Zinc is Anti-Bacterial by its nature, and is a preferred material for food surfaces. Many restaurants and cafés across the world, especially in Europe, make use of zinc for their countertops and tables.

It is a ‘living material,’ a soft metal that does not rust, but instead forms an attractive patina over time, a gray-blue hue that darkens and evolves. At first it is a pleasing soft gray and can be buffed to a shine that seems like brushed stainless steel. Over the years the color softens with old country character, like pewter. Don’t confuse it with stainless steel, which is formulated to stay shiny over time. Zinc changes.

It is a very warm and comfortable look, and goes extremely well with almost any color scheme.

Zinc is non-porous and will not rust, but it reacts to other materials, developing shades and hues that change over time. It can be brought back to its original shine with very little effort. A few moments with soap and water or Barkeeper’s Friend will restore the original sheen.

Due to the changing patina, zinc surfaces develop patterns of use over time that help create that special character.

Care and Feeding: It needs no maintenance, but some folks enjoy treating it with bee’s wax or Butcher’s wax, nurturing the lifelong evolution of the patina.

Clear coats: we can apply a matte finish clear coat that helps protect the zinc, very similar to traditional wood finishes. It will greatly reduce and slow down the patina process.

Glass Rings: The water that sweats off glasses and other items can cause a patina ring quite quickly. A clear coat will minimize that, although we’ve seen rings appear right through the finish. The first water ring is conspicuous. But just wait a little bit. The rings pile up pretty quick and before you know it the whole top has some patina, and that original ring has disappeared into the hues.