CARE AND MAINTAINENCE
All of our works are unpainted! The steel is cleaned and prepped for paint if you wish to apply it, however, we designed our pieces with the intention for them to rust. They will develop a gradually increasing coat of surface rust as they age. This will not effect the integrity of the piece. The only time environmental damage will occur to a piece is if it is left on the ground in the mud or snow for long periods of time (think partially buried). So long as your piece is standing upright on it's stake or base, it will not develop structural damage. We have provided pictures below of various stages of rusting that is normal and expected with all of our sculptures. If you wish to stop the rusting process at any desired stage, simply paint your piece with a metal based clear coat (such as Rust-oleum Spray Paint) to preserve it and reapply every 1-2 years. Items exposed to heavy moisture or salt will require more frequent applications.
Stage 1 - Bare Steel
This is bare steel that has been freshly cleaned of all oils and protectants. This is how our products leave our shop. Very shiny!
Stage 2 - Light Rust
As the piece is exposed to the outdoors it will slowly start to develop a light surface rust. Typically this rust develops on the edges of the metal and works it way towards the center.
Stage 3 - Heavy Rust
This occurs when the piece has been left outdoors for a long period and consists of almost, if not, full coverage rust. This is NOT structurally damaging. A grinding pad, wheel, or steel wool will remove this layer.
Visual Progression of Rust over Time
