Compliance position · reports on request
Quality, Stability and Paint: What We Confirm
Buyers ask two different questions under the heading of quality: is this house safe for the child who will play with it, and what documentation exists for the market I am selling into. The first is answered by design, testing and inspection per model; the second by the reports the workshop holds, which vary by model and by market. This page sets out how the two are handled here, what is checked before a run ships, and what this site does not claim. It is written to be quoted by a buyer preparing an import file, so it separates what is measured from what is asserted.
Every model is checked for stability, hinge and fitting security, edge and surface finish, and loose-part size before a run ships, and the paint system is water-based and specified against EN71-3. Test reports are released per model and per market where they exist; where they do not exist we say so before the order. Nothing on this site is a claim that a model has been cleared for a particular market.
At a glance
| Stability check | footprint against assembled height; tip test with a load at the roof line; wider base required under 40 cm |
|---|---|
| Hinges and fittings | hinge type and fixing method stated per model; screws, dowels and cam locks checked for pull-out on a sample |
| Small parts | loose pieces measured against the small-parts gauge; the age grade is set at the strictest component |
| Paint and finish | water-based paint system specified against EN71-3; edges sanded and sealed; sheen and colour on a reference panel |
| Inspection | pre-shipment inspection with photographs of the packed carton and the fittings bag |
| Reports | released per model and per market where they exist; status stated before quotation, not after the order |
Stability and tip resistance
- The stability question in this category is a house that a child leans on or pulls up against, so the working check is the footprint against the assembled height, not the weight of the empty house.
- Models under 40 cm must have a base at least as deep as the house is tall; several tabletop houses in the catalogue sit on a wide plinth for this reason rather than a decorative one.
- The large band needs a different answer: an 80 cm plus house that a child can reach into is either fixed to a wall or weighted at the base, and neither is a given on a factory photograph. Ask which one the model uses.
- We test a sample with a load applied at the roof line and check that the house does not walk or tip before the run is packed, and a buyer can ask for that check to be photographed.
Hinges, fittings and small parts
- Hinges are the most common failure on a house with working doors: ask whether they are metal or nylon, whether the plates arrive pre-fitted and how they are adjusted on a door that rubs.
- Loose parts - figures, chairs, chimneys, stairs - travel in the fittings bag and are measured against the small-parts gauge for the destination market. The age grade is set at the strictest component, not the house.
- Screws, dowels and cam locks are checked on a sample for pull-out and for the right length in a 12 mm panel; the wrong screw length is the most common assembly failure a buyer sees as a return.
- The parts that go missing in transit are the small ones. A bag divided by step number and a parts list on the instruction sheet reduce assembly claims more than a stronger hinge does.
Paint, finish and the surface a child touches
- The paint system is water-based, specified against EN71-3 for the heavy-metal migration limits, and applied over sanded edges so the film does not sit on a raw corner.
- Natural wood finishes are oiled or sealed rather than painted; the two look similar in a photograph and behave differently on a nursery floor, so ask which one the model uses.
- Printed wall graphics and paper stickers are a separate material question from the paint: ask whether the interior is printed, stickered or plain, because the cleaning behaviour differs.
- A reference panel of the finish is kept for the order, so a repeat run can be matched and a claim about a shade difference can be settled against it.
What inspection covers, and what it cannot
- Pre-shipment inspection covers the model against the signed specification, the fittings bag, the carton, the labels and the piece count, with photographs as the record.
- It cannot establish that a model meets a market's regulation. That is what the reports are for, and the reports belong to the workshop that holds them, not to us.
- A buyer preparing an import file should ask for the report status per model before the order, and should not accept a summary claim in place of the document.
- Where a market requires a test that has not been done on a model, the honest answer is that it can be commissioned before production; it is a cost and a date, not an impossibility.
FAQ
Are wooden dollhouses safe for toddlers?
It depends on the model rather than on the material. The safe shape for a two or three year old is a house under 40 cm assembled height with a base as deep as it is tall, fixed fittings, no loose furniture in the carton and rounded edges; 47 models in this catalogue sit in that band. The unsafe shape is a tall house with a bag of small chairs, which is a different product for an older child. We confirm the age grade, the loose-part position and the report status per model before the order, and nothing on this site is a claim that a model has been cleared for a market.
Do you have EN71 and ASTM reports?
Reports are released per model and per market where the workshop holds them, and we state the status before a quotation rather than after an order. EN71 is the route into the UK and EU and ASTM into the US, and the same model does not always hold both. Where a report does not exist for a model, the honest position is that it can be commissioned before production, which is a cost and a date on the order rather than a document we can supply from a drawer. Ask for the report status for the specific models you shortlist, not for the catalogue as a whole.
What paint is used on the dollhouses?
A water-based paint system specified against EN71-3 for heavy-metal migration, applied over sanded and sealed edges. Natural finishes are oiled or sealed rather than painted, and some interiors are printed or stickered rather than painted, which is a separate material to ask about. Paint batches vary slightly between runs, which is why a finish reference panel is kept for an order and quoted on a reorder. If a buyer needs a specific paint system for a market or a retailer's own standard, send it with the model list and we will confirm whether the workshop can meet it.
What are the most common quality claims on a dollhouse?
Missing small parts, carton corner damage and a door that rubs after assembly. Missing parts come from the fittings bag; the fix is a bag divided by step number plus a spares allowance per hundred units. Carton damage comes from a single-wall carton or missing corner protection on a 12 kg load; the fix is the carton grade and a drop check. A rubbing door comes from panel tolerance and hinge adjustment; the fix is an adjustable hinge and a note on the instruction sheet. All three are cheaper to solve at the specification stage than after the container has sailed.
Ask for the report status
Send the shortlist and the destination market; we return the age grade, the loose-part position and the report status for each model.