High-touch hospitality metal finishes

At a glance

Sources: BSSA SSAS 7.20 (2001); Euro Inox Vols. 1 (2005) and 15 (2011); CCI Notes 9/3 (2007); the studio's PVD and lacquer sheets. No independent wear-test data was found for any finish. 'Not covered' means the sources are silent, not that the finish is safe.

Where the damage comes from

A high-touch surface is attacked from three sides at once, and a finish is only as good as its answer to all three.

• Hands. The Canadian Conservation Institute notes that fingers carry moisture, corrosive salts and oils. On bare brass and copper these mark the metal and start tarnish. On stainless the question is different: how much each finish shows a mark, which Euro Inox treats finish by finish (see the table at the top of this sheet).
• Knocks and scratches. Euro Inox names building entrances and lift cages as high-use areas where surfaces take accidental knocks and scratches, and says patterned stainless finishes are less likely to show the damage.
• Cleaning. BSSA and Euro Inox both warn that chloride bleach and hydrochloric acid cause staining and pitting on stainless, and that abrasives scratch it. Euro Inox adds that colour systems on stainless are more delicate than the steel beneath. CCI warns that many metal polishes contain ammonia, which can dissolve copper in some conditions, and that polishing removes metal. The cleaning and maintaining metal finishes sheet has the full chart.

The three zones are different on a door pull, a lift car and a bar front, so the same finish can be right in one place and wrong in the next.

Element by element: where to start

These are starting points for a conversation with the finisher, not ratings. They come from the statements in the table above and from our other sheets, and each choice should be tested on a real sample that has been handled and cleaned.

Two finishes need a client conversation before they are drawn. A living finish such as unlacquered brass will change at every point of contact, and the client should accept that in writing. A lacquered finish moves the work from the client's hands to a recoating plan: see lacquered and unlacquered brass and copper. For PVD thickness and hardness, see PVD coatings explained.

What evidence exists, and what to ask for

We looked for independent wear data and found none for PVD, lacquer, plating or anti-fingerprint coatings under hotel handling. The research behind this sheet found supplier claims of PVD wear resistance with no independent data, and forum reports of lacquer failing on handled brass, which are anecdote. We have relied on neither.

• Where a maker quotes a durability claim, ask for the test report: the method, the number of cycles or hours, and the sample it was run on. A figure without a method is marketing.
• For door levers, BS EN 1906 is the European standard for lever handles and knob furniture. Its BSI listing says it covers durability, static strength and corrosion resistance, with corrosion graded to BS EN 1670. We have not read either text, so we quote no grades, cycles or hours: ask the supplier which grade the product was tested to, and check the current edition (a revision is listed as in development).
• Anti-fingerprint products. Euro Inox describes proprietary spray cleaners that leave a light temporary film, remove existing fingerprints and reduce the tendency for fingerprints to show afterwards; the surface is then polished with a dry cloth. Coatings sold as anti-fingerprint finishes for stainless sheet also exist, but we found no independent data on them. Ask for the maker's test evidence and the cleaning method it assumes.
• Test a real sample. Hand the approved sample round, clean it with the product named in the handover manual, and photograph it before and after. That costs little and tells you more than a catalogue.

Cleaning chemistry: the short list

Housekeeping chooses the product, not the designer, so the handover manual has to name it. The points that matter most for high-touch metal:

• Stainless: soap or a mild detergent in warm water, a soft cloth, a clear rinse and a dry wipe. Mirror polish: a chloride-free glass cleaner. BSSA says chloride-containing solutions, including hydrochloric acid cleaners and hypochlorite bleaches, can cause staining and pitting and should not be used in contact with stainless; that concentrated bleach must never touch decorative stainless; that silver cleaners and mortar removers based on hydrochloric acid must not be used on it; and that proprietary products used warm or concentrated can discolour it. Steel wool and non-stainless pads leave iron that rusts.
• PVD and coloured stainless: as stainless, with more care: a soft cloth or soft plastic brush, no abrasive compounds, no pressure jets.
• Lacquered brass: a soft cloth with mild soap and water. Brass polish and abrasive cleaners take the lacquer off.
• Living brass, bronze and copper: dust, soft cloth, mild detergent and water. No ammonia or abrasive polishes. A thin microcrystalline wax reduces how often cleaning is needed (CCI).
• Daily regime: Euro Inox advises cleaning before there is a visible build-up of soiling or finger marks, which keeps the effort and the risk of marking the surface down.

