From
Rust to Renaissance
Finishing Up the Details
By Jennifer Darmour
You’re restoring
your home to its original beauty. The house has been in shambles throughout
your project, but you’re near the end. You’re ready for
the finishing touches that make the biggest difference: your hardware.
Details Make
an Impact
Along with the renovation, the metal elements throughout your home
have a huge impact on the look of your house. Imagine your heating
vent revitalized to its original charm or your brass cabinet hardware
updated to match your new appliances. These details add cleanliness
to your entire home and enhance your renovation projects.
Common Items
Almost anything that is metal in your home is suitable for refinishing.
At Bungalow Metal some of the most common items include custom and
hard-to-find metal parts such as clawfoot bathtub legs, heat registers,
and interior door parts. Other items include antique lamps, exterior
door parts, mailboxes, and cabinet and furniture hardware. Some items
can even be as unique as your bungalow. Check out Bungalow Metal’s
unique item of the month on its website.
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|
ITEM
OF THE MONTH |
Choosing Your
Finish
Consistency
is the key to any successful design. Whatever finish you choose should
be consistent throughout your home. This will add the sophisticated
detail that completes your home renovation. The following is a list
of available finishes:
• Brass: Polished, Satin, and Antique Satin
• Nickel: Polished, Satin, and Antique Satin
• Chrome
• Copper
Typically, bungalow-style
homes were finished with brass metal that darkens over time. If you
choose to stick to the era of your home, an antique satin brass finish
will liven up the metal. An antique satin gives the color a soft,
subdued, and worn look. The finishing process will clean up any scratches
or paint that builds up over time, so the worn look of the finish
is only applied to the metal area of the item.
If you want to
add a little sparkle, try polished brass. This provides a clean and
shiny look that draws attention to details. Using too much polished
brass, however, can draw too much attention. Use this finish for smaller
rooms or to highlight furnishings and lamps.
For those of you
with a contemporary flare, finish your metal with a popular satin
nickel finish. The metal looks clean against warm-colored wood stains
without drawing too much attention away from the room.
Finishing Process
Metal finishing is a careful, multi-step process. Although it can
vary, in general, the steps are as follows:
1 Existing plating and paint is chemically removed.
2 Parts are sandblasted to remove any stubborn plating or paint.
3 Parts are polished to remove scratches, divots, etc.
4 Parts are re-plated via an electroplating process with the
finish of your choice.
5 Many parts are clear-coated with a thin lacquer.
The type of metal that can be plated includes steel, bronze, zinc,
brass, cast iron, and pewter. If it’s not listed, it doesn’t
mean that it can’t be done. Just ask your finishing company what
type of metal you have, and it will tell you whether it can be re-plated.
Jennifer Darmour
runs Bungalow Metal, an Oregon-based metal refinishing company, with
her partner Kevin Price. For more information call: 888-205-3444 (toll
free); in Oregon: 503-525-9527; or Email her at:
info@bungalowmetal.com. Check out its website at www.bungalowmetal.com. |
