanted
in rotation after cutting, often providing suitable habitat for various forms of wildlife.
The Forest Stewardship Council promotes responsible forest management worldwide, more about their founding principles can be seen on their website
www.fsc.org

It only leaves me to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

From all the 'Team' at Desk Warehouse.

The Apprentice - You're Fired!

2011-07-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

This year's Apprentice winner's business idea -to design an ergonomic chair - is commendable - but we've been supplying them for years!

From as little as £49.99 + VAT you can purchase a 'Back Stretcher' chair at 70% off the original price. We are now the sole suppliers of this innovative chair which comes in a choice of 4 colours.

The British Chiropractic Association recommends not to sit for long periods at a computer without a break. An

ything that stretches the spine or encourages movement is important.

The Back Stretcher Chair has the following features as standard:

Specially designed back which releases muscle tension and is ratchet height adjustable to suit all users
Full body weight tension controlled synchro action seat and back tilt
Seat slide for taller users
Height adjustable arms
Guaranteed to 25 stone user weight
Upholstered in Black, Blue, Silver or Red wipe clean faux leather

All this for only £49.99 + VAT!

Sting in the Tail

2011-06-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

Wool and wool blended fabrics have always been a natural choice when it comes to upholstering a chair or sofa.

However, the clever people at Camira Fabrics have come up with the most unusual combination for seating upholstery.. NETTLES! Yes, that's right, they have produced the ultimate environmental fabric made from nettles.

The fabric is called STINGPlus and is locally harvested and blended with new wool.

The project was supported by Defra and in conjunction with De Montfort University in Leicester have produced a high performance, fire retardant upholstery fabric from an innovative new sustainable fibre.

Nettles, as all keen gardeners will know, grow quickly and easily without pesticides. In large areas, they increase the bio-diversity by attracting insects and wildlife. The nettles in question are harvested in England and the fibre is extracted from the stem of the plant. The woody remnant is used for animal bedding and the leaves composted.

The nettle fibre is then blended with wool and the fabric woven on high speed looms powered by green electricity. Dyeing is carried out in low liquor dye vessels using non-metallic dyestuffs and a natural water supply flowing directly from the Pennine Hills.

With the combination of locally sourced materials and being locally manufactured, STINGPlus must be the most sustainable fabric ever!

The fabric comes in eight muted earthy shaded colours; Dandelion, Acorn, Autumn Leaf, Slate, Elderberry, Granite, Conker and Bilberry.

NB Any of the chairs or sofas from the VERCO Ranges of seating can be upholstered in the above. POA

And don't worry.. it won't sting!

New Sit or Stand Desk Option

2011-04-18T04:44:00.000-07:00

In Scandinavia it they have been around for a long time, NO not snow & ice....though we had our fair share of that this year!

.....But electrically height adjustable desks.

They have found that having a sit/stand option encourages the user away from the sedentary life of the office worker slouched in their chair, bent over a desk, to a more dynamic position which minimises any potential damage to the spine.

However these have always represented a significant capital outlay to a company or organisation-there is no way that everybody would be supplied with one of these in the office.

NEW for 2011 this ' crank handle operated' height adjustable desk is now on the market.

The desk conforms to all necessary British & European Standards for Strength, Durability asnd Stability as well as being compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act.

The rectangular straight desk comes in two sizes 1600x800mm and 1200x800mm and in Beech MFC finish.

(There is also a radial shape available but this is to Special Order only)

The desk height is easily adjustable from 660-960mm at any time during the working day by means of the simple hand crank mechanism.

The price is £560.00 for the 1600mm desk and £540.00 for the smaller 1200mm.

Not every task during a working day requires you to be seated- the more we move the better we feel!!

Is a desk more than just a work surface?

2011-01-04T05:05:00.000-08:00

A desk is clearly a work surface, but to some, it has become a whole lot more.

The desk can be described as a status symbol in corporate culture. The desk can portray, symbolise and project the personality of the individual or the corporate image of the organisation and is much more than a divider of departmental space

The size and shape of desks have evolved over the years, depending on the equipment needed on the desk top for users to fulfil their tasks.

From the the earliest straight desks in the 1800's, when there were only pens and paper, to the development of the typewriter in the middle of the 19th century and the advent of the typists return desk, through to the large crescent desks required from the 1980's onwards, have all been technology driven.

It is currently being said by some, that as todays electronic technology advances and the associated hardware gets slimmer and smaller, that desks could turn full circle back to simpler under engineered models. This, coupled with better telecommunication systems, means remote working is certainly a possibility for some.

