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Copper Sinks
Today, interior designing has moved into creating an architectural climate that exudes elegance and clean cut lines, so that copper sinks have become more and more common. It has become popular not only for its beauty, but for its functionality as well. Copper sinks have very interesting characteristics that will not only add aesthetics to your home, but will also bring benefits to the home owners.
- Copper sinks do not need maintenance. They are built to last many, many, many years and tend to become more beautiful and elegant with time. Copper sinks change their color with time and turn into medium copper brown. If you leave the oxidized patina layer untreated, it will naturally achieve a nice light bronze color. Also, there is no need to wash copper sinks with any harsh chemicals. You only need soap and water, and the sink is shiny clean. You only need to apply furniture wax or brass if you want to maintain its color, and not want it to turn light.
- Copper sinks are relatively cleaner. Copper sinks have been proven to be a bit more sanitary than regular ones. Copper has its own natural anti-bacterial components so that bacteria do not tend to survive on it. Many studies have revealed that copper might be better than stainless steel in terms of sanitation: bacteria can live on stainless steel for several days but live only a few hours on copper surfaces.
- Copper sinks create an elegant atmosphere to your bathroom or kitchen (or any room for that matter). Most of the copper sinks available in the market are made by hand, so that each and one of them can be considered as a work of art. Copper, in itself, is elegant and basic - it can enhance any room’s style and look by how it carries itself. For example, natural copper sinks are reddish in color and can be very well used for contemporary and Asian-inspired homes. Or, if you need a classic bathroom design, you can get copper sinks with a clear finish that makes the copper sink appear brownish.
- Copper sinks do not corrode or develop rust. Thus, you can expect it to be there for ages. You don’t have to replace them so this may be a very good investment.
However, before investing in a copper sink, make sure that you are about to buy a high quality piece. Some less expensive sinks are made from recycled copper and are not pure (only about 90%). Recycled copper are usually made from melted-down machines, computers and other electrical equipment. They may be cheaper and very reasonable at first, but it might cost you some more in possible repairs and replacement. Here are some more tips in purchasing a copper sink of best quality:
- Choose a thicker gauge model so that it will not be susceptible to denting or warping.
- Look for copper sinks that are stronger. Stronger sinks have welded joints instead of soldered ones. Soldered areas on the sink also tend to turn black when it ages.
- If you do not want to wait for the patina to develop, choose one that already comes with a patina. This way, you do not have to worry about the patina developing evenly.
- Shop only from reputable stores, and always ask for quality guarantee. In this way, you can return the sink you purchased if it does not live up to what you expected.
Art Copper is a Kitchen & Bath renovation expert. Please visit his sites at Kitchen Sinks, Stainless Steel Sinks, Copper Sinks, Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks, Kitchensinks, and Triple Bowl Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks.
Tags: bathroom sinks, copper sinks, kitchen sinks, stainless steel sinks, undermount sinks
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