Care Instructions

Basic Care & Handling

It is highly recommended that your hands are clean and / or protected when handling our work; we recommend wearing soft cotton or latex gloves. You will want to set up a comfortable workstation to prepare your project for mounting. It is highly recommended that you place a towel or blanket on top of workstation to protect the metal surfaces, which may come in contact during preparation.

Most of our interior work is given several coats of kitchen grade lacquer. If there are any fingerprints after installation is complete, they can be buffed out with a dry cotton cloth. It is imperative that no solvents or abrasives of any kind are used to clean or maintain the finish of all metals other than stainless steel. Basic care of which consists of using stainless steel cleaner and a dry cotton cloth.

Long Term Care & Maintenance

Natural Live Finish
The natural finish is our standard finish for all outdoor work. Coating with lacquer or wax is not recommended as time and the elements will eventually degrade and cause an odd and unnatural patina to occur.

With this type of finish, the metal is not protected and will patina naturally over time; it will be highly susceptible to fingerprints and oxidation marks. For interior projects, this type of finish is only for the select few who appreciate these this type of look of consistent yet subtle change and irregularity in the finish. How it ages depends on a number of factors such as air quality, indoor or outdoor, too many variables to list.

Regardless of the expectation of the final look, it is still important that the installer and anyone else handling the project during the installation process wear clean gloves to avoid leaving any fingerprints or oxidation marks. Regular care and maintenance will consist of cleaning with a mild detergent and a soft cotton cloth. For copper and brass, we recommend the use of Copper Brite, Brasso, or any other red metal cleaning solution to restore the luster.

Oil or Wax Finish
A wax/oil sealant is our primary finish for sinks, countertops and other high traffic areas; on occasion we use it on some range hoods but only upon request. The wax will provide some protection from elements and preserve the patina, but will not protect it 100 percent. We recommend a reapplication of the wax every few months to maintain the finish, but if you like the worn in look that only time and age provide you can sure span out the time between recoating with wax. Renaissance or regular Carnauba wax will suffice for a recoat. It is important that the installer and anyone else handling the piece during the installation process should where clean gloves. Dirt and oil can potentially imprint on the wax. If there are any blemishes visible after installation is complete, you can use a mild detergent and a dry cotton cloth to remove them.

Lacquer Finish
The lacquer is our go to sealer for all kitchen hoods and will be sure to protect the surface for years to come. We spray the lacquer in successive light coats so that the surface still has the look and feel of the metal rather than having a shiny "painted on" type of finish. Considering the handling that is needed to not only carry but also install these larger pieces, we feel the lacquer is the most practical sealer to protect against fingerprints and blemishes prior to install.
The kitchen grade lacquer will preserve the chosen patina with very little maintenance and basic care consists of cleaning with a soft cloth and a dab of soapy water. As always, to avoid any fingerprints or blemishes during the installation process, it is important that the installer and anyone else handling the piece wear soft, clean gloves.

High Polish Finish
These brilliant metal finishes are one of a kind and require specific care to ensure years of luster. Cleaning & care of this type of surface is relatively simple but needs to be followed with exact instruction. For basic cleaning you will want to use a non abrasive cloth or paper towel such as Viva brand paper towels with a streak and ammonia free glass cleaner. For a light repolishing of the entire surface you will want to use a high quality metal polish (We use Busch’s Chrome & Stainless Steel polish for all metals), use a Viva brand paper towel and lightly rub in horizontal lines. Keep rubbing the polish until it is almost all gone, which would mean periodically changing paper towels. You can do a “final” light rub of Acetone (Fingernail polish remover) to clean off any remaining polish. After this is done you can follow up with the aforementioned basic cleaning instructions. Lastly, it is very important to be particular and careful in all processes for maintaining a mirror surface.

 

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