However, we still do not have the 'paperless office' which was talked about and promised back in the 1980's, infact computers produce as much if not more paper than ever. I'm just looking at the top of my desk to confirm exactly that...I can't even see the colour!

So, by all accounts, the desk is going to be around for the foreseeable future.... even if it's just somewhere to put everything on, sit at and drink coffee!

FINISHES?

By far the most popular MFC heat and scratch resistant board is in Beech, however, it's not quite that simple- especially if you are trying to match in with an existing piece of furniture! There are countless different versions of Beech, depending on who makes each range!

Other popular finishes and their variations are Maple, Cherry, Walnut and Grey.

White and Black are mostly available in glass desks, which are also becoming more popular.

Sometimes there is a choice of finish available in a particular range, but more than likely the model, make and name will determine the finish for you.

LEGS?

Legs can be anything, from solid panels to match the top to a simple metal cantilever L shape, to the more design led cable managed legs. These allow any power cables to be fed in, tidied and enclosed.

Most of these are finished in silver metal but there is sometimes a choice of colour.

Real wood products are a lot more expensive! Rather than using solid wood because of price and sustainability issues, thin veneer sheets of real wood are pressed onto shaped MDF board.

The skills involved in matching up the veneer grain, polishing and lacquering is still a skilled process amongst the workforce in any factory.

DESK SHAPES?

1. Straight Desks

'Straight desks' vary in width from 1800 -1200mm(w) x 800mm(d), there are some return desks which measure 1200(w) or 1000(w) x 600mm(d).

Executive Ranges which have thicker desk tops (36-40mm), can be 2000mm(w) and usually will come bow fronted, making the desk 900/1000mm deep from the bow.

All the 'Home Office' products which are available with pull-out keypads, integral printer and CPU stands as standard, differ tremendously in size and shape.

2. Wave Desks

'Wave desks' are similar to a 'Straight' but with one end ,as you sit at it, either the Left or Right is deeper than the other, usually with 1000, 900 or 1200mm depth- again the range and make would determine this.

3. Crescent Desks

'Radials', 'Workstations', 'Crescents', and 'Corner' desks are still generally the biggest selling. The basic 1600x1200x800x600mm shape is still there at the top of our list.

These do occasionally cause a bit of confusion, as to what is a Left Handed or Right Handed version.

Really it all comes down to which where the 1200mm side curves or 'returns' round to as you sit at the desk. If it curves round to the Left, then it is a Left Hand desk. A set of 600mm deep desk height drawers is then to your Left!

There are 1800mm in this readily available, however anything smaller will usually not be 'off the shelf' in a lot of ranges.

4. 120 Degree

For most offices this will never be an option, as these are of primary importance in large open office areas like Call Centres where there is a requirement for a little more shape than a straight bench type layout.

These are usually seen in 3-way groups which can be added to if there is a need to work and interact in teams or as small departments. The size of these is 1200x1200x800x800 or 600x600mm.

DESK HEIGHTS?

Any work surface has to be set at a certain ideal working height, which when sitting is normally 720-730mm no matter the range chosen.

The only time that this has been higher in my experience, is when a builder has built in an office in a new build home, they inevitably make them too high, up to 800mm or more, which causes problems when the client comes to choose a chair that will be at correct height.

Most desks have a set of levelling feet, but these are what they are, only for levelling up on an uneven floor to about 25-30mm per foot. Height adjustable desks that can adjust between 680-1000mm electronically, are not within the budgets of most companies or organisations.

I hope that these thoughts and observations may be of help to you when it comes time to purchase!

Do you sit down for a living?

2010-12-21T02:53:00.000-08:00

The word 'Ergonomic' is much used when talking about about back problems in the workplace.

You've more than likely heard it many times yourself - 'got to get an Ergonomic this' or 'an Ergonomic that'! But what does it really mean?

The word holds an almost mystical quality that arouses our curiosity in our own well-being.

Quite simply it is an item that has been designed to minimise effort and discomfort in the workplace.

Many of the bad posture problems caused when we sit down is because we all slouch when sitting in one place for a period of time.

There is no one magical chair that is going to cure all peoples back pain - however if you simply find a chair that encourages movement during the working day, supports the lower back and the natural curve of the spine you will certainly be providing the essentials. After all, we did not evolve to be sitting all day and worse that sitting is sitting still! Standing up to work is not an option.

