How to Age Copper for Your Home

Decorating a home to make it the perfect living space can be a time consuming task. Often folks like to use a copper based material for their outside decor and this is just splendid. Of course, most times this copper is new and doesn't look as dark or old as other copper fixings in the yard or on the house. Instead it will have this bright shiny look that, while nice, clashes with the look of other fixtures. This is where learning how to age copper comes into play. By doing this you can oxidize the copper, giving a more rustic or older look to it and thus allowing it to match the home better.

To get the copper to look older we need to enact it "patina." This is the process in which copper surface interacts with the atmosphere. The result is oxidization, some times called weathering, and this gives the appearance of a rustic look, something that is at time highly sought after. Once the process is completed it will help the metal resist weathering and survive longer. In addition, it will look cool in the process.

There are a couple ways to get this process started. First off is letting nature take it course. The natural environment will eventually all the process to take place, however, there are a few exceptions. Living in a really dry area will make it difficult for patina to occur. This is because of a lack of moisture. On the same scale, however, living in a moist region will help speed up the process. Another consideration would be to find out how the copper is treated. If it is covered with wax or something else making it resistant to weather than this will need to be cleared off. Overall, Patina can take about a month and will happen naturally in most areas.

If you would rather not wait for browned copper then you may have to go the commercial chemical route. There are several darkening agents on the market that applies the same 'aged' look that the patina process does. This will cost you some money, however, depending how large you copper fixture is but will save you time. Just go to your local garden shop or store and ask about it as it should be available.

So there are the ways in which you can age copper. Hopefully, this guide has been helpful and gets the job done for you.