PVD gold stainless steel or brass sheet?

Architects and interior designers often ask whether to use real brass or a gold PVD stainless steel sheet. Both give a warm gold look, but they behave very differently over the years.

What each one is

• Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. The gold colour runs through the whole sheet.
• PVD gold stainless steel is a stainless steel sheet with a very thin gold-tone metallic film bonded to its surface. The finish underneath (mirror, hairline, matte, bead blast or etched) still shows through the colour.

Colour over time

Bare brass reacts with air, moisture and hands. It darkens and can spot unless it is lacquered and looked after; some designers want exactly that living, aged look. PVD gold on stainless steel keeps its colour in normal interior use, so a wall or a lift looks the same years later.

Care

• Brass: regular polishing, or a lacquer that has to stay intact. Where the lacquer wears through, the brass under it tarnishes unevenly.
• PVD gold stainless steel: a soft cloth and mild soapy water. Avoid abrasive pads and strong chemicals. An anti-fingerprint (AFP) coating, available on order, helps on surfaces people touch. See the care and maintenance guide.

Scratches

Brass is the same colour all through, so light scratches can be polished out. On a PVD sheet a deep scratch can cut through the colour film and show the steel under it. Keep the protective film on until installation is finished, and use PVD sheets where they will not be hit by hard, sharp objects.

Strength and weight

Stainless steel is stiffer than brass, so a stainless sheet of the same thickness flexes less on large panels, and it is a little lighter.

Finishes and colours

With PVD you choose the finish and the tone separately: gold, rose gold, champagne gold or bronze, in mirror, hairline, matte, bead blast, etched, embossed, hammered or rippled. See all gold sheets and champagne gold sheets.

For a brass look with an aged character, see Antique Brass Bead Blast and Linear Textured Brass Tone in the aged metal range.

Which to choose

• Brass: small hand-touched details where a changing, natural patina is wanted and someone will look after it.
• PVD gold stainless steel: wall cladding, lift interiors, columns, reception counters, furniture trims and any large area that must stay even in colour with little care.

SMN supplies PVD colour sheets in SS 304 and SS 202, 0.8 to 2.0 mm, standard size 1220 x 2440 mm. Screens change colour, so always approve a physical sample in your own light. Request samples.