Care & Finishing

There are three ways to maintain the natural beauty of bronze plaques:

• Periodic cleaning
• Onsite refinishing
• Factory refinishing

It's relatively easy to preserve the beauty of bronze plaques. They require occasional cleaning with mild soap and some water.

Even with regular cleanings, a cast bronze plaque will develop a patina that usually forms as a green color. The formation of this patina is a normal oxidizing process that creates a natural shield for the bronze. While those who appreciate fine art highly value the patina, others may prefer the original finish. For those who prefer the factory finish, the plaques can be restored through refinishing.

There are two methods of refinishing:

• Matthews offers a resurfacing kit that allows you to refinish a 500-square-inch plaque in about two hours.
• Plaques and cast letters can be returned to Matthews for factory refinishing. At our plant, the plaques/letters are sandblasted, sprayed with a selected background color, highlighted, and given a new protective coating. Factory refinishing usually takes two weeks.