Brass to Matte Black to Chrome and more: Faucet Finishes 101
You’ve sorted through hundreds of designs and picked the perfect faucet for your new bath—but what finish should you choose? With so many available options, you may be scratching your head and wondering what’s the difference? Well, besides color, the various types of finishes can vary widely in terms of texture, sheen, and required maintenance.
Before you make a decision, it’s important to understand the trade-offs between the various finish types. Since we produce over 25 artisan finishes for our solid brass faucets, we’re happy to help explain the benefits and requirements for each finish style.
Here’s an overview of our five main finish categories.
Living Finishes
Life is all about change, and living finishes are designed to do just that. And therein lies the fun and the beauty. Unlike most other finishes which are designed to retain the same color and texture over time, a “living finish” develops its own unique patina as time passes (hence the term “living”). With its antique aesthetic, a living finish is the ideal fit for vintage styles (think rustic farmhouse or converted loft) but it’s also a refreshing alternative to basic chrome finishes even in modern design schemes.
Just like any “living” thing, a living finish does need to be maintained with care. Similar to how a beautiful mahogany coffee table requires occasional dusting, waxing, and polishing, your faucets and fittings will age gracefully with proper maintenance. You’ll want to wipe them with a soft cloth after each use to help minimize the inevitable spotting and mineral build-up that forms on a well-used faucet. It’s also good to occasionally wax a living finish so that water droplets bead and fall away rather than linger on the surface. We recommend Renaissance Wax® (which is actually approved by the Queen of England for use in Buckingham Palace) but any good carnauba wax without cleanser should do the trick.
Keep in mind that the areas that are touched more frequently, such as handles, will wear faster and develop additional shine from your natural hand oils. In sum, with these unique finishes, your faucets become living pieces of art. If you love the idea of change and are willing to put in a bit of extra care, living finishes can elevate the individuality of your faucet as well as your overall bath design.
Chrome
Imagine lining up at Baskin Robbins for a cool treat. With 31 different flavors to pick from, which one will you choose? Caramel Macchiato? Triple Mango? Or perhaps you just feel like having classic vanilla. It’s tried and true—nothing wrong with that. In faucet finish terms, that’s a chrome finish. It’s a fan favorite for just about any design aesthetic.
Chrome is versatile, durable, and needs very little maintenance. But since Chrome is a highly reflective surface, there’s one potential challenge to keep in mind: it does tend to show water spots and fingerprints. But if you love that shine, this is easily remedied. Just wipe it dry with a soft cloth after each use and buff it now and then with a faucet cleaner like Faucet Brite®.
Satin Nickel
A warm and inviting finish that lets the beauty of the hand-finished metal shine through, Satin Nickel is rich, velvety, and easy to live with. If visible fingerprints bother you, you’re not alone, and Satin Nickel might just be the perfect match for you. Since it’s not as reflective as polished finishes, Satin Nickel surfaces do a better job at camouflaging fingerprints and water spots. But, keep in mind that all Satin Nickel finishes are not alike.
If you’re in the market for top quality, you might be interested in learning that our Satin Nickel is brushed by artisan hands in our factory. We also leave our Satin Nickel finish uncoated to show off the handcrafted beauty. This is in contrast to the mass-produced Satin Nickel-finished faucets on the market that are unfortunately covered with a plastic-like protective coating. Besides having a glossy appearance and defeating the whole point of a brushed look, this coating can become unsightly as it chips and deteriorates over time.
Our Satin Nickel finishes, on the other hand, will maintain their beauty for a very long time as long as you wipe it regularly with a soft, dry cloth to prevent spots and build-up. You can also use a cleaning agent like Flitz or Semi-Chrome to remove any tarnish and restore its luster as desired.
Powder Coat Finishes
If you enjoy expressing your unique personality through color, then a powder coat finish might be just what you’re looking for. They come in a beautiful rainbow of shades, from trendy matte black and eye-catching white to vintage looking options like antique brass, copper, or nickel.
True to their name, powder coat finishes are made when artisans apply a layer of powder then oven-bake each individual piece. The baking process transforms the powder into a tough-as-nails finish that’s durable and long-lasting.
To preserve the beauty of your powder coat finish, avoid cleaning with harsh chemicals that contain bleach and ammonia (which is found in many window and tile cleaners.) Stick to a soft cloth instead of abrasive sponges which can scratch and weaken the finish. You can also occasionally apply Faucet Brite® to keep powder coat finishes looking like new for a long time.
PVD Finishes
PVD stands for Physical Vapor Deposition finish—by far the most durable decorative finish on the market today. While the name is a mouthful, and the intricate process is a science lesson in itself, there’s nothing complicated about the beauty and strength of this finish. The PVD finish process creates a molecular bond that won’t corrode, discolor, or tarnish.
Since making the finish requires an expensive hi-tech process, they do tend to carry a higher price tag than most other finishes. But when you factor in longevity, and a lifetime warranty against tarnishing, it can be a good investment. We’ve worked hard here at California Faucets to pioneer the widest selection of PVD finishes today and are proud to say we are the world leader when it comes to this innovative finish style.
As for maintenance, it’s pretty simple. Just wipe it dry when possible and polish every once-in-a-while with Faucet Brite®. If you pick PVD, you’ll want to avoid using harsh chemicals like bleach or acrylic pads, as these can damage the finish. A soft cloth will be your PVD-finished faucet’s best friend.
Your choice of an artisan finish, along with how much time you want to spend on cleaning and maintenance, is a personal one. There is no “one-size-fits-all” answer, but hopefully you now have a better idea of what type of finish will work best for your personal taste and lifestyle. Just like the faucet design you select, the finish you ultimately choose will go a long way to express your unique personality in the bath. To learn more, check out our handcrafted finishes, read about how each style of finish is made in our California factory and learn how to care for your finish.