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- How does metal oxidation happen?
- How is oxidation metal refinishing used to help appearance?
- How to get started with metal restoration
In 2015, the property manager for a bank headquarters in Atlanta needed to update the look and feel of the building, with special attention to metal surfaces throughout the facility. However, the cost of replacing so many elevator doors, entryways and other assets could easily get out of hand.
That’s when the manager turned to Mid America Specialty Services for an innovative metal refinishing system that gave all of the outdated metal a whole new look — without having to replace a single asset.
A special oxidation metal refinishing process was implemented to create a rustic-looking patina, which adds richness and character to the look of bronze or brass and enhances the overall aesthetic appeal of a building.
How Does Metal Oxidation Work?
Oxidation is a process that occurs naturally in metals like bronze or brass that hasn’t been polished or treated with a protective lacquer coating. It gives the metal a patina, as opposed to the shiny appearance of non-oxidized brass or bronze.
In the case of the Atlanta bank, the entire metal refinishing process took 10 months to complete, and involved refinishing 27 elevator cabs and entrances, 3 main building entrances, all support beams, panels throughout the main lobby and all associated hardware.
According to Michael Easterling, Mid America Specialty Services District Manager for Atlanta, the biggest challenge of this type of project is that there are many moving parts that require an enormous amount of coordination.
“We went through multiple mock-ups with the management and design teams to ensure we achieved the proper color and final product. To maintain consistency throughout the project proved to be the most difficult challenge.”
Using Metal Oxidation to Improve Appearance
Technicians from Mid America Specialty Services used the following steps to transform the facility’s metal surfaces using metal oxidation:
- Strip existing lacquer
- Scrub the metal
- Convert from mirror to satin finish
- Highlight
- Apply multiple coats of oxidizing agent
- Apply a protective coat of lacquer
This process created an oxidized outer layer that serves as a patina on top of the underlying metal. It transformed the look of this prestigious building by giving metal assets an antique hue that ranges from brownish-yellow to coppery red, depending on the proportion of copper to zinc present in the metal.
“The most rewarding part of the project was being involved with something as transformational as this was,” notes Easterling. “It dramatically altered the appearance and feel of the entire property, all while providing an extremely cost-effective alternative to replacing the metal.”
Getting Started with Mid America’s Oxidation Metal Refinishing Service
Brass or bronze refinishing using a metal oxidation process is just one example of using a metal conversion system to transform the look and feel of your building. Contact Mid America Specialty Services to learn about how you can save money and get the results you want using a custom metal refinishing service.
