FAQs
A quick answer guide to some of our customer's most frequently asked questions.
For questions that are product specific please use our product category FAQ’s.
General Product Information
Each of our outdoor products ships directly to your doorstep in a neat flat box. With some assembly (but a minimum of tools and time) you can use our Vita kits to design your perfect outdoor haven.
Our website has a feature page for each product and there you can find all the information you need to decide if a product is right for your space - we provide instruction manuals, product dimensions and drawings and if you want to see what the customer's before you have already done, feel free to check out the customer project photos at the bottom of each page for inspiration!
Our products feature a diverse range of materials tailored to each collection.
CLASSIC: The Classic collection is crafted from white Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) which stands out for its BPA and Phthalate-Free composition, ensuring safety for food production and consumption.
URBANA: Versatility shines through in our Urbana Collection where you get all the benefits of our traditional PVC vinyl with the added touch of either an embossed or wood grain finish.
MEZZA & WOOD: For a sustainable touch, our wood products are constructed from responsibly sourced FSC certified cedar. This cedar variant is not only naturally resistant to insects and decay but also arrives treated with an environmentally friendly, warm, water-based stain.
HARDWARE: To ensure durability and a polished look, our hardware such as screws and bolts, are crafted from SUS304 grade stainless steel and coated with a powder finish.
Thickness of material in inches:
Mezza:
Garden Bed .625, (5/8)
Classic:
Garden Bed .875, (7/8)
Pergola .125, (1/8)
Urbana:
Garden bed .875, (7/8)
Our kits are crafted with care, pre-designed, and packaged for assembly right from our manufacturing facility. While we can't create a custom product for you or change the contents of the box, some of our items can be easily modified to fit your design or space. Our customer service team is here and ready to help you if you have any specific questions.
Some of our best products can be found in multiple colors across different collections. Please review the product pages where we list all of the available color options! At this time we exclusively manufacture in the colors we have listed on the individual product pages.
Our product pages are consistently updated to reflect the latest inventory status. If you would like to be notified when an item is back in stock simply enter your email address on the items product page and we'll notify you as soon as it's available. Currently, Vita does not accept pre-orders for out-of-stock items.
You can treat your Vita product the same way you treat your outdoor furniture; spraying with a garden hose is usually all that you need to keep your product looking great.
We recommend using a mild dish soap or outdoor-friendly cleanser along with a soft bristle brush to safely and effectively remove any dirt or debris.
Occasionally, environmental mildew can build up and in this case we recommend an outdoor-friendly mildew cleaner. We find products like Bar Keeper's Friend, Magic Eraser or 30 Seconds to be effective for us in the past but please use an appropriate outdoor cleaner of your choice and follow the indications on the label.
Raised Beds:
You can plant whatever you like in your raised beds! One of the best features of this design is that we created these to be installed without floorboards which will allow your plants to grow deep into the ground and develop healthy root systems as well as give your plants access to beneficial organisms like insects and earthworms. A great option for tomatoes, beans, squash and asparagus and any vegetable or plant that requires a deep root system. If you're interested in square foot gardening, take a look at our 4x4x11 with GroGrid for easy planning!
Planters:
You can use our planters for anything you'd like to grow! Our planters are designed with unique floorboards that allow the soil to remain in your planter while the water drains through allowing heathy aeration of your plants and minimizing soil loss. Planters make a great home for annuals and perennials to decorate your patio, deck or front porch.
Arbors and Trellises:
Arbors and trellises are perfect for drawing the eye up and adding dimension and height to your garden. We recommend any lightweight climbing vine to add a little touch of color like a clematis or climbing roses to add an aura of romance to an English garden!
The only thing we don’t recommend is heavier more invasive climbing varieties like wisteria, bougainvillea or grape vines as those varieties can outgrow and overcome your arbor or trellis quickly!
note: for information on how to create your own compost, please see our "Composting 101" article under the Learn tab of our website
No matter what you decide to grow in your Vita product you will need a good soil mixture to support your plant's healthy growth.
Raised beds require a 50/50 mix of general purpose garden or top soil and a potting mix that contains organic material.
