Letter 24004

Nickel vs. Chrome faucets and bathroom accessories 

+++ Sir: I am outfitting two bathrooms and much prefer the nickel faucets and accessories over the chrome. I live at the beach, is this a good idea? Stainless? Thank you, Holly Matney - Oxnard Shores, California Decorative chrome plating actually consists of nickel plating followed by a very thin flash of chrome plating. The chrome is slightly blue compared to the slight yellow of nickel plating, and it symbiotically contributes to corrosion resistance. So, theoretically speaking, chrome is the superior finish. However, these days an appellation like 'chrome' or 'nickel' may not indicate the actual metal anyway, but a designer's view of the color-tone. Realistically a consumer cannot judge the corrosion resistance of a part and must go by the manufacturer's reputation. As least that's what I have to do. Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey December 27, 2008 Ted's right--unless you contact the manufacturer and verify the materials used, there's a very strong likelihood that the applications "nickel" or "chrome" really mean "nickel colored" or "chrome colored." If they really are the actual metals, they are probably only plated on anyway, and the substrate could be nearly anything from copper to stainless to plastic. For practical purposes of "living near the beach" either metal should be fine, although the best would be a solid marine stainless steel alloy or a marine bronze, with a nickel plating. Since anything you buy (unless made to order) is most likely going to be plated, the important part is how well the plating is done, make sure you get a solid guarantee or warranty! The thickness of the coating is important to the longevity of the equipment, as every time it gets polished it will lose some of the plating. Charles M. Barnard - Menomonie, Wisconsin,