Choosing the perfect faucet for your home can be an overwhelming decision. Material, style function, and price all combine to make your choice extra tricky! Aside from wanting to be aesthetically pleasing, the primary importance is the quality and durability of your faucet.
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Brass and Stainless Steel are the two main streams of material used for faucet hardware on the market. Both choices are extremely helpful and guarantee a lifetime of use and happiness, but what is the main contrast between them?
Brass is an alloy metal made of mostly copper and zinc. The composition can range anywhere between 50-63% copper and 50-37% zinc, with other additives used for material malleability. Manufacturers use various methods to create brass hardware, including wrought, forged, cast, and die-cut processes.
Since it has a relatively low melting point, it's easier to cast and is soft enough to machine with little effort yet hardy enough to endure the rigors of life as a faucet. One of the main (and only) issues with brass faucets is that they're not 100% lead-free. In the past, lead was added to brass for flexibility, but now it is mostly not allowed in faucets and plumbing.
Before , a faucet could contain as much as 8% lead and still call itself lead-free. Now the maximum lead content in a faucet is 0.25% (1/4 of 1%). Today's faucet brass is now "lead-free" to meet restrictions, using different additives for flexibility instead of lead.
304 and 316 stainless is another material option used for faucets. These stainless steel options contain 18% chromium and 8-10% nickel, the nickel giving the steel a particular crystalline structure to increase the material&#;s strength and malleability while the chromium helps the steel resist corrosion.
A small amount of molybdenum (2-3%) is added to 316 steel to better resist acids. Both materials are austenitic steels, which means they are low- or non-magnetic. Stainless 304 is by far the more commonly-used alloy for making faucets, which is what our Lulani stainless steel faucets are made of.
Stainless 316, known as marine grade stainless, has superior resistance to pitting, corrosion, and staining, particularly in acidic or salt environments, but comes in second behind Stainless 304 due to its hardness and manufacturing difficulty level. Stainless 316 is usually a bit more pricey than Stainless 304 because of this, but other than that they are virtually identical. In general, stainless steel is harder than brass and has a higher melting point, making it more difficult than brass to cast and machine.
Brass is one of the oldest faucet materials around and is well-known for its durability since it can stand up to a lot of wear and tear. Brass faucets do not easily crack or disintegrate. It's one of the most corrosion-resistant materials out there.
This is particularly important if you have hard water, which corrodes a faucet even more quickly than other materials. It can almost always stand up to hot water damage and other corrosive environmental factors better than any other material. Brass is also fire resistant and often one of the few items salvaged when a home is razed by fire.
Since it's so commonly used, it's easy to find almost any plumbing part or fixture made of the same material, which makes replacing bathroom parts very easy. This can also make your installation and maintenance cost a little more cost-effective because the material is so easy to work with. Aside from being easier to find, brass fixtures are more malleable than steel or iron. This means it's easier to bend, shape or mold fittings to suit your needs than most other metals.
Stainless steel, on the other hand, is considered a step above brass. Its physical durability exhibits longevity that other materials cannot muster. It has natural heat-resistant properties that are considered corrosion-resistant, tarnish-resistant, and will not rust. This means it requires less maintenance since it's scratch-resistant and will disguise spots and smudges.
Stainless steel is extremely hygienic. It's a common material used in the food processing, hospital, and pharmaceutical industries due to its corrosion and rust-resistant traits. The stainless steel material used in faucets provides a smooth, easy-to-clean surface that will not produce small pores or crevices where bacteria may otherwise harbor. Its naturally occurring properties can be very attractive features to a plethora of industries.
One of the most major differences between brass and stainless steel material is that stainless steel is 100% lead-free. All plumbing fixtures in the US should be safe, but as we mentioned earlier, some materials contain a minute amount of lead. Stainless steel doesn't, so you can rest assured it won't release lead into the water that comes out of the faucet.
You can coat most metal and plastic faucets and fixtures with almost any finish, which means when shopping for a new faucet, make sure to ask about what material is inside the faucet's body. Another trick is to feel how heavy the faucet is. Since a good quality faucet will have some heft, you'll want to feel out how heavy various faucets are.
Solid brass constructions are much higher quality than faucets that have brass plating or a brass-like finish. You can usually distinguish between the two because solid brass is a lot heavier. The same goes for stainless steel fixtures.
There are a lot of cheaper steel options on the market, but their lower price point often correlates with their lower quality. Manufacturers make true stainless steel faucets from either 304 or 316 stainless, so be cautious of any listing that differs.
How to care for your brass vs. stainless steel bathroom accessories depends largely on the finish you choose and your surrounding environment. Water conditions vary widely by location, and chemicals and minerals in the air and water can have an adverse effect on the finish of your products.
In addition, success with cleaners and procedures is dependent upon such factors as the hardness and temperature of the water, using exact measurements of ingredients, changes in cleaning formulas, and the condition of the product being cleaned. Since there are variations within these factors, KALLISTA cannot guarantee the effectiveness of any methods mentioned.
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Rinse away traces of soap and gently dry with a clean, soft cloth after each use. If you wish to remove the patina and restore the brass to its original shine, simply apply brass polishing compound with a soft cloth. It is not recommended to use abrasive cleaners or solvents on Unlacquered Brass.
