Non-Waxed Copper Table Tops
We can do this but we recommend wax on your table tops. The two table tops to the right are the same item.
If you want your copper table tops to not be waxed we can still offer all of the patinas. There is the antimicrobial benefit but the patina of your product will change and will likely oxidize to the patina of the Statue of Liberty. WE WILL NOT GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY OUR TABLE TOPS IF YOU CHOOSE THIS OPTION.
The Pros and Cons of Non-waxed Copper:
Our copper table tops are made from recycled copper. The patinas are entirely heat-raised, (see our chemical analysis). If unwaxed, the tops true color will be unaffected, but it will appear duller to the eye than would waxed copper.
To most customers, non-waxed copper table tops are not as pretty as waxed tops. Wax affects copper tops just as it affects other fine furniture, lending its appearance a luster and depth. In those settings where a restaurant is seeking an ambiance of relative elegance, we recommend that the table tops be waxed.
However, if the ambiance sought is that of a more rustic setting, you may prefer your tops non-waxed. For some interiors that use barn wood, or seek a ‘New England Seaside’ look, non-waxed copper gives a room an authentic, weathered look.
In some ways, this will make the cleaning job easier, since you are not trying to ‘protect fine furniture’. Always clean with non-abrasive, non-harsh products. Oxidation will occur faster with an unwaxed table top.
Wax also protects furniture. Copper’s appearance is most readily affected by acidic foods such as lemon or ketchup, which, if left on the copper for some time, may ‘shine it up’. non-waxed copper is unprotected from this, and so the patina can be brightened in a spot more easily than can happen with waxed copper. If this happens, the copper will re-patina itself over time, as the exposed spot oxidizes. Since the non-waxed copper will be readily exposed to oxygen, it will re-patina faster than will waxed copper.
If you prefer the look of completely ‘natural’ copper, we will send it to you non-waxed. If you change your mind later, you can always wax it!
Our coppersmiths do not normally use lacquer on their products. All of their finishes or patinas are created with a wax product and heat. If you would like to make your patina shine, you will need to use a lacquer made for copper. Also, please remember that our products are not approved as a food preparation surface.
Copper has an inherent aversion to growth of some kinds of bacteria (see: antibacterial qualities of copper). Its antibacterial properties kill certain dangerous bacteria namely Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, E. Coli O157:H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (“MRSA”) much more rapidly than do stainless steel or porcelain surfaces when cleaned regularly. The Copper Development Association has recently clarified that only copper products that are free of any sealant, such as wax, retain their antibacterial qualities (see: CDA clarification). This is why CopperRestaurantTables.com and Cottaquilla Copper LLC gives their customers a choice in finishes. If this quality is essential to you, you can choose a product that is free of wax.
The continuous reduction of bacterial contamination and the residual self-sanitizing activity abilities of copper were discovered using the sanitizer efficacy testing method which have been recognized by the E.P.A. Similar results were found during trials by the Medical University of South Carolina for the US Army Medical Research and Material Command (USAMRMC).
An Option Offered