Home · FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions across the studio range. Category pages cover product-specific questions in their own FAQ sections; the full care guide is at /care-guide/.
01 / Group
Material & composition
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What is architectural concrete and how is it different from regular concrete? +
Architectural concrete is engineered for furniture-grade work, not infrastructure. Our composition is silica-free (safer to work with, finishes more cleanly), glass-fibre reinforced, and roughly four times the tensile strength of standard precast at a third the section thickness. Cast full-depth, so the surface you see is the material itself, not a veneer over substrate.
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Is the concrete heavy? +
Less than you'd expect. A 2400 mm IronStone dining table at standard spec weighs around 130-160 kg: heavy, but not the 300+ kg a comparable solid-stone or untuned concrete piece would carry. The composition is roughly four times the strength-to-weight of standard concrete, which is why we can cast a 40 mm top instead of an 80 mm one.
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Will it crack or chip? +
Glass-fibre reinforcement and full-depth casting make catastrophic cracking very rare. Edge chips from impact happen, typically the corner where you set down groceries or a hard knock from a vacuum. Small chips repair invisibly with the colour-matched compound supplied with each piece; larger chips return to the studio for re-finishing.
02 / Group
Ordering & lead times
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What's the lead time? +
Four to six weeks from order, for furniture and templated benchtops alike. The cure schedule is 28 days regardless of piece size; we don't shortcut it. Custom or non-standard pieces may add a week to the standard window.
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How do I order? +
Send a brief or drawings via the contact page. We respond within two business days with a quote covering the piece, the finish, and delivery to your postcode. Once you sign off the quote, we invoice the deposit and begin the cast. The configurator on product pages is the fastest way to send a brief: it pre-fills your contact form with range, dimensions, and price.
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How does payment work? +
For furniture (Path 1): 50% deposit before production, 50% before delivery. Direct bank transfer or Stripe Payment Link generated after the quote. For coffee tables (Path 2): direct checkout on the website with full payment at order; flat-rate Melbourne metropolitan shipping.
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Can I cancel after ordering? +
Cancellation is possible before the mould is cut and the cast begins, typically within the first week of the lead time. After production starts, the made-to-order composition has been batched to your specification; the deposit becomes non-refundable but is creditable against another piece if circumstances change.
03 / Group
Delivery & install
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Where do you deliver? +
Australia-wide. Melbourne metropolitan is delivered by our own freight vehicle with site-place at delivery. Regional Victoria and interstate is via specialist heavy-furniture freight, quoted per order based on postcode and access.
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Do you install benchtops and kitchen islands? +
We deliver to site. Install is by your stonemason, kitchen company, or builder. We provide installation specifications and are available by phone during the install. For larger Melbourne metro projects, we can arrange a recommended installer.
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Can I pick up from the studio? +
No. The Mordialloc studio is a working factory, not a showroom. Pieces are delivered to your address; in the metro area we site-place at delivery so the piece is positioned and levelled before we leave.
04 / Group
Outdoor pieces
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Can concrete furniture stay outside permanently? +
Outdoor-rated ranges (Timberstone, plus the outdoor variants of IronStone) use a UV-stable, freeze-thaw-stable composition with a food-safe outdoor seal. Suited to courtyards, alfresco rooms, pool decks, and coastal positions. Indoor ranges can sit on a covered patio but full sun and rain exposure want an outdoor-rated range.
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Will outdoor concrete fade in the sun? +
Pigments are UV-stable; the studio seal carries a UV-stabiliser. We've had outdoor pieces in full Australian sun for years with minimal change. Whites warm slightly toward bone over a decade in full sun (most clients welcome this); deeper pigments are more stable.
05 / Group
Care & sealing
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Do I need to seal the table myself? +
No. Pieces are delivered fully cured, finished, and sealed. The satin food-safe sealer resists red wine for six hours and is built for ordinary household exposure; you won't need to do anything to it for years. The full care guide covers daily, weekly, and annual maintenance.
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Can I cut directly on the surface? +
Don't. Use a board. The seal will mark; the concrete underneath won't, but keeping the seal intact is what protects against staining over time. The composition is essentially indestructible by household standards; the seal is a finish that benefits from care.
06 / Group
Custom work
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Do you make custom pieces? +
Most of what leaves the studio is bespoke. Send dimensions, range preference, and a brief about the room. We respond within two business days with a quote. For colour-critical work we cast a sample tile in your chosen pigment and post it for sign-off before the main pour.
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Can a custom pigment be matched to a colour I have? +
Yes. Bring a chip, a fabric sample, a paint code (Dulux, Porter's, Murobond), or a reference image. We cast a sample tile in the custom pigment and post it for sign-off. Custom pigments add a small premium and a week to the standard lead time.
07 / Group
Coverage & care
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What protections do I have if something goes wrong? +
Your protection is the consumer guarantees set out in the Australian Consumer Law. If a piece arrives damaged or develops a manufacturing fault, contact the studio and we'll work it through with you. Damage from impact, misuse, or unauthorised modification sits outside that. For older pieces, we offer a studio re-seal service.
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Where can I read the full terms? +
The terms of service, privacy policy, shipping policy, and returns policy are linked from the footer. They cover Australian Consumer Law guarantees, payment, cancellation, damaged-in-transit handling, and how to contact the studio if anything needs attention.
Question not answered?
Ring the studio or send an email.
Pete answers most questions himself. Email or phone, both are on the contact page, and the form prefills if you came via the configurator.