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It is recommended that stainless steel sinks be cleaned at least once a week. Keep the use of cleaners to a minimum and rinse immediately after use; do not let the cleaners sit on the sink surface for long periods of time. Rinsing and wiping down stainless steel sinks after each use will prevent soap buildup.
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There are some chemicals that can cause stainless steel to corrode, such as chlorides. If you use a cleaner that contains chloride, rinse the surface immediately.
Avoid using metal scouring pads on stainless steel as rust stains will appear. Make sure to keep rusty utensils out of the sink as well. It is advisable not to use a rubber mat underneath a stainless steel sink, because the organic particles under the mat may decay and cause the sink to stain.
Whenever possible, avoid soaking dishes for an extended period of time and do not leave coffee grounds, tea bags, or pottery with a rough bottom in the sink.
Offered in a decadent range of artisan-inspired hues, KALLISTA signature finishes instantly transform faucets and fixtures into stunning, one-of-a-kind showpieces. Created in complex layers to allow the color to penetrate the metal, each finish is crafted to elevate the feel of a space with a touchable quality and dramatic aesthetic.
From unlacquered to powder-coated to physical vapor deposition (PVD) and beyond, KALLISTA finishes will bring beauty into your environment.
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Brass with an unlacquered finish, or living finish, is brass in its purest form without a protective coating to prevent it from aging. The deep, golden color of Unlacquered Brass offers an organic and natural beauty. After a short time of exposure to the environment, Unlacquered Brass shower fixtures will develop a unique patina.
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With solid metal construction, several KALLISTA kitchen faucets are offered in a Stainless PVD brushed finish, imparting a smooth-to-the-touch, slightly textured effect, serving as a true reflection of the stainless steel finish of sink and appliance surfaces.
The PVD coating ensures the finish is long-lasting and durable to withstand the rigors of daily use. Achieve the beauty of stainless steel kitchen faucets by choosing KALLISTA&#;s signature Stainless finish.
Whether you&#;re choosing a fixture for a sleek modern kitchen or a traditional powder room, both brass and stainless steel offer pleasing visuals.
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At KALLISTA, we utilize our signature Unlacquered Brass finish across many of our designer collections to create unique options for traditional and modern fixtures.
In its unlacquered state, high-quality brass develops a characteristic, golden hue which complements natural stones such as marble; warms up a black and white palette to keep it from feeling too cold; complements deep blue and olive green colors for a gorgeous, unparalleled look; and lends a soft, classic feel when paired with creams and greys. In fact, brass is so timeless that it can add a striking contrast in almost any environment or design style.
When paired with smooth forms and monochrome color schemes, Unlacquered Brass kitchen faucets stand out as sleek decorative pieces.
In charming interiors, such as a townhouse kitchen or rustic bathroom, Unlacquered Brass glows with radiance to further brighten an already welcoming environment.
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The soothing, cool tones of stainless steel complement an array of design styles and offer a refined character that is both clean and crisp.
Stainless steel sinks from KALLISTA range from hand-hammered and polished surfaces to brushed and muted. Choose a hand-hammered apron-front sink for a statement piece or a matte undermount workstation with accessories for ultimate functionality.
Historically, a significant amount of brass faucets contained alarming amounts of lead. However, after an amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act went into effect in , all brass faucets in the United States must contain no &#;more than a weighted average of 0.25 percent lead when used with respect to the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures.&#;
Stainless steel can also contain small amounts of lead. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, &#;Trace concentrations of lead may be contained in stainless steel as an impurity.&#;
Despite trace amounts of lead content, new brass and stainless steel products are considered safe to use in your home as long as they meet EPA standards.
Both materials are durable and aesthetically pleasing in different ways. At the end of the day, one is not objectively better than the other. No matter which one you choose, you&#;ll enjoy a high-quality and durable product.
Now that you know more about the pros and cons of brass vs. stainless steel kitchen accessories, you&#;re one step closer to bringing your design vision to life. Whether you&#;re looking for solid brass fixtures for your bathroom sanctuary or stainless steel sinks for your dream kitchen, KALLISTA has the best solutions in both form and function.
The main difference between brass and stainless steel is the composition. While both are alloy metals, brass primarily consists of copper and zinc, while stainless steel mostly contains iron, chromium, carbon, and manganese.
They also differ visually. Natural brass tends to appear golden or bronze, while stainless steel has a silver or chrome-like appearance.
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As the name implies, stainless steel remains &#;stainless&#; because it is generally resistant to corrosion. While stainless steel is not completely impervious to rusting, it takes extreme conditions and long periods of time for rust to occur. In most residential or commercial environments, the alloying elements in stainless steel prevent it from rusting for decades.
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Brass does not rust, as it contains no iron compounds. However, Unlacquered Brass can tarnish over time when exposed to oxygen. This is known as a &#;patina&#; and is a completely unique and organic process that cannot be replicated in any manufacturing process.
If you prefer a shining fixture, you may polish Unlacquered Brass to remove the patina.
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Both stainless steel and brass have design life expectancies of several decades. When used and cared for properly, brass and stainless steel fixtures can up to 50 years or longer.
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Brass is known as the gold standard in the plumbing industry for its ability to resist corrosion, absorb heat, and accept welds.
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Contact us to discuss your requirements of copper composite material. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.