I bought some outdoor lights at Lowe's last year, brass finish. Now, less than a year later, the finish is tarnished, pitted and looks terrible. Shouldn't the finished have lasted longer? Should I have sprayed them with lacquer or polly before putting them up? Big Time
The brass finish is supposed to eventually turn petina. They are most likely doing what they are supposed to be doing. If you wanted them to remain brass you should have bought the fake kind.
Yes, less than a year is too soon for any decent outdoor product to do that. (Assuming you didn't install them on your oceangoing cruiser.)
Heavy lacquering could have helped, but chances are it's too late now.
Can you say, "You don't get more than you pay for?"
Odds are that "brass finish" is just a thin plating, and once it's pitted you'll never get it looking right again.
If that happened to me, I wouldn't feel too guilty about trying to return them for credit, most reasonable folks would expect them to last longer than yours did.
Good Luck,
Jeff
Did they say solid brass or just brass finished. If the box says solid brass check them with a magnet and bring them back if they are magnetic. My father got stuck with some plated garbage labeled as solid brass and brought them back. Usually they come laquered and look good for several years.
Return them or paint them. Brass unless finished with a new process and guarnteed will not last. You arnt happy now getting a painted light would have been best.
Except that so much plated stuff is made from pot metal (which used to be copper and lead but is now usually zinc) and that isn't magnetic either. Unfortunately. I check by digging into the back side with a knife...can't dig into steel.
-- dadiOH _____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.0... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required