What normal patina looks like on a concrete worktop, and what is a fault

Variation in tone, which buyers often call patina, is normal on a concrete worktop. A crack that runs through the piece is not. That is the line we work to.

What counts as normal?

Start with the surface. Cream is cast straight from the mould and sealed. It has the deepest colour and a flat, even face. Salt and pepper is diamond-finished to 800 grit and sealed, so fine sand shows. A top has some natural variation in tone.

That is why we sign off samples with you, and a worktop must match the signed-off samples. Variation inside that range is the material, and our guarantee does not treat it as a fault. Free samples show you the range before anything is cast.

A repair can also show. The repair standard is sound, flush, sealed and colour-blended. A repaired area may show a slightly different tone or a fine line. That is normal and not a reason to remake. Remade pieces can differ slightly in tone too, and that is fine.

What counts as a fault?

A cracked worktop is a failure. We remake it if the crack runs through and the sides have moved apart or out of level. We remake it if a repair would fail the standard, or if the same crack returns. If the seal fails in the first year, we repair or reapply it. After year one, seal wear is a touch-up at the standard rate, and that is a different thing from a crack.

I will not promise how your top will look in ten years. I can tell you what we treat as a fault. It is written on our guarantee page. The care that keeps the seal in good order is on our worktop care page.