KC Restoration

Quality, Integrity, Trust

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Minimize Lacquer Deterioration During Covid-19

During the coronavirus pandemic, all surfaces are being sanitized more than ever before.  The products primarily being used for disinfection are ammonia-based cleaners such as Clorox and Lysol.  These are effective for killing viruses but Property Managers are indicating that lacquer on metal surfaces is deteriorating faster than usual.
The KC Restoration team has been working with vendors and doing some experiments in our shop to verify various product claims. Here is what we currently know:
  1.  No lacquer will hold up to ammonia products. The best way to delay the degradation is to follow KC Restoration best practices cleaning instructions (below). Increased use of these products on the lacquer means your metal surface will likely need to be refinished sooner than usual. Bronze will tarnish and be more vulnerable to scratching, rust and corrosion if it is left without the protection of lacquer
  2. While no lacquer will wear as well when cleaning products are consistently applied, there is a new
    lacquer that has greater resistance to alcohol and it is also low VOC. There is also an anti-microbial version available.
    Both versions should only be applied on interior surfaces.
  3.  A lacquer that is alcohol resistant with UV protection is in field trials and we should know more soon!
    soon.
 Below are useful cleaning instructions for Property Managers and their teams:
  • Use a soft towel, preferably a microfiber, not paper towels or abrasive cloths that may scratch or further damage the lacquer or metal.
  • Spray cleaners onto the towel and not directly on the metal. Be especially careful to not spray onto electrical components or buttons with openings to electrical components.
  • Wipe gently in the direction of the grain of the metal.

If disinfecting necessities continue to cause problems with the look of your lacquered metal, please contact KC Restoration’s sales team to find out about an adjusted maintenance schedule to better handle your changing needs, as well as possible lacquering options that are tailored to indoor metal, outdoor and UV light exposure, or the latest antimicrobial lacquer options for your indoor metal surfaces.

 

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Prairie Village Park Plaque Restored

This plaque in a local Prairie Village park pavilion saw quite a bit of Kansas weather, battering down the metal and leading to the white staining you can see in these before and after photos. #KCR technicians refinished the bronze, applied a rich brown relief to the background and a protective clear coat that brings back the legibility of the text and that gleaming beauty of the bronze. #StoneMetalWood https://buff.ly/2NQD5HZ

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Don’t Let Ice and Snow Melt Ruin Your Metal!

Winter weather has arrived in Kansas City! Soon it will be time for your snow removal contractors to come spread salt around your building exterior to prevent accidents and protect occupants and visitors.  However, the salt they commonly use can be highly corrosive to many of your exterior surfaces.

Did you know that the chloride ion molecules in deicers interact with the metal in an electrochemical reaction which accelerates the metal molecule’s interaction (oxidation) with the surrounding oxygen into metal-oxide molecules? And this results in what is commonly called rust!

When ice melt is not cleared away from your metal, bronze, stainless steel, aluminum or anodized aluminum siding, corrosion begins. Metal corrosion is a concern primarily in parking garages due to the steel rebar that is in the concrete to reinforce it.

The common dry non chloride deicers that are used to avoid corrosion are CMA (Calcium Magnesium Acetate), sodium acetate and urea. The primary non chloride liquid for anti-icing use on pavement is potassium acetate. Note that none of these chemicals have the word “chloride” in them.

A few chloride-based deicers are claiming to be “less corrosive”. These products contain 95 – 99 percent chlorides and have about one 1 percent CMA added. CMA costs about 20 times as much per pound as salt; this is why only a “pinch” can be added to a common deicer. There is currently no evidence supporting the claim that adding any amount CMA to salt helps reduce the corrosiveness of chlorides.

If the price non-corrosive deicer exceeds your budget, there are some steps you can take to minimize the corrosion process and avoid costly repairs:

  1. Place mats both outside and inside all entrances
  2. Increase frequency of cleanings
  3. Try to keep the snowmelt from building up on any of your metal
  4. Once warmer temperatures arrive, pressure wash areas exposed to ice melt

For more information on how to protect and maintain your building’s exterior through the winter, contact KC Restoration today. We are the trusted experts in restoration, beautification and preservation.

Contact Us

KC Restoration, LLC
1465 N. Winchester St., Olathe, KS 66061
913-766-2200