A mechanism that gives a slight forward tilt to the seat which in turn gently rotates the pelvis, encourages the spine to adopt a more curved healthier 'dynamic' position just as if we were standing up.

This can either be locked in on the chair or left in a free float position which also helps hydrate the spine without getting that stiff back feeling.

What features do I need in an Office Chair- and what are they?!

INDEPENDENT SEAT & BACK TILT

With this mechanism you can set the angle of the seat to suit yourself.

The back rake adjusts independently on a separate lever.

SYNCRO ACTION

With this mechanism the seat and back tilt move in tandem with each other in 1 to 3 ratio.

The tension can be adjusted to suit the body weight of the user which encourages movement

throughout the working day hydrating the spine.

What about arms?!

I often hear from people that they need a really big chair with a very high back because they have pain and stiffness around their shoulders and neck.

Really, the size of the chair is relatively unimportant, the bigger the chair does not mean it is more comfortable or compatible.

If there's nowhere to rest your elbows, you are basically holding your arms out unsupported in a type of interrogation position for most of the day, with only your fingers tapping lightly on the keypad. After a full seven to eight hours of that, there is little wonder you have a stiff neck at best, if not pain down the top of each shoulder!

Your upper arms need supporting and a set of adjustable arms that can be raised or lowered to the desired height by lifting a button and released to lock is the best means of doing so!

We have a large range of ergonomic chairs on our website, with the designs needed to relieve back pain and discomfort. If you need any help on what chair is best for you, all you need to do is call us- and Duncan will sort you out!

Customer service - where should it end and when (if ever) is the customer not right?

2010-09-09T05:01:00.000-07:00

Recent exchanges (both positive and negative) will be shared a bit more often in our blog- sometimes they're just too good not to share.

99% of our customers are great, but as in everything else in life we do come across a few prats..

We received the following eBay query recently about a desk which was reduced from £249 to £89 plus £60 delivery to Mainland addresses:

"Dear deskwarehouse,You quote delivery charges of £60-Does this apply to Deliveries in Northern Ireland too, I live in the BT30 area"

Our response:

"We can deliver to BT30 for £30 or you can collect the desk from us
Hope this helps- deskwarehouse"

Customer response:

"Dear deskwarehouse,
No! it is bad enough being ripped off for delivery from the mainland without getting ripped off at home"

And finally - our response:

"Please feel free to find another company who will provide 2 men and a Van for a 2 hour round trip for £30 then!
We do not rip any one off - so please have a little respect for someone trying to run a business and maintain jobs.

- deskwarehouse"

What do you think?

Is the customer always right?

Do you have any good customer stories?

IS A SORE BACK A REAL PAIN IN THE NECK...???

2009-11-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

Statistics show lower back pain or neck problems can be caused by putting pressure on the back muscles and spinal discs after sitting for a prolonged period of time.

When standing the human spine adopts its natural 'S' shaped curvature. When a person sits in a conventional chair, the pelvis rotates forcing the spinal column to bend forward to adopt a slouch position, especially when working at a desk.

When sitting on an ergonomic posture seating chair the natural forward tilt movement of the seat opens up this angle again allowing the user to adopt a healthier position.

We at Desk Warehouse sell a full range of posture seating chairs for all office environments.

Exclusive Blogger Offer

Back Care Posture Chair

R.R.P £300 + VAT

Desk Warehouse Price

£230 + VAT

For more information on this Back Care Posture Chair click here.

Alternately, visit www.deskwarehouse.co.uk to see our full range of office furniture.

Remember... Prevention is better than Cure.

Another rainy day in Belfast

2008-09-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

We are based in Belfast and deliver Office Furniture throughout UK and Ireland.

Some people do not understand that we are based in Northern Ireland , which is part of UK and we get asked strange things like - do you charge in Euros?

Other people can not get their head around a Belfast based company delivering in England, Scotland and Wales, but there is just a short stretch of water between NI and the rest of the UK, so we manage deliveries without many problems!

Being in Belfast is actually great from a logistical viewpoint because we can deliver easily anywhere in Northern Ireland , Mainland UK and Republic of Ireland.

We deliver to all sorts of customers including

Businesses of all sizes from one employee through to thousands

Churches

Charities

Home offices

TV and film companies for film sets

Each day brings something different and I am going to share some of the experiences we have with deliveries and customers over the coming weeks.

There are some very amusing incidents (and some not!)

Please have a look at our site and see what you think

http://www.deskwarehouse.co.uk/