Hammered Copper Sheet: A Buying Guide

Not long ago, achieving textured finishes on copperseven different textured finishes available, with one
and brass sheets required a considerable amount offinish offered only on brass sheet.
hand hammering. For better or worse, the days of aThese panels are produced from 16 oz. copper sheet
Coppersmith coating his planishing hammer in pure(approximately .0216" thick and weigh 1.00/lb. per
goose grease before taking it to copper sheet, havesquare foot). It is important to note, over time,
gone by the wayside. Today, embossing rolls providecopper will darken with exposure to air. The oxygen
texture to copper sheet, with many finishes closelyin the air will actually corrode the metal. Over a
resembling the hand hammered look on copper sheetnumber of years, a greenish patina will form on the
of days past.metal. Most people find the character gained by
These textured copper sheets are ideal for highcopper through this corrosion process to be quite
traffic areas because of resistance to damage.attractive. However, if you prefer the bright shinny
Moreover, the texturing process increases thelook, sealers can be used to preserve the bright
strength to weight ratio of the copper sheet andmetal finish of newly rolled copper.
makes it more rigid. The real benefit of theseAnother great feature of these hammered and
features is to reduce maintenance costs whiletextured copper sheets, is that the material can be
enhancing the overall appearance of the installation.offered in a variety of sizes. This allows a consumer
These textured and hammered copper sheets areto purchase only what is needed and it also allows
being used in applications previously reserved for flatmost cut sizes to be shipped via UPS. In the past,
metal. Elevators, store fronts, doors, countertops,you had to purchase a 3' x 8' sheet. This meant
range hoods, light fixtures, sinks and bar tops, areshipping the copper sheets palletized on a truck. Many
just a few of the applications for this product. Thetimes the freight expense would exceed the cost of
warmth of the finish and the ability of the embossedthe copper itself. Now, you can get almost any size
surface to conceal scratches, open a world ofyou need, delivered to your doorstep, very cost
interesting and novel applications. Currently, there areeffectively.