How to Know if Metal Surfaces Need Refinishing

The best facility managers understand the importance of maintaining the metal surfaces in their buildings. Without a metal maintenance plan, a building's metal hardware and architectural surfaces can become dirty, dented, scratched, rusted, or dull.

Commercial spaces, in particular, are prone to metal wear and tear due to high traffic throughout the building. Over time, shiny and polished metal surfaces can lose their appeal. This can affect a brand's reputation and how its clients and employees view them.

At the same time, using the wrong cleaning methods can erode the surface of the metal, causing permanent damage and unnecessary replacements. But when you choose to have metal surfaces refinished, you can stop harmful damage in its tracks and restore the metal to its former glory.

In this blog, we'll explore what metal refinishing is, why it's essential, and the warning signs to look out for when it's time to have your metal refinished. We'll also examine the process of metal finishing and why it's important to create metal surfaces that will stand the test of time.

What is metal refinishing?

Metals require special care and attention to ensure their long-term vibrancy and durability. Metal refinishing restores metals to their original appearance through:

• Graining
• Oxidizing
• Washing
• Polishing
• Rust removal
• Dent and scratch removal
• Graffiti removal
• Waterproofing
• Bluing

Metal refinishing is generally done by professional technicians who are experts at restoring metal surfaces and protecting them from further damage.

How to know if metal needs refinishing?

We now understand how important refinishing is to maintaining and protecting the metal features in the building you manage. But how exactly do you know when refinishing is needed?

Here are four ways you can tell if metal needs refinishing.

Damage is visible
Visible damage, such as dents, scratches, and abrasions, or a preexisting coating like lacquer is peeling off, are all clear signs that metal needs refinishing.

When damage like this is plain to see, it can leave a bad impression on employees and anyone passing through the building.

Rust and corrosion
When metal is exposed to oxygen and water, it will cause surfaces and structures to rust and corrode over time. This is much more likely to happen after the original finish on the metal has worn away to expose the raw metal.

Metal restoration can remove this rust until your metal shines like new and protect against rust forming again in the future.

Metal looks dull
Some facility managers don't realize that the metal in their building can look much better than it does now.

Even if there is no visible damage, when metal structures have been in place for a long time, undergoing refinishing can give them a whole new look. In some facilities, the entire building can look transformed simply by refinishing its metal architecture.

Metal won't clean
Metal structures like turnstiles, elevators, door handles, restroom partitions, and door frames see a great deal of traffic every day, which can cause bacteria, oils, and dirt to build up on surfaces.

If your janitorial staff struggles to remove these substances from metal surfaces and architectural finishes, it may be a problem with the metal rather than the cleaning technique.

What are the benefits of metal refinishing?

When you refinish the metal elements of a building, there are many great benefits as a result.

These include:

• Improved appearance: One of the best benefits of metal refinishing is the surface's improved appearance. Refinishing will help metals return to their matte, textured, or glossy finish.
• Less cleaning time: Metal refinishing services smooth the surface of metals to reduce dirt and contamination significantly. This saves a lot of cleaning time.
• Increased business opportunities: A workplace's appearance reflects the business operating there and will help them make a strong first impression on clients.
• Greater employee productivity: Gleaming metal surfaces can give employees a sense of pride in their workspace, boosting their productivity.

Do you need a professional refinishing service?

If you need professional metal refinishers to give the metal surfaces in the facility you manage a complete transformation – Corporate Care is the solution you need.

Whether it's stainless steel, copper, bronze, nickel, silver plating, aluminum, or another material, our professionals work with many different metal surfaces to refinish and restore their natural appeal.

If you want to learn more about our metal surface restoration services, contact us today!

About Corporate Care – A sustainability company

Corporate Care exists to improve the appearance, performance, and longevity of every surface in the commercial buildings you manage – reducing capital expenditures, stress, and management burden on facility managers from coast to coast.

As true surface care experts, we understand the unique properties and cleaning protocols every surface needs (or doesn’t) to look amazing and comply with manufacturer warranties. We’re here to support your existing janitorial crew with cadenced deep restorative cleaning and tailored maintenance protocols – performed by IICRC®-certified cleaning technicians.

We are firm believers in restoration over replacement. Let’s reduce waste together!