Choosing A Copper Sinks or Bath tub – Gauge Matters
Gauge Matters
Although copper is extremely durable, it’s also a very soft and malleable material. For this reason, it’s crucial that your copper kitchen sink, bathroom sink, vessel sink or bath tub be constructed of the proper weight (gauge) material.
48 ounce (the equivalent of 16 gauge) copper is the minimum weight that copper sinks or bath tubs should be made of. Kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks and bath tubs made of 48 ounce copper will not dent easily, will be strong enough to meet the demands everyday use and will last for decades.
Even an oversized copper kitchen sink with the added weight of a garbage disposal, or a copper bath tub with the added weight of an extra person will not require additional support when made of 48 ounce, pure copper!
How will you know what weight of copper the sink or bath tub is made of? Simply make it a point to ask!
If you have the advantage of physically seeing and touching the copper sink before you purchase it, here are some things to look for…
First, pick up the sink and see how it feels. You will immediately know if you have a quality sink in your hands or not! Trust your instincts.
A 48 ounce (16 gauge) pure copper sink, no matter how small it is, will have a ‘solid’ feel to it and will be heavy. It won’t feel ‘light as a feather’!
Next, visually check the thickness of the copper. If the sink is made of copper that is paper thin, it’s clearly not made of the proper weight/gauge. It will not hold up well to normal everyday use and will most likely be a huge disappointment.
Copper Weld vs. Solder
Joints and seams of copper sinks and bath tubs are typically joined together by using one of two different processes… welding or soldering.
Of the two, soldering is a much weaker process. Joints and seams joined together in this manner have a tendency to split or break apart after a certain period of time.
On the other hand, copper welding provides much greater strength. A properly welded copper kitchen sink, bathroom sink or bath tub will not experience any weakening at joints or seams, nor will joints or seams break apart even after years of constant daily use.
Choose a copper sink or bath tub that has been copper-welded. Aside from the added strength a copper weld provides, welded areas are less easy to detect when the sink or bath tub is new and even much less so after the sink or bath tub has aged.
You can usually tell if a copper sink or bath tub has been soldered. Soldering typically uses an alloy to join the copper seams together making the seams more visible to the eye. Also, rather than blend in with the sink over time, solder turns black as it ages, making it even more noticeable.
All of our Copper Kitchen Sinks , Copper Bathroom Sinks, Copper Bathtubs are made of 16 gauge copper, some are 14 gauge and all copper are welded, provide you timeless beauty and last for life time. You can check them out at http://www.myluxurykitchenandbath.com/coppersinksandbathtubs