Our planters require less top soil than a raised bed, so using a bag or two of standard Triple Mix is perfect. Look for something that contains garden soil, composted material and a material that promotes aeration and drainage (like peat moss, coconut coir or vermiculite).
When in doubt, ask your local garden centre for a recommendation.
Our composting garden beds allow you to create your composted organic material directly in the garden bed itself sustaining the soil's nutrients for the growing season and eliminating waste. For more information on creating your own compost, please see our page dedicated to this under the "Learn" tab of our website.
We do have a small warehouse where we keep replacement parts on hand for repairs as needed and as long as the parts are in stock we're happy to price them out for you.
Please keep in mind that our parts warehouse is designed to support small order requests and we cannot accommodate large parts orders intended for project modifications or custom projects at this time. If you require multiple parts or large quantities, it may benefit you to visit your local vinyl fence and deck company or hardware store to source similar parts.
Orders and Shipping
Direct Orders: Items ordered directly through our website are shipped via FedEx Home Delivery in the USA and FedEx Ground in Canada.
Retailers: Our recognized retailers use carriers like FedEx or UPS for standard shipments and for larger items, they may be palletized and shipped through an LTL (Less Than Truckload) freight company.
Individual Parts: Parts orders are prepared and shipped exclusively from our Canadian parts warehouse via FedEx.
Items purchased in North America directly from our website will ship within 1-2 business days from the time the order is confirmed using trusted ground courier operators, and no signatures are required for delivery.
The total transit time of your package is approximately 3-8 business days from the time the order leaves our warehouse provided there are no immediate delays in courier service.
Customers who provide an email address with their order will receive tracking information from Vita within 48 business hours of the order being placed. If you cannot locate your tracking information, please reach out to us, we're happy to help!
Vita currently only delivers to addresses within North America, excluding Hawaii and Alaska.
For shipping outside of the of this area we recommend contacting a freight forwarding company (i.e Shipito) to facilitate your order. These companies will provide you with an address within our delivery area that you can use to receive your package and the customer is then responsible for arranging freight from that location to their preferred address.
For direct delivery to areas such as Hawaii or Alaska additional shipping fees will apply to your order and are calculated on a case-by-case basis. All shipments are calculated based on the size, weight and delivery address of your shipment. For these orders or for more information please reach out to our customer service team to answer any specific questions about your shipment.
Regrettably, at this time we cannot ship to APO addresses.
The amount of boxes in your shipment varies according to your product. This information can be found on the individual product page for your item under the "Specifications" tab.
It is very common for ground courier operators to deliver shipments with more than one box over a period of a few days. Please check your tracking information to follow your order and reach out to our customer service team if you haven't received your entire order within the suggested delivery window timeframe found in the details of your tracking information.
Missing or Damaged Parts:
Vita will always ship you a brand-new kit directly from our warehouse. You can use the parts list and images in your instruction manual to help you confirm that you have everything you need in your kit before you start your installation.
If you have a missing part or an item was damaged in transit, Vita will ship out replacement parts directly to you and as quickly as possible. Proof of purchase may be required if we cannot verify your original order in our system. Our policy is to support items purchased directly through our website or through one of our recognized vendors. Replacement parts for items sold as used/returned items or through third party sellers can be provided at the customer's expense; please reach out to our customer service team if you have any questions about your order!
Missing Box or Partial Delivery:
When your Vita order is delivered, please check that you have the correct amount of boxes in your delivery. This information can be found on the product page for your item on our website under the "Specifications" tab.
Please note it is very common for a ground courier operator to deliver a multi-box kit over a period of a few days. Please check your tracking number and let us know if your item is not delivered within the suggested delivery window.
Our customer service team is available and ready to help if you have any questions!
Please call us if you have a missing or damaged part when you open your boxes, we're happy to help!
Vita wants you to get the parts and pieces you need to get started and we understand that you can't always install your item right away and you may even need to wait until next season - that's ok!
But please note that significant damage caused to your product while it's in storage is not covered under our missing or damaged replacement parts policy and these parts may be provided at your cost. For this reason, please take caution if you plan on storing your Vita kit to be installed at a future date.
