Your stone benchtop should come with a warranty that protects you if a manufacturing or fitting problem results in the need for repair or replacement. A lack of warranty, or an unusually-short warranty, is a key warning sign that the business you are dealing with may not be as professional as they appear.
The key to getting a great warranty is to deal with a great business; the warranty you receive is only as good as the business behind it. With more than 30 years’ experience in the stone industry, we’ve seen the good, bad, and ugly when it comes to warranties – and helped the unfortunate customers who’ve been let down by them.
How to Spot a Great Stone Benchtop Warranty
1: The Age Of The Business
If the business you’re dealing with has only been in operation for nine months there’s no guarantee it’ll still be running one year on – let alone five years on. It doesn’t matter how good a warranty they offer if the business isn’t around to back it up. Many new businesses fail within the first few years, so dealing with a business without an established reputation increases your risk.
We recommend you look for an established business with at least five years’ experience.
2: The Reputation Of The Business
If you want to know how a business will treat you, you should look at how it has treated its past customers. Online reviews on Google make this easy – consumers are quick to post a negative review if they’ve experienced poor service.
Poor reviews for any reason are a red flag. In particular, watch out for reviews concerning warranty claim: some businesses are slow to follow these up, or even try to dodge them.
3. Workmanship Warranty
A reputable business will offer a warranty that protects you in the event that a problem occurs with your installation. Most stones are hard-wearing materials that will last a lifetime (if you treat them well) which means the most common source of problems for stone benchtops (excepting accidental damage) is the workmanship. The lamination and joins, in particular, are areas where poor workmanship can cause long-term problems that may only become apparent after several years.
We recommend you look for a workmanship warranty that lasts for at least five years.
4. Stone Warranty
Granite and marble are natural materials, and so rarely come with a warranty for the stone itself. Engineered stone, on the other hand, is a man-made product and should come with a warranty.
You should normally expect to see a ten-year warranty on engineered stone.
Taking Care Of Your Stone Benchtop
If you’ve chosen an experienced and reputable business to supply your stone benchtop, you shouldn’t have any problem getting issues covered by the warranty fixed. However, a great warranty doesn’t protect you against other issues caused by misuse.
Here are our general guidelines for caring for your benchtop:
✓ Clean with a mild detergent (pH7) or specialist stone cleaner only
✓ Avoid aggressive cleaners that are acidic or alkaline
✓ Place a coaster under all glasses and clean any spills immediately
✓ Avoid placing very hot dishes directly on stone benchtops
✓ Use care when handling heavy or sharp objects near your benchtop
Medici: Family-Owned Granite and Marble Specialists
We specialise in supplying and fitting high-quality granite, marble and engineered stone benchtops in the Perth area and have been in the stone industry for more than 30 years. We have a highly-commended aftercare service and cover our workmanship with a 5-year warranty.
You can book your free quote online or contact us on (08) 9303 2697.
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