Metal furniture is quickly becoming a staple of many modern, sleek design styles, which means designers and homeowners want beautiful, durable options for their design needs. One way to make metal furniture aesthetically pleasing and functionally durable is metal plating.

Read on to learn more about metal plating in general, how it applies to furniture, and its advantages.

Metal Plating and Furniture

Metal plating is the process of coating a base metal with a thin layer of a different kind of metal. This achieves a wide range of appearances for base metals like stainless steel that typically only have one kind of appearance.

Metal furniture will have steel or iron components that are aesthetically lacking. Plating covers those components with a different, more appealing, such as silver or nickel. Costs to make the furniture out of silver or nickel entirely would be too much, so a coating of it gives the appearance of the desired metal.

In addition to changing the appearance of furniture, plating offers some additional advantages that are important for furniture:

Plated metal furniture is better to paint. Customization is everything when it comes to furniture, and paint is an easy way to customize.

 Base metals are often difficult to paint, but metal plating can last longer on metal, especially if it's sealed.

Plated metal furniture is safe from corrosion. Metal is subject to rust and corrosion, especially if it comes into contact with water and outdoor elements. A thin layer of metal can reduce the possibility of corrosion.

Plating can be used for interior furniture, like tables, bed frames, chairs, and light fixtures. It can also be used for exterior furniture, like outdoor tables and benches that are exposed to the elements and are prone to rust. For exterior furniture, plating is best used on all-metal furniture. Exterior furniture needs to be sturdy and resistant to elements, and metal plating can assist in the resistance of the furniture.

Plating and Metal Types

If you're producing large volumes of furniture, plating is often an important part of the process. Once metal pieces are designed, they'll be plated, for both aesthetic reasons and enhanced strength. There are many types of plating to choose from: brass, tin, silver, nickel, chromium, gold, bronze, zinc, and more.

Chromium is a popular type of metal plating, but there are multiple options available. Nickel can protect against corrosion because it oxidizes slowly at room temperature, so it's naturally resistant to corrosion.

Copper plating is most often used for its bright, unique appearance, which is growing in popularity for both interior and exterior pieces. Bronze also has antimicrobial properties, so it's perfect for interior furniture, especially in kitchen and bathroom areas.

Tin, zinc, brass, and bronze are also other options for furniture plating. Silver and gold are also options, though they are not the typically chosen metal because of their high cost. However, they do make for memorable furniture pieces.

Plating isn't always a necessity, however. For instance, stainless steel is already a durable, noncorrosive metal without plating, so plating it isn't always a good choice for steel furniture. Plating for stainless steel is often an aesthetic choice rather than necessary for durability, so metals like gold, silver, and copper make a good plating to enhance the appearance.

Additional Uses

Newly manufactured metal furniture is plated on the spot, but older pieces can be re-plated either for continued use or for resale value. Many contemporary pieces, such as pieces from the 60s or 70s, incorporated materials such as painted metal and plastics, making them good candidates for metal plating.

Contact General Brite Plating to learn more about metal plating.