Brass or Stainless Steel: Which is Best for Faucet ...

26 Aug.,2024

 

Brass or Stainless Steel: Which is Best for Faucet ...

Posted By Pooja Goswami

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The debate that which material between stainless steel and brass is better for manufacturing quality faucets has been going on for a long time now. However, with the feedback from user experiences and the expert opinions of leading manufacturing brands like LIPKA, it has finally unfolded which material is best for faucet manufacturing.

BRASS OR STAINLESS STEEL?

Both materials are well-known in the kitchen and bathroom fittings industry and their specifications are quite popular among consumers. However, it is inevitable to skip the basics.

Let&#;s compare the composition:

BRASS

Brass is an alloy made up of a mixture of elements like copper and zinc. Manufacturers use brass ingot or virgin brass for building the faucet body. This kind of brass is the purest form of brass that consists of about 60% Of Copper, 30% of Zinc and 10% of Other Metals to increase malleability.

STAINLESS STEEL

The best quality, i.e., the AISI 304-Grade Stainless steel is built has a good composition as it contains 18% chromium and about 8% Nickle which is known to lessen the effects of rusting and corrosion.

Why Brass is Preferable Over Stainless Steel Faucet?

Here are 5 solid reasons to support that brass faucets are easier to manufacture, have a good rapport with architects and interior designers, and are the most preferred material for faucets for bathrooms and kitchens.

  • Strength & Durability

Even though both metals have a similar characteristic to resist rusting and corrosion, Brass Faucets are the ideal choice since brass does not have iron in it and cannot rust. As discussed above, the composition of brass is sturdy and has long-lasting durability. This makes brass faucets much stronger, and are better for daily rough and tough use. The brass faucets are heavier and have good durability as compared to stainless steel.

  • Machinability

Brass and steel are not significantly different from one another in terms of production costs, despite the fact that steel is far more difficult to manufacture than brass. Steel doesn't have a chance since brass is the preferred metal for applications that call for small, precise metal components due to its well-known machinability.

  • Endurance

Brass is fifteen times more thermally and electrically conductive than stainless steel. Additionally, it has a larger thermal expansion coefficient, which makes it ideal for furnaces and engines, among other applications involving extremely high temperatures. Therefore, brass faucets are more preferable as they are compatible with geyser connections for extremely hot water flow. 

  • Ductility and Malleability

There is a reason why you find more designs in brass faucets than in stainless steel. This is because brass has a high level of malleability and ductility that allows it to take the shape of various classy and contemporary designs. Steel on the other hand has a low level of these properties which makes it a little rigid. People with a desire for luxurious faucets today, opt for brass as the base material due to this unique and efficient quality.

  • Antibacterial Properties

Brass and bronze, which are copper alloy metals, have the capacity to effectively eliminate hazardous bacteria and germs within two hours of contact. According to research, copper alloys may kill germs that the water flow usually contains. Contrarily, stainless steel doesn't have any built-in antibacterial qualities. This makes brass a more suitable and safe material for faucets, especially for kitchen use. And even for bathrooms, where water is used for taking baths and washing.

Brass Hardware: Polishing and Faking It

One thing is undeniable in the DIY and design world, brass hardware is back and lately I&#;m totally loving it on furniture. As a child of the 80&#;s I admit shiny lacquered brass fixtures still don&#;t appeal to me, but I am drawn to the golden glow of real or antiqued brass with its warmer patina.

In the past two weeks, I&#;ve fixed up two pieces, one dresser and one campaign desk, and both had brass hardware I wanted to reuse.  One set of hardware was real brass, the other brass plate, and both needed a good polish.

Over the last year, I&#;ve also narrowed down two great substitutes for faking the patina with other hardware that you want to give a golden glow.  If you&#;re curious how to tell the difference between real brass and brass plate, how to polish unlacquered brass, or how to fake the look of antique brass hardware, here&#;s how I do it.

 

Real brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and if it&#;s not lacquered, will tarnish with exposure to air over time.  There are two methods I use to bring back the mellow antiqued patina, one is Brasso if I have it on hand and the other is natural lemon juice and salt paste mixture.

 

But first, before you polish, you should know whether your hardware is real brass or brass plate.  Here&#;s the simple way to tell the difference.  Take a household magnet and see if it will stick to the piece, if it won&#;t that means the hardware is real brass, like these campaign pulls.

However, if the magnet picks up the hardware, then it&#;s brass plated (with steel or iron as its base).

 

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Good old fashioned Brasso works well for cleaning off the tarnish, and I usually soak for about 20 to 30 minutes.

 

With real brass, I use a rag or extra fine steel wool to remove the tarnish.

 

You can also use a mixture of salt and lemon juice as a natural polish, use approximately ¼ cup of salt per squeeze of ½ lemon to make a paste.

 

 

Either one works great on either brass plate or real brass, just be sure to use a soft rag or soft toothbrush with brass plate and not steel wool, it can scratch the thin brass plating.

Lemon juice is acidic, so be sure to fully rinse and buff your brass hardware, and I&#;ve read that using a little olive oil on top will prolong the periods between polishing.

I find brass plated hardware is more stubborn for some reason and usually takes repeat soaks to bring it back to life but it can be done.

 

But if your brass plate doesn&#;t come back to life because it&#;s too corroded or you want to give it the patina of unlacquered brass, there are two products that will do just that.

 

Rub N&#; Buff is a waxy metallic finish that comes in several golden shades such as Gold Leaf (depicted), but also look for Antique Gold and European Gold.  Krylon&#;s &#;Gold Leaf&#; is the best metallic gold spray paint I&#;ve found to date to mimic brass or give you a warm golden glow on your hardware.

 

As you can see, both the Rub n&#; Buff and Gold Leaf spray paint are pretty darn close to the real thing!

 

What about you?  Have you noticed the popularity of brass hardware on furniture lately?  Are you liking its resurgence?  Know any other natural formulas or products that are great for cleaning brass?  Do share!

 

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