FAQ

Everything you wanted to know

How is the wood protected from water?

Through more than 12 layers of special varnish.

What are the advantages of your product in comparison to other manufacturers of wooden washbasins and baths?

Firstly, no one else in the world has the experience in this field that we have. The main difference to others is the absolutely perfect paint surface and the annual rings that shimmer uniquely. No other manufacturer offers a more perfect paint surface and we are aware of this statement. Most of our competitors produce bathtubs from solid wood blocks without the use of lacquer. This is of course very beautiful and close to nature, but such surfaces should be treated regularly and continuously with oil, preferably every 6 months, during normal use. The blocks are not dimensionally stable in the long run, as the wood is alive. And when the manufacturers of these washbasins / bathtubs claim that their product does not require any treatment, they simply do not tell the whole truth.

The use of varnish gives us ample opportunity to customize the product according to individual customer needs. You can engrave an unusual leaf, flower or blade of grass, jewellery, or even a picture. For example, for a Swiss watchmaker we made a washbasin with a crack filled with watch gears.

What is the warranty on your wooden products?

We provide a 10 year warranty on all of our products made using our technology. The warranty is applied to product integrity and the formation of spontaneous fractures, and does not cover damage caused by mechanical impact or neglect.

Setting the warranty aside, how long will we be able to use this washbasin?

In our experience at least 20 years — there are precedents — but actually probably much longer, as after a decade of use the products still look brand new.

Do I need to take care of the surface in a special way and how often? Is there anything to avoid?

Our products do not require special maintenance or care.

Do not use abrasive cleaners (powders and pastes containing solid abrasives)!
Toothpaste, soap and water residue is easy to remove with a wet towel without using any cleaners.
You should use only anti-calc products or lemon acid to clean plugs.

Treat and polish an item surface as if it were your car varnish coating, and the product will preserve its original beauty and luster for years to come.

What should I do if the surface is somehow damaged?

In order to damage the surface some heavy or sharp object has to fall from a height of 30–50 cm. This may fatally damage an ordinary ceramic washbasin, but a wooden item can be repaired. Depending on the complexity of damage there are the following options:

If the surface is scratched, any car painting specialist (or even yourself, with a proper grinding tool) will be able to polish a scratch. Feel free to use any car polishing devices for our surfaces. There are companies that offer small repairs of lacquer surfaces on the site — you can also contact them.
If damage is serous and affects the very core of the wood, there will not be a crack so any furniture workshop working with polyester lacquers can assist you.

How does the surface react to conventional cleaning agents?

Perfectly normally. Very important: do not use abrasive cleaners like powders and pastes containing solid abrasives!

Which surfaces are possible?

The most beautiful surface is our “Grand Piano” high gloss surface, which allows an incredibly beautiful wood picture depth. In our times and especially with minimalist designs, a natural satin surface is in trend. We can do both, whereby the sharpness of the wood image is somewhat lost in the satin variant. As a compromise, we recommend our customers to combine furniture with a satin surface, with washbasins and smaller accent parts in high gloss.

The results of different surface tests

Testmittel	Resultat
Aceton (Tropfen auf die Oberfläche)	keine Reaktion
Aceton (Bearbeitung der Oberfläche mit einem Aceton-Lappen)	Lack wird eingegriffen
Bleistift	keine Reaktion
Essig	keine Reaktion
Essigsäure	kleiner Rand*
Flüssiges Deodorant	keine Reaktion
Kaffee	keine Reaktion
Lippenstift	keine Reaktion
Milch	keine Reaktion
Öl	keine Reaktion
Reiner Alcohol (Ethanol, 95%)	kleiner Rand*
Reinigungsmittel: Vanish, Antikal, Ente WC-Gel, Rorax, Bang, Tempo	keine Reaktion
Rotwein	keine Reaktion
Salzsäure (HCl, 99%)	keine Reaktion
Tee	keine Reaktion
Tinte	keine Reaktion
Wimperntusche	keine Reaktion
Zitronensaft	keine Reaktion

Is the procedure of washbasin and bath installation the same as for conventional washbasins and baths?

Yes, absolutely, since all dimensions conform to international standards.

Can I use any drain plug?

Yes, any, but with a closing tool in the washbasin plug itself and any standard for the bath. Drain plugs with the engraved washbasin designer logo are always in the set.

Can I use any water tap?

Actually yes, because there are always different ways to adjust the strength and direction of the water jet. However, if you have a mixer with an open
spout, it is always better if the spout is placed relatively close to the washbasin surface.

Where does Ammonitum produce?

The actual product design, planning, project development, production of the 3D visualizations, interior design take place mainly in Switzerland, at the headquarters of our company in Unterägeri and in Lugano.

Production is in Bavaria, Germany, at two production sites in Prien and in Jetzendorf:

In Prien near Rosenheim, the purchased wood material is stored, cut into layers for further processing, dried and glued into blocks. Afterwards, these blocks are used to produce finished bathtub and washbasin blanks. Smaller furniture orders are also carried out in Prien.

In Jetzendorf, the shape and surface are perfected, made ready for lacquering and then lacquered for a very long and costly time. Our production plant in Jetzendorf are leaving perfect objects ready for shipment.