Refinishing: know the route before you need it

Every finish has a way back, and the ways are not equal. Some need a specialist on site, some need the part taken away, and for PVD the part is replaced. Put the route in the handover manual and ask the partner now whether the part can be removed without damage.

• Order spares with the first batch. Euro Inox advises that large areas of stainless come from the same production batch and finishing direction, because colour and look vary from batch to batch. Spare handles and panels cut from the same run will match what is installed; later ones may not. See the sheet on sample approval and batch variation.
• On-site work is limited. BSSA notes that stainless can be mechanically polished or electropolished by specialists on site, and says to blend any new scratch pattern with the original grain. It also says strong acids should be a last resort on site and can change the surface appearance.
• Stop and ask before touching mirror polish, PVD, coloured stainless or a lacquered surface. Each is a specialist job or a replacement.

[Door pulls, lift handrails and call panels]: [stainless steel 1.4301, brushed 2J to EN 10088-2, Ra not more than 0.5 µm, grain vertical], approved against sample [ref. __]. Handling class [all day]. The finisher is to confirm in writing that the finish and any coating suit [daily handling and the cleaning product named in the manual], and to supply test reports for any wear or corrosion claim [reports attached].

The operation and maintenance manual is to name, for each finish above, the cleaning product, tool and frequency [ ]; the products and tools not to be used [chloride bleach, hydrochloric acid, steel wool, abrasive or ammonia polishes]; and who restores the finish and by what method. Housekeeping products are to be checked against the manual before use.

Supply [__] spare [handles / panels] from the same batch as the installed parts, marked and packed with the manual. The manual is to state the refinish route for each finish [re-dress along the grain by a specialist / replace the part / strip and re-lacquer]. Any living finish is accepted by the client in writing [date].

Standards and sources

• BSSA SSAS Information Sheet 7.20, Care and Maintenance of Stainless Steel (issue 02, 12 March 2001)
• Euro Inox, Building Series Vol. 15, Cleaning Architectural Stainless Steel (2nd ed. 2011)
• Euro Inox, Building Series Vol. 1, Guide to Stainless Steel Finishes (3rd ed. 2005)
• CCI Notes 9/3, Cleaning, Polishing and Protective Waxing of Brass and Copper (rev. 2007): museum objects.
• BS EN 1906 (lever handles and knob furniture) and BS EN 1670 (corrosion resistance), building hardware: listings read; texts not read; check the current editions.

Questions we are asked

Which stainless finish hides fingerprints best?

None is fingerprint-proof. Euro Inox says brushed finishes may show finger marks just after installation but less so after the first few cleans, that 2B shows them clearly and is best avoided where people touch it, and that marks on bead-blasted thin sheet can be hard to remove. Patterned finishes tend to hide scratches. A spray cleaner that leaves a light film reduces how readily prints show.

Is PVD tough enough for hotel door handles?

Euro Inox says PVD coatings are much more scratch resistant than electrochemical colouring, but that aggressive attack can damage the colour and that damage cannot be repaired. We found no independent test of PVD under hotel handling. Ask the coating house for its test reports, keep spares from the same batch, and see the PVD sheet for the published thickness and hardness.

How long does lacquer last on brass handles?

We found no independent figure, and say so on the lacquer sheet. Lacquer is a thin film that always changes the look and can wear or fail where hands land. Where the client wants the metal to look new for years, agree a recoat plan with the lacquer maker, or accept a living finish.

Can a scratched stainless lift panel be repaired on site?

Sometimes. BSSA says light marks come out with a non-scratching cream or a nylon pad worked along the grain, and that specialists can mechanically polish or electropolish stainless on site. Euro Inox says damage to mirror-polished stainless is difficult to repair, and that coloured stainless is not usually repairable on site.

What should housekeeping avoid on hotel metalwork?

On stainless: chloride bleach, hydrochloric acid products, mortar removers, silver cleaners, steel wool and scouring powder. On brass, bronze and copper: ammonia polishes and abrasive polishes, and on lacquered metal any brass polish. Name the approved product in the handover manual and check housekeeping's products against it.

Do anti-fingerprint coatings work?

Euro Inox describes spray cleaners that leave a light film and reduce how readily fingerprints show. Coatings sold as anti-fingerprint finishes also exist, but we found no independent test data. Ask the maker for test evidence and the cleaning method it assumes, and try it on a handled sample.