Setting your expectations and Terms of Sale

Please read the following information to better make a decision if you’re considering concrete for your benchtops from us. By proceeding with the purchase of our products, you are agreeing to have read this document and you agree with its contents.

Expectations for hand-made concrete benchtops.

 

1.   Products made by Digitized Concrete are hand-made and hand-finished. Each piece is unique. Variations in texture, dimension, colour and aggregate distribution and exposure within a final product may occur and are considered an inherent property of our hand-made products.

 

2. Concrete sealers are the most important element of your benchtops!! And the reality is there is no perfect concrete sealer. We have tried them all a thousand times. But we have the best solutions, read on below about our sealer approach.

3.   Seaming may be required for layouts designed to exceed maximum casting lengths. Seams are kept to a tolerance not to exceed 5mm difference from the templates. Seams are filled with a color-coordinating silicone after slabs are placed.  Typical seams are on the order of 1.5mm to 5mm wide. Typical slab size maximum is 2.4m x .63m. We will provide you with a seam design after templating.

 

4.   All sinks, taps, cooktops are test fitted but are not installed by Digitized Concrete.

 

5.   All sizes are nominal and slight variations in thickness and other dimensions are to be expected. Maximum dimensional variations are 5mm at maximum slab length; typical variations are usually half of the maximum or less.

 

6.   All slabs and surfaces will be made smooth and straight, unless a more raw and rustic surface is asked for.


 

WARRANTY

 

Two-Year Structural Warranty - During the first two years after installation, Digitized Concrete, at its sole option, shall repair or replace product if it fails to maintain functional structural integrity for the intended purpose of the product solely due to a manufacturing defect. This applies only to Digitized Concrete products that have been handled, fabricated, installed and maintained in the manner recommended by Digitized Concrete.

Non structural cracks, hairline cracks stemming before or after installation are not part of this warranty. Surface scratches, stains, delamination and chips stemming from the installation date are not included as part of this warranty, nor is structural damage caused by severe impacts or damage stemming from loss of support and/or excessive deflections by the supporting cabinetry or hardware. Digitized Concrete shall have sole and final right to determine whether a warranty claim is valid.

Concrete Sealers

The sealer on your benchtop is basically its most important feature. So we need you to understand and agree on our methods and choices of sealers. With a little bit of care from you, we can give you beautiful concrete with a serious protective coating.

With our clients there are 3 different job types. Each requires a different sealer.

  • homeowner kitchen benchtops, vanities - Polyurethane

  • homeowner hearths, plinths, outdoor benches - Acrylic

  • communal benchtops (no one to maintain it) - Penetrator

Our Polyurethane Sealer for kitchens

One of the biggest concerns around concrete is staining. Especially in the kitchen. Trust us when we say that the best way to protect against staining is by putting a coating over your benchtops. Our Polyurethane and Acrylic sealers are coatings. Remember there is no perfect concrete sealer or stone sealer, as coating type sealers also scratch. Many other sealers types won’t scratch but will stain. Our Polyurethane sealer that we put on our kitchen benchtops is the most scratch resistant sealer we have found that also applies a protective coating. And its also the most beautiful by far! Its a clear window into the concrete. Though it still scratches, but its hard to badly scratch unless no care was taken.

Many other sealers on the market will white-out surface and stain very badly in a busy kitchen, filled with water rings and cooking oils. Within a year you would not be proud of your benchtop.

Again, no concrete sealer is perfect. Our Polyurethane sealer is super resistant to all staining, has a very good scratch resistance and looks amazing. But its weakness is that is can peel off if opened up by chipping the concrete corner for example. The very rare drop of some Super Glue to lock the sealer back down is the solution. In our vast experience this is by far the best solution to have a few minor glue marks compared over the years then to a lot of large oil stains and ring marks. With the help of the homeowner concrete benchtops may get a better representation for staining.

Note: Our Polyurethane sealer will only start to peel off if the bench is forcefully cut by something blunt. We have done many kitchen benchtops with this sealer for past 3 years with no call backs. If you are a careful person and you love your benchtops then the sealer won’t need any special maintenance for many, many years

Here is our agreement, we will provide beautiful concrete kitchen benchtops protected in our chosen sealer. You will help to maintain the protection of your benchtops by not cutting on it and keeping the coating down.

With this agreement you will have a benchtop to be proud of for over 5 years before having it recoated or just sanded back to remove minor scratches.

Our Acrylic Sealer

This sealer is very good with stains, doesn’t have a bonding issue but is a little soft and can scratch easier. Its suited well for hearths and outdoor bbq benches.

Our Penetrator Sealer

We use this sealer for our larger commercials jobs where the pieces are in communal areas and can be poorly treated. Penetrator sealers are best when applied to highly polished concrete. Its very good against scratches but often poor against stains, unless waxed daily.

Payment Schedule

  1. A 60% deposit is required. No works will begin until deposit is paid and funds have been cleared.

  2. Final payment is to be made on the day of installation via EFT or with our mobile EFTPOS machine.

  3. Any change of mind or amendments to the product will be charged at an additional cost.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Cleaning

Maintenance and cleaning couldn't be easier. Damp cloths, mild detergents and other water-based cleansers are all that are needed. Abrasive cleansers or scrubbers should be not be used.

 

Sealer

Digitizedstone’ concrete products are sealed with a factory-applied, high-performance sealer. The sealer does not require periodic recoating, and no wax is required either. Simple maintenance in case of scratches or discoloration is all that is required. See the Touch-Up Kit for complete instructions.

 

General food preparation will not stain the concrete as long as the coating is maintained. The coating is intended to keep the food away from the concrete itself. Spills should be removed as soon as possible; however, the resistance to oils, acids, alcohol and normal food items is excellent.

 

Do not cut directly on the benchtops; use cutting boards. Knives will pierce the sealer, rendering the counters more susceptible to staining. Additionally the concrete will severely dull the knife's cutting edge. Scratches in the sealer could occur if heavy, rough or sharp objects are dragged across the benchtop surface.

 

Staining

Clients should use normal care with respect to water, oil, acids, and food. Spills should be wiped up as soon as possible, and immediately for acidic or highly staining agents such as lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and mustard. Staining/discoloration can occur if staining agents are left on for long periods of time.

 

Heat

As with almost all types of countertop surfaces, you should use trivets. Concrete can microcrack if exposed to high heat, and the sealer is not elastic enough to “absorb” these microcracks. The surface will appear “crazed”.

 

Cracks and Hairline Cracks

Non-structural cracks and hairline cracks are possible and are considered an inherent part of the product, not a manufacturing defect. Hairline cracks can occur at any time during the life of the benchtop, but are usually not a common occurrence. Hairline cracks are defined as cracks, generally smaller than ½ mm in width that do not threaten the integrity or stability of the slab nor prevent the continued and normal use of the benchtop.

 

Chips

While durable, both concrete and natural stone are “brittle” materials, as opposed to “elastic” materials. Sharp edges are more susceptible to chipping than rounded edges. Use care with pots and pans around edges.

 

SUPPORT

We will give technical advice and assistance for the lifetime of our products. We stand behind our products to provide a surface that will withstand normal countertop usage.

 

Feel free to contact Digitized Concrete any time. Call Jamie directly at 0466 544 584 or email at jamie@digitizedconcrete.com.au