Our products are sold through many recognized retailers across the web including Amazon. Vita products on Amazon will be sold exclusively through the Vita Amazon Storefront or through one of two recognized Amazon sellers.
For this reason, we may ask you to provide proof of purchase for your Amazon order as all other purchases will be supported as Third Party purchases; please review our policy on missing or damaged parts and reach out to our customer service team if you have any questions!
Installing or Modifying your product
Regrettably, we do not provide installation services for our products.
Our kits are thoughtfully designed for easy self-assembly, with the necessary tools, materials and estimated timeframe conveniently detailed on the product page.
If you need assistance with pergola installation, we recommend finding a local general contractor who can help bring your project to life.
Pergolas:
When planning your pergola installation, it's important to measure out and check the placement of your posts before deciding on the best installation method.
You can install our pergolas in one of two ways: either by setting the wood posts into the ground and securing with quick-dry concrete or they can be surface mounted on a concrete patio or wood/composite deck by using the Vita brand Bolt Down Bracket System.
All of our pergolas require pressure-treated wood to be installed properly and the full list of additional materials for each pergola kit is listed directly on the product page or on your instruction manual (additional materials sold separately).
A combination of in-ground and surface mounting is possible if your location requires it. Keep in mind that your lengths of pressure treated wood will vary between installation methods.
We do not recommend installing your pergola on paving stones as they can sink or lift over time making your pergola insecure.
Arbors and Trellises:
Many of our arbors and trellises come with ground mounting extensions included allowing for easy installation into the ground.
Arbors are especially beautiful arching over a walkway or garden path or can provide some much needed shade over a favorite reading spot.
Trellises can support beautiful climbing vines to add color to the side of your home, garage or fence. Larger trellis models can be used as privacy screens around your patio. Some of our larger arbor and trellis models may call for additional materials, like pressure treated wood to be inserted into the bottom of the posts. All additional materials are listed on the product pages for our kits if applicable and are sold separately. Please see our FAQ on surface mounting your arbor or trellis to a patio or deck for information on this installation method.
Raised Beds:
Our raised beds are designed without a floor to allow your plants to grow deep roots down into the ground for the healthiest plants and to allow access to beneficial insects and earthworms. We do not recommend placing your raised bed on a patio or deck for this reason; you could consider one of our elevated gardens or planters for these areas instead. Raised beds are ideally placed in your garden or lawn on even, level ground where they will get lots of sun.
Elevated Gardens and Planters:
Our elevated gardens and planters are great for any location but they are especially perfect for those with a small area for growing or for those who want to avoid knee or back strain. Use these to grow veggies on your apartment balcony or use them to define your patio area.
Planters are perfect for adding seasonal decor to your front porch and our Farm Family products keep fresh herbs and veggies growing right outside your kitchen door. All of our elevated gardens and planters come with floorboards which will allow the water to pass through the planter while keeping your soil and nutrients in place!
Our Mezza line of Elevated Gardens will come with a liner included.
Vita products are made to withstand the elements!
Our vinyl is treated with a special UV filter that prevents the material from discoloration in the sun.
Our vinyl is resistant to scratching, denting and cracking in normal weather conditions.
There is no need to cover your gardens, raised beds or planters in between seasons (even in the winter) but some easy garden care and clean up will help your product last as long as possible. Rinsing your product with a garden hose or occasionally with a plastic brush will be enough to maintain your product in between seasons.
When installed according to the instructions, our pergolas have been tested with a wind rating of 150 mph (based on an in-ground installation of a 10x10 pergola).
Our cedar wood products have the added element of being naturally resistant to insects and decay.
Vita always recommends that you install your product as indicated in the instruction manual as our products have been designed and tested according to these instructions and this will be your most secure and sturdy installation method.
Some of our products are easy to modify if you need to make adjustments to fit your space or design, please reach out to our customer service team if you have specific questions.
Our available accessories are designed specifically for Vita products and we do not recommend adding off-the-shelf pieces to your Vita kit as we can't guarantee that they will be compatible for various reasons.
Please check the individual accessory pages for information on product compatibility.
