Tip of The Week

June 23, 2007

This week’s tip comes from our “Time in a Bottle” file.

While I like Jim Croce, and he is a fellow Villanova Alumnus, this is a different time in a bottle.  People who have copper flashing and copper post caps or any copper, whether decorative or functional, know that the real beauty of copper comes when it ages (oxidizes) and develops that familiar green patina.

We had a caller tell us that in an attempt to clean paint off some aged copper he removed some of what he referred to as the “pretty tarnish” and wanted to know if he was going to have to wait 20 years for it to look right.  We suggested that he get some flux, the type used to solder copper pipes, and apply it to the area affected.  The flux sped up the oxidizing process and soon his blunder blended in.

As with anything you are going to apply to a finished surface you should test it in a small inconspicuous area before applying it to a large or more visible area.   Please understand that we are not suggesting that you apply flux to all of your new copper but in a jamb it beats twenty years for touch up work.

Thanks for visiting Ask John and Dave.com and we’ll see you on the air,

John and Dave

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