Living by the sea has its advantages. The salty air, however, isn't quite so kind to your front door hardware. But it's not just coastal homes that face a challenge. If you live near a busy motorway, beneath a busy flight path or in a heavily polluted urban area, your door hardware can take just as much of a beating. Airborne pollutants, moisture, salt and the elements can all leave even beautiful metalwork looking a little worse for wear.
(Heart Knocker after a few months in urban area, you will see small areas of pollution and tarnishing)
(Heart Knocker after a minute or two rubbing with abrasive cloth)
A question we're regularly asked by customers living in these tougher environments: What's the best material and finish for a door knocker that has to withstand all of this?
Our answer is always the same: solid brass, unlacquered, with a satin finish. And there's a very good reason for each of those three choices...and yes if you choose our satin brass finish you'll get all these attributes.
Why solid brass?
Because it's brass all the way through. There's no thin plating to wear away or different metal hiding beneath the surface. This means that when salt, pollution and tarnishing leave their marks, you can use a lightly abrasive pad, such as a suitable fine-grade Scotch-Brite pad, to gently remove a minute layer of affected brass, revealing fresh, beautiful brass underneath.
It's rather like turning back time. Just a few gentle rubs can make a remarkable difference, restoring that beautiful brass appearance without specialist equipment or expensive treatments.
Why unlacquered?
Lacquer is a protective coating applied to the surface of brass to help preserve its appearance. The problem is that outdoor exposure can eventually cause some lacquer finishes to deteriorate, particularly in harsh environments. Once that coating begins to break down, you're often left with an inconsistent, patchy appearance.
More importantly, if you use an abrasive pad on lacquered brass, you'll remove or damage the lacquer itself, rather than simply refreshing the brass beneath it.
With unlacquered brass, there's no coating to worry about. You can clean and gently refresh the exposed metal directly, without the risk of leaving behind patches of damaged lacquer.
(All Hera Ray Front Door Hardware is unlacquered)
Why a satin finish?
This is where everything comes together. A polished brass finish has a beautiful mirror-like shine, but an abrasive pad will leave fine scratches and gradually turn that polished surface into a brushed or satin finish.
Satin brass, on the other hand, already has that softer, finely textured appearance. Using a suitable fine abrasive pad allows you to refresh the surface while maintaining a consistent satin look.
In other words, the very method you use to maintain it also helps preserve its finish.
Three choices. One very practical solution.
Together, these three qualities make solid, unlacquered satin brass our favourite combination for door hardware exposed to salty sea air, heavy pollution and other demanding outdoor conditions.
It's not completely maintenance-free, of course. Depending on your environment, we'd generally suggest a gentle clean around once a month, removing only what's necessary. In fact, when customers tell us they're living by the sea or in a particularly polluted area, we're happy to include a Scotch-Brite pad with their order, completely free of charge.
Regular cleaning will also remove some of the natural patina that brass develops over time. But when the alternative is hardware covered in unsightly patches, stains and deposits, we think that's a pretty good trade-off.
And there's something rather wonderful about being able to bring your door hardware back towards its original appearance, again and again.
What abrasive pad should I use to clean brass?
Our go-to choice is a 3M Scotch-Brite abrasive hand pad. It's a wonderfully simple way to remove stubborn tarnish, salt deposits and pollution from solid, unlacquered satin brass, without needing specialist cleaning products.
Scotch-Brite pads come in different grades of abrasiveness. The Very Fine (7447) is designed for cleaning and finishing metal surfaces, while the Ultra Fine (7448) offers a gentler alternative for lighter marks and regular maintenance.
For everyday upkeep, you shouldn't need anything more abrasive than this. If your hardware has been exposed to particularly harsh conditions for a long time, a more thorough clean may be necessary, but we'd always recommend starting gently.
First, wipe away any loose salt, grit or dirt with a damp cloth. Then use your abrasive pad with light pressure, stopping as soon as the marks have disappeared. Remember, the beauty of solid brass is that you can remove a minute layer of the surface to reveal fresh brass underneath, but there's no reason to remove any more than necessary.
(And if you're ordering from Hera Ray for a coastal or heavily polluted property, just let us know. We're happy to include a Scotch-Brite pad with your order, completely free of charge.)
What if I prefer a silver finish?
Not everyone wants the warm golden tones of brass, and if a silver finish is more your style, we'd recommend our Matt Nickel finish.
Like all our door knockers, the piece itself is made from solid brass, giving you a durable, corrosion-resistant foundation. The difference is that the outer surface has a thin layer of nickel plating, creating that beautiful, soft silver appearance without a high-shine polish.
You can still use a lightly abrasive pad to remove stubborn salt deposits or pollution, but a much gentler touch is essential. Unlike solid brass, the nickel is only a thin surface layer, so aggressive rubbing could wear through the plating and expose the brass beneath.
For that reason, we'd always recommend starting with a soft, damp cloth and only considering a very fine abrasive pad for stubborn marks, using minimal pressure. Matt Nickel is a lovely alternative for coastal and heavily polluted environments, but it does require a little more care than our first choice of unlacquered satin brass.
What if I prefer black door hardware?
If black is more your thing, there's good news. Our Satin Black finish is another excellent option for homes exposed to salty sea air or heavy pollution.
Beneath that beautiful black exterior is the same solid brass construction, but this time it's protected by a highly durable black powder coating. Unlike unlacquered brass, the coating isn't designed to be rubbed back or refreshed with an abrasive pad.
Instead, maintenance is wonderfully straightforward. We'd suggest giving your hardware a gentle wipe approximately once a month, using a soft, damp cloth or a little mild, soapy water to remove accumulated salt, dirt and airborne pollutants. Rinse away any soap residue and dry with a soft cloth.
Avoid abrasive pads and harsh chemical cleaners, as these could damage the black coating.
While satin brass remains our top recommendation for its ability to be refreshed time and again, our Satin Black finish is an excellent, low-maintenance alternative for those who prefer a darker aesthetic.