In general, we don't recommend adding additional items such as hanging baskets, swings, ceiling fans, heaters, BBQs or light fixtures.
Vita will always only recommend that you install our products with the proper accessories but if you have a modification question, please see our FAQs on "Product Modification" for more info as well as our FAQ on warranty coverage for your item.
Painting our products is possible but not recommended as it will void the product warranty.
If you decide to paint your Vita product we suggest using an outdoor spray paint suitable to cover all types of materials (such as Krylon Fusion) which can be found at your local hardware store.
Our wood products come pre-stained from our manufacturing facility using a warm, water-based and food safe stain. You can stain your product year to year with the stain of your choice, regrettably we do not have a specific color match to recommend.
As a reminder, products damaged as a result of painting or staining are not covered under your product warranty and should be done at your own discretion.
Many of our kits use what we call "Locking Tabs" to keep parts secured in place. These are the small square indentations you may see in the vinyl where two separate parts will come together for an installation.
It is possible to uninstall two parts that are locked together by inserting a flathead screwdriver or putty knife into the shared space and pressing the locking tab down before you ease the parts away from each other.
Pro Tip: vinyl is pretty flexible, you can have a friend provide tension on the parts by pressing them away from each other to create more space to access the locking tab!
When installing your Vita product in-ground we recommend you aim for a footing depth of 24-36" or as listed on your instruction manual. This ensures that the posts are positioned below the frost line, which provides optimal stability and to minimize the risk of the product shifting over time as the ground freezes and thaws.
Please review the instruction manual for your kit to gauge how deep to dig your footings before installation.
Returns, warranty and price protection
We understand that sometimes a product just doesn't work out for you and we're happy to help if you need to return your Vita purchase - Our policy is to offer a refund less the cost of shipping the original item.
But, before you decide whether or not to return your purchase, please review our policy on missing or damaged parts - the solution might be easier than you think! Did you know we will send you replacement parts at no cost if the item arrives with parts that are missing or damaged? We also have a fantastic customer service team ready and available to help you choose the best Vita product to match your design and ideas before you buy.
The product pages on our website are filled with helpful information like product drawings and measurements, instruction manuals, installation videos and available colors. This policy is in effect for purchases made directly through our website; for items purchased through one of our recognized retailers please contact them directly regarding their return policies.
All individual parts orders are to be considered final sale.
Items sold directly through the Vita website are subject to a 30 day price protection policy.
Email us directly at hello@wearevita.com with your order information and we are happy to refund the price difference if an item you purchased goes on sale on our website within 30 days following your purchase.
Please note, we do not match pricing with any of our recognized retailers; we encourage you to shop around for the best price and with a retailer of your choosing. We will provide the same customer service and support no matter where you buy!
Did you know that Vita products are sold online at major retailers in North America? Vita works very closely with all of our vendor partners to ensure that no matter where you buy your product from you will always get the same high quality item and exceptional level of customer service from our team. For this reason, we do not price match or compete with product listings found with outside retailers or vendors; we encourage you to find the best product for your space at the retailer of your choosing.
For additional information on shopping through an outside retailer, please see our FAQ on missing or replacement parts under "Orders and Shipping"
All of our products come with a limited warranty against defects in material or workmanship during the warranty period corresponding with the product collections below:
CLASSIC (WHITE) VINYL: 20 years
EMBOSSED & URBANA VINYL: 10 years
CEDAR & MEZZA: 1 year
PERGOLA LOUVER SYSTEMS: 5 years
BOLT-DOWN BRACKETS: 5 years
PERGOLA CANVAS WEAVES & CANOPIES: 2 years
VAXA PLANTERS: 2 years
What is not covered under the warranty?
- Damage caused by weather conditions or outside forces
- Damage caused by improper installation or modification of the product.
- Items that have been painted or otherwise altered from their original state including damage caused by the addition of incompatible accessories such as swings, BBQs, ceiling fans etc.
Please reach out to our customer service team if you have any questions!
Any questions?
Many of our most commonly asked questions apply to multiple Vita products and can be found under the main FAQ page under General Product Information.
If we still haven't answered your question, you can contact us below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.