FAQ
Corten (Cor-Ten) is a brand of weathering steel which will rust over time and form a protective layer on the surface to slow degradation of the steel underneath. This give Corten an increased lifespan compared to mild steel, hence why it is often more expensive.
Mild steel will also form a rust layer on the surface; however degradation is faster than Corten. That said, steel of any kind will corrode extremely slowly. A good rule of thumb is that in normal conditions (not coastal or exposed to excessively harsh weather), mild steel will corrode at a rate of around 1mm per 10 years and given that we only use steel that is 3mm thick or greater our products have great longevity.
The rusting process is organic and largely dependent on weather exposure. Therefore, the final colour cannot be controlled and may vary from a vibrant orange to a darker brown. If your product reaches a colour that you are particularly happy with, a coat of Penetrol (found at your local hardware store) will pause the rusting process in order to hold your desired rust tone.
Please note that rain and exposure to the elements may cause the rust leach so be mindful of placing your Ironbark product on any light coloured pavers, tiles or walls. Treating your product with Penetrol every 6 months may help to minimise leaching.
Steel:
The beauty of steel is that there is very little maintenance involved.
In cases where you might want to pause the rusting process or minimise leaching, we recommend treating the product with a regular dose of Penetrol which can be found at your local hardware store.
Powder Coated Aluminium:
Powder coated aluminium is a no-fuss, low maintenance option that requires next to no maintenance. Our only recommendation for extending the longevity of your product is that you use a damp cloth to remove any dust, salt or other deposits every 6 months or so.
Yes! We specialise in working with our clients to develop a finished product that realises their unique vision. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in our patterns or product pages, please get in contact with us via our contact page, phone (02 4229 2222) or email (info@ironbarkmetaldesign.com).
In most cases yes. Altering one of our standard designs will result in minimal variations in price, if at all. However, we do charge an additional fee for drastic customisations or completely original designs as they generally require creating a new mock-up and recalibrating our machine cut path.
We allow for one pattern choice and 3 mock-ups per product. In the majority of cases this is more than enough to perfect your design but in the circumstance more mockups are required, we charge $110/hr for any additional works.
Up until the design mock-up has been approved, we may be able to provide a refund. Please keep in mind that the refund amount may be less any charges for design time already invested prior to mock-up approval.
Once your order is placed you will receive an invoice for either a deposit amount or total balance (50% deposit for orders over $1000.00 or total balance for order under $1000.00). For custom products, the design process begins once payment is received and a mock-up will be sent within 5 days unless otherwise advised.
For all standard products, your project is placed in the fabrication queue as soon as payment is received. Custom products move into fabrication once your mock-up is approved and from this point onward no adjustments can be made to your design.
Our standard lead time is 3-4 weeks unless otherwise stated at the time of ordering.
Payment of the final balance is required (if applicable) before we book your item for shipping. You will receive tracking updates via email or phone.
Yes, once a deposit has been received, we will send through a computer generated design of your project for your approval.
Local deliveries are notified before dispatch to confirm a suitable delivery time slot. Rural and interstate deliveries are dispatched using Big Post. A Consignment note is supplied for Track & Trace on our courier’s website. It is Big Post’s procedure to send an SMS to the receiver confirming delivery.
Please ensure when taking delivery to check the packaging has not been damaged in transit, if damaged, do not take delivery and return the package with the driver. If the driver won’t take the package, write damaged and don’t sign. Ironbark Metal Design must be notified of damages as a result of shipping within 24hrs. You must not accept goods damaged in transit.
Our letterboxes come complete with a metal fixing plate to secure it into a concrete/paver slab, this has 4 holes in each corner that enable you to dynabolt down into your concrete base. There is a circular cut out in the centre of the plate for any necessary wiring for lighting, it is big enough to pass a flood light through if desired. There are a further 4 rivet nuts (2 on two sides) of the plate that are bolted the letterbox to, this is where you can unbolt for maintenance purposes.
For those who live locally to Wollongong NSW, we offer a free pick-up option direct from our workshop. Otherwise, choosing to have your goods delivered to the closest depot as opposed to directly to your home can save substantially on shipping costs.
For those who own their own business, it is sometimes cheaper to have your product delivered to a commercial address.
PLEASE NOTE: If on a pallet, unloading facilities (ie: a forklift) must also be available at the business address. Please feel free to contact us for a shipping quote to your business.
For more info on shipping please visit our shipping & returns page.