We ordered a "scratch and dent" lounger and footstool. There was a small crack in one of tenons that extended inward for about three inches. It didn't affect the assembly. Other than that the exterior condition of the lounger was excellent. I appreciated the smooth sanding job, not always the case with teak furniture. The instructions were limited to simple drawings. There were no remarks regarding gluing of the tenons and dowels. I called customer service and was told it was optional. I noticed, however, that the dowel were of the spiral fluted type, which are made to be glued. So we glued the tenons and the doweled joints, making sure to remove any excess glue. On some of the dowel joints, the holes were not uniformly drilled so they required the dowels to be driven in with a mallet and scrap piece of wood. As it was, six of the dowels did not go in all the way and had to be carefully trimmed off with a flush-cutting saw. The others all drove flush easily using a small hammer.