Australian Timber Ceilings: Terms and Conditions

1. Timber Research and Design Responsibility

Inherent Characteristics: The customer acknowledges the responsibility to understand and accept the natural properties of timber, such as susceptibility to movement, potential for warping, cracking, discolouration, and risk of mould growth.

Design Consideration: It is imperative that these characteristics are factored into the design and construction phases to mitigate any adverse effects and misalignment of expectations.

Appropriate Use: The customer must ensure that our timber products are fit for the intended purpose, particularly concerning any specific fire regulations or safety requirements. For applications exposed to abnormal environmental conditions, such as high humidity regions or beachfront homes, please seek out further technical support from our team and adopt a more diligent routine maintenance program.

2. Product Grading and Representations

Grading: Our timber linings are selectively hand-graded to the standards of AS 2796.2-2006. It is important to note that these quality measures are focused on the board’s clearly visible surfaces. Areas that are not typically visible, such as the tongue, the rebates of Shiplap boards, or the shadow-line channels of our Slat profile series, are not considered in this grading process.

Distortion: Our kiln & dried timber may exhibit natural movement called ‘distortions’. The following distortion tolerances reflect accepted industry norms and serve as a guide for assessing suitability prior to installation. A maximum of 1mm per 100mm of board width (e.g. 1.2mm for a 120mm board) is permissible for cupping. For bowing, spring and warping, a maximum of 8mm is acceptable per metre of board.

Colour, Texture and Sheen Consistency: While significant effort is made to ensure samples and photographs (including digital simulators) accurately represent our products, exact matches in colour, texture, and sheen cannot be guaranteed. Variations may occur due to the natural characteristics of the timber itself and minor tolerances accumulated during machining, grading, and finishing.

3. Ordering

Quantity and Measurements: The responsibility for verifying the required quantities lies with the customer, including a contingency of 15% for waste and any unforeseen inconsistencies within the timber. Being a natural material, our timber lining boards are permitted to have marginal anomalies, particularly if located not in the centre of boards under the working assumption faults can be docked onsite prior to installation.

Batch Variations: The customer must recognise that subsequent orders may exhibit variations in timber colour, grain, and machining due to the inherent nature of timber and the manufacturing process.

4. Installation

Installation Recommendations: Our guidelines aim to support Australian Building Standards and draw from extensive industry experience. Should our advice differ from official standards, compliance with the Australian Building Standards takes precedence.

Batch Variations: The customer must recognise that subsequent orders may exhibit variations in timber colour, grain, and machining due to the inherent nature of timber and the manufacturing process.

Tolerance and Calibration: Differences in machining and finishing between samples, website images, or interactive simulations and the final product are expected and should be accounted for, especially considering potential discrepancies due to device screen calibrations.

5. Comprehensive Liability Waiver

Lead Times: Our lead times provided at the time of order are intended to serve as estimates and may be subject to change at the discretion of Australian Timber Ceilings. We will not be held liable for any delays in the supply of goods (including but not limited to labour costs) incurred by the customer as a result of such delays or rectification works.

Applicability: Our full terms and conditions and liability waiver extends to all products manufactured and supplied by Australian Timber Ceilings and to every party involved in the purchase and use of the products, including, but not limited to, designers, builders, contractors, end property managers, and owners.

Acknowledgment of Terms: By finalising a purchase, the purchasing party, inclusive of design, trade, and end-owner stakeholders, acknowledges and accepts our full Terms & Conditions.

6. Contractual Responsibilities and Liability Waiver

Privity of Contract – No Direct Obligation to End Users: Australian Timber Ceilings supplies products exclusively to builders and trade professionals, who are our direct customers under contract. As such, all warranty claims, product inquiries, and dispute resolutions must be handled by the purchasing party.

Chain of Responsibility – Conflict of Interest Considerations: To maintain a clear and professional chain of responsibility, all communications regarding product performance, installation concerns, or warranty claims must be directed through the original purchasing party (the builder). Engaging with end-users directly would create a conflict of interest and could interfere with our contractual obligations to the builder. Australian Timber Ceilings is only permitted to liaise with the purchasing party.

Warranty and Liability Allocation – Builder as the Primary Contact: Australian Timber Ceilings provides product warranties and technical support directly to the purchasing party. Any concerns regarding product performance, defects, or installation must be accessed and communicated by the purchasing party. Our obligations under warranty do not extend directly to the end-user, and as such any concerns must be facilitated by purchasing party to ensure appropriate resolution process in accordance with our policies.

Limitation of Liability – No Assumption of Responsibility for Third-Party Claims: Australian Timber Ceilings does not assume liability for claims, disputes, or damages initiated by third parties (end-users) regarding product installation, performance, or suitability. Our liability is strictly limited to the terms agreed upon with the purchasing party. Any legal claims, service requests, or remediation obligations must be processed through the builder or trade professional who purchased the product.

Third-Party Restrictions – Confidentiality and Commercial Agreements: Our agreements with builders and trade professionals may include terms restricting direct engagement with third parties, including homeowners. To protect the integrity of our commercial relationships and ensure compliance with these agreements, Australian Timber Ceilings unfortunately cannot provide direct support, assessments, or dispute resolutions to other parties. Any inquiries from non-customers will be redirected to the trade professional responsible for the original purchase and installation.