You are likely to find outdoor statuary adorning any commercial landscape project. When done well, they emote boldness and a sovereignty. Such displays can invoke a theme central to a client’s business, home or other property. When you need the quintessential sculpture in this vein, bronze serves your purpose superbly.
Bronze statues are hardly new. In fact, over the last several years, myriad commercial outdoor spaces have resorted to bronze statuary to convey a theme or image. Such sculptures are typically crafted from bronze bars. In some cases, they can also be honed from a bronze tube.
One of the most remarkable aspects of bronze is its patina. Because the copper in bronze is able to react with various colors, it creates a unique patina that grows more intriguing with time. At the same time, bronze is ideal because of its strong resistance to marine, rural and industrial atmospheres; you can readily display them in just about any location. In fact, with the help of regular maintenance, your bronze sculptures can easily last a lifetime.
That said, there are a few maintenance tasks required to retain the beauty of bronze.
Know When It’s Time To Wash
The moment you see that there’s dust or any other kind of dirt building up on the sculpture, it’s time to wash it. To wash it without risk of damage, you must make sure you only use soft cloths saturated with warm water.
Must you deal with corners difficult to access, a soft, non-wire brush can accomplish the job just fine. Meanwhile, if you don’t want to risk any spotting problems on the sculpture, try adding some “jet dry” to the soap.
Know When It’s Time To Wax
A bronze sculpture needs to be waxed at least four times a year. That’s once in the spring and fall, twice during the summer months. Ideally, the perfect outside temperature for waxing is between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summer months, it’s best wash on a dry, cloudy day or early in the morning.
Watch Out for Bird Droppings and Tree Resin
Bird droppings and tree resin can easily damage a bronze sculpture’s patina. If you spot droppings, soften them by using a damp paper towel so that you can remove it easily. Let the sculpture dry again and apply wax. Just make sure the temperature outside is not too hot when you do this.
Keep these tips in mind to maintain the beauty of outdoor bronze sculptures in any commercial space. As you can see, these sculptures are very easy to maintain—something sure to appeal to your clients in need of compelling art that complements their image.
Sources:
Bronze: Characteristics, Uses And Problems, gsa.gov
CARE OF OUTDOOR BRONZE SCULPTURES, mackenziethorpeart.com
Choosing a Metal for Outdoor / Indoor Metal Sculptures & Outdoor / Indoor Water Fountains, dimensionsthruart.com
