Explanation
FSB has been supplying select door and window furniture in
brass, together with accessories, for forty years. From the
very beginning we strove for originality, spurning hackneyed
forms such as post horns or duck bills. DIN
17 660
Brass furniture is available in a wide range of alloys and at widely
differing prices. But not all
that glitters is pure brass. It is in our case though. We make exclusive
use of the CuZn37 copper-zinc alloy specified under DIN 17 660 as
material no. 2.0321 and 2.0335.
Corrosion protection
Brass is prone to corrosion in everyday use - a fact that is sometimes
glossed over. Polishing is the only way round this. Anyone acquainted
with more northerly countries will have observed the weekly buffing
given to brass furniture on front doors there.
This chore
becomes redundant if the surface is either lacquered or waxed. Waxed
brass components are self-polishing through use.
Areas that
are not handled will rapidly develop a brown or grey-green patina.
Many buyers deem this surface discolouration positively alluring.
Lacquered brass furniture loses its gloss once the lacquer is damaged.
Intercrystalline corrosion then quickly sets in. Corroded handles
can be reconditioned, however - for a charge covering costs.
Recommendation
For anyone interested in a lasting golden 'sheen', FSB recommends
titanium-coated stainless steel fittings in a golden brass finish.
The hardness of the base material ensures that the brass stained
titanium coating will withstand the ravages of the environment in
normal use.
For those who
prefer to stick with brass despite what we have said on the previous
page, FSB has the following recommendations to make:
Only use waxed brass finishes. Waxed brass polished finish can be
looked after using proprietary
cleansers.
Do not use lacquered brass finishes in outdoor applications where
the sun and the environment
will hasten the onset of corrosion.
Brass furniture should not be considered for heavy duty applications
in public buildings,
since there
is too much cleaning involved.
Surface
Hygiene
A brief word of clarification concerning the hygienic properties
of door handles:
There are those amongst our competitors who, citing the findings
of research institutes, make much in their brochures of the enhanced
sterilizing properties of certain finishes. FSB likewise has access
to reports proving that, for instance, cupriferous metals kill
germs more effectively than, in particular, synthetic materials.
But FSB sets no great store by such findings. Whether a given
finish destroys bacteria in 24 hours or in 72 is academic really,
since in practice, doors tend to be in fairly regular use anyway.
You’d have to take remedial action every time a door was
opened or closed if you wished to eliminate germs altogether.
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