2- Patina. Am I really letting my expensive zinc countertops rust?

Well, the short answer is no- you’re actually letting them tarnish, though rust is oxidation specific to iron, which zinc alloys do not contain.

There are two types of metal tops: stainless steel, and all others, commonly referred to as living metals.  Stainless steel dominates the industry, by far. In fact, it’s name “stain-less” refers to the fact that iron, the common oxidizing element in most steel, is replaced with chromium in stainless, making it stain or oxidize less than steel. So stainless steel is not immune to rust.

Interestingly enough, this oxidation of iron is what gives clay its red color when exposed to air, as opposed to clay that is completely submerged in water, which maintains a grey tone.

Living metals, such as zinc, copper, brass, and bronze, react with the environment and form a coating or patina, which is a tarnished layer of oxidation. 

 This later will change over time, taking on different hues and tones, generally in the blue-gray, brown, and green/blue color families.  This can be manipulated during manufacturing, but it will also happen naturally once installed, and know that despite our best efforts, it cannot be stopped, but it can be easily altered.

One customer I had in New England absolutely loved his bar top and stood by his promise to polish it daily.  When I checked back in on the project some years later, this same customer, possibly a little obsessive, was so tired of polishing this massive top.  I could not believe he had kept up with this daily task for more than two years!  The point here is that you have to understand your personality and the patina.  You can invest the time to keep it completely polished and sacrifice your sanity, or you can let the patina tell the story of your defeat.  Either way, you’re going to end up with a beautiful product.

Controlling patina is a double-edged sword.  On one hand, you want your projects to appear a certain way and maintain that initial like-new appearance, but on another, that finish cannot fake the natural use patterns that develop over time as these tops are enjoyed in the field.

Everyone in the industry fights this battle for education and understanding on a daily basis.  My take has always been “let the tops develop this natural wear from use, but avoid unnecessary handprint patterns when installing”.

This can be achieved a number of ways, but primarily by wearing gloves, and by designing tops that two people can install.

The larger the top, the more hands, and the greater the chance for unwanted handprint patterns from helpers who may not understand the patina process.

In my opinion, the tops should have an initial protective coating.  This is usually a carnauba wax to seal the surface and retard the oxidation.  This is not a permanent coating, however, and it should be reapplied as often as you don’t want natural wear patterns to show through.  I’ve also developed a proprietary coating that holds up longer than wax and that can also be easily reapplied throughout the life of the top, which I’ll talk about later.

On this note, I also get a lot of questions about clear coats, varnishes, and, my personal favorite, “lacquer”.  “Can’t I just seal it somehow?”  The short answer is “NO”.

The patina, natural or synthetic, is a bond inhibitor.  Ever Clear, Clear Guard, and Smart Coat, and other similar products claim that they can address these issues, but they always fail, creating more work in the end, to remove the product and restore the metal.  

I have installed each of these in multiple instances, and I have seen each of them fail multiple ways.  They have their uses, but they are not for commercial bar top applications.  

You are much better off investing in a palm sander and some Scotch Brite once a year, or paying a service to complete this task, than using a clear sealer on high-use, living-metal tops.  You have been warned.

I have found that handling during shipping and installation and the subsequent rogue handprints that form are often the biggest objection of customers.  Photography is coming in to take promotional shots, and someone has left a print right in the middle of the most noticeable shot.  Because it’s a new product, contractors are reluctant to touch it.

More than once I was leaving a site, and some unsuspecting contractor approached, Coke in one hand and sweat dripping off the other, and proceeded to wipe a 6-foot streak down the center of a project saying “NICE TOP”, which meant some additional time on site to remove for photography.

So for any metal top, I suggest you talk with your team and develop a plan before the tops ever arrive.  What is your strategy going to be, and get everyone on the same page.

Are you going to start letting the tops develop wear from day 1, or do you want to install at night and immediately photograph the next morning? When will this installation happen in terms of finish sequencing?  I suggest as near the end as your schedule will allow.

Are you going to have some signs printed and placed down the bar that say “do not touch”, or are you going to rope off the area?

Maybe you place someone in the area to look after it, or you completely cover the top with a protective material such as brown paper or ram board.  Figure out a plan before your project arrives, and know that any undesirable marks can be touched up very easily with steel wool, Scotch Brite, a microfiber, and some additional patina.

Remember, these living finishes are very easy to work with, so they have a distinct advantage over stainless steel, which can be extremely difficult to polish on site.

Understand how patina works, develop a plan for receiving, installing, and protecting your tops on site, know that blemishes are natural and can be reversed with minimal effort as instructed by the manufacturer, and never permanently seal your tops.