Maintaining particular plaques can be challenging, particularly for some of our more traditional memorials. Despite crafting with top quality materials, even we can’t fully protect your memorial against the unpredictable British weather! That being said, we are here to support you in caring for your memorials. This is why we are sharing this blog with you today.
We get a variety of questions about brass specifically. So we wanted to use this space to explore how you can protect and maintain a brass plaque.
Why Does Brass Tarnish?
We love crafting with brass because it is a traditional, timeless classic! Brass memorials have existed since the 13th century, and they have been a popular choice ever since. So, despite brass proving itself to be more difficult to maintain, we still back brass memorials and believe them to be a worthy choice. Some even enjoy having to maintain these pieces for their loved ones.
Brass is a metal alloy, meaning that it is composed of two or more elements. In this case, brass is composed of copper (for lower habitability of bacteria) and zinc (for strength), among other metal elements like lead and iron. Copper and zinc, when exposed to water or moisture, cause the brass to corrode through a process of oxidisation. Oxidised brass turns shades of black, blue and green – but rest assured that this is merely staining on the surface of the brass. This is why you can maintain a brass plaque back to its former shiny self.
How Can You Maintain A Brass Plaque?
The nature of brass means that it will tarnish over time and it will require regular buffing to maintain its appearance. Some people like to treat their signs with a light layer of Vaseline or Olive Oil as this reduces the rate of tarnishing without detracting from the appearance of the sign.
We would advise polishing gently with a soft cloth as brass scratches easily. Applying a brass polish such as Braso is recommended. However, try not to overuse brass polish as sometimes this can have a detrimental effect. Over polishing, or polishing aggressively, can lead to the removal of the brass plating, which inevitably will change the appearance of a brass plaque. It is worth noting also that, as a company, we choose to avoid using varnish on our brass plaques. Our experience shows that the varnish weathers and forms an unsightly scaly appearance.
The process of frequently polishing a brass plaque should be quick and easy. In the long run, this will maintain the quality of your plaque, and keep it looking its best for longer.
Reach Out to UK Memorials
If you’ve arrived at Uk Memorials and you don’t know who we are, we are a sister company to The Sign Maker. The Sign Maker are a Devon-based, family-run, bespoke sign making and memorial business. We pride ourselves on crafting high-quality signage by award-winning craftsmen and having immaculate customer service. This is why we share blogs like these to support you in maintaining your memorials.
We welcome you to reach out to us with your questions or queries on brass signage – we would be delighted to hear from you and help you out where we can. Alternatively, find us on social media, via email or through our online shop to check out our extensive memorial catalogs.
