Add a Rustic Charm to Bathrooms with Copper Sinks

Rustic is the new rage in interior design and decoration. This style brings the beauty and simplicity of the countryside to modern homes, lending them a warm and welcoming appeal. While there are many ways to achieve a rustic look and multitudes of objects which contribute to a rustic style, one important and inevitable piece is the copper sink. Despite wherever it is installed, this piece exudes a raw and unfinished charm that is beautiful in its own. Here is all that you need to know about copper sinks, and how to use them in your rustic themed home.

The benefits of using copper sinks

Copper is metal known widely for its anti-bacterial properties, which makes it a good choice for use in bathrooms. It does not let bacteria survive for long periods of time and hence is suited for soaking vegetables or washing dishes frequently. The metal also is malleable – a fragile dish dropped into a copper sink is less likely to break than if it were to be dropped in a sink of natural stone. It also has the advantage of being eco-friendly and fully recyclable. It can be melted and reused as many times as required. Used copper also has a good resale value; drawing as much as 95 % of the original value.

How to choose a copper sink

When choosing a copper sink for your home, there are few important characteristics or features that need to be paid attention to, as follows:

• Purity- Copper is always used in combination with a metal like Zinc for improved strength and durability. A good quality sink consists of 99% copper with 1% zinc. It is also a common practice to use Lead in place of Zinc when making the alloy, as the former is cheaper. However, Lead has harmful effects on your health and can cause long term illnesses.

• Gauge– The gauge is a measure of the thickness of copper. Sinks made from this metal are available in a wide range of thicknesses – the lower the gauge, the thicker the metal. Copper sinks used in bathrooms are best made from 20 gauge to 16 gauge. Bars and prep sinks work better when made from 18 gauge to 14 gauge. This is because such sinks need to be strong enough to bear continued barrage from utensils, food items, liquids, and cleaning products.

• Patina– Copper is a natural, living, metal that has an ever-changing patina. The color of the sink changes from time to time – beginning with a bright, shiny red color, which slowly changes into caramel and darker hues of brown or chocolate over use. For people who wish to retain the original color, protective waxes and finishes are available in the market.

• Finishes – Copper sinks are generally available in two finishes – smooth and hammered. The smooth finish has a modernist styling and goes well with contemporary interiors. They are more appropriate for bathrooms as they are likely to reveal fingerprints and stains. Hammered copper sinks are stronger and able to take more wear and tear.

How to care for and maintain your copper sink

As important as choosing the right copper sink for your home is cleaning and maintaining it over time to ensure that it stays intact for a longer period. Copper sinks, however, are among the easiest to clean, as they require just regular soap and water. They need protection from water and acidic liquids that can have a temporary or permanent damaging effect on the surface depending on their strength. It is also advisable not to use strong cleaning agents, abrasive cleaners, and hot dishware as these too may leave permanent and undesirable marks on the patina. The solution to this lies in protecting your sink with waxes or finishes on a regular basis.