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Cleaning/repairing zinc tabletop
Quickstart:
Some folks like the soft look of zinc surfaces, but they should be aware that zinc is not very corrosion resistant. If the table came with a clearcoat finish to protect it from the atmosphere, it may be satisfactory for indoor use, but almost surely not for outdoor use; in outdoor use it will probably "bloom" with tiny white volcano-like pitting, which from a distance might look like salt staining, but will not come off.
Q. I have this metal table with zinc finish. It got some water damage and I naively tried to fix it with baking soda and vinegar. It's all scratched up now. It looks a bit better with a Turtle Carnauba Wax scrub but there's parts where the zinc is completely removed exposing the bright steel underneath.
Does it make sense to strip the wax and maybe more of the zinc and just reapply the zinc finish? Can I patch the scratched areas up?
Joshua Guerci- San Francisco
May 8, 2022
A. Hi Joshua,
I don't think you will find any reasonable and attractive way to restore the zinc finish. I think your best best is to prime it with a primer made for zinc
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links]
[affil links] then paint it the color of your choice or, if you want to keep it generally zinc colored, paint it with a zinc-rich "cold galvanizing" paint ⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links]
, although this unfortunately is unlikely to be as attractive as the original zinc coating.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
⇩ Related postings, oldest first ⇩
Q. Hi,
A bit out there on this one but maybe you can help? I recently bought a table which has a zinc clad tabletop,I think it has been lacquered although I'm not sure it could be a coating of some sort? but it still tends to mark especially if a wet glass is left on it for any length of time, any ideas on cleaning these out. I can live with marks, chips etc as I think this adds to the character but ring marks just look awful.
Thanks in advance,
Dan Noble- Hampshire, UK
2003
Q. I have the same problem with my table top - does anyone have the answer?
Sue Rathmell- London, UK
2004
A. Hi.
What works for white water rings on wood tables, and may well work on a zinc table top if it has a lacquer or clear coat finish would be a hair dryer
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] or heat gun
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] .
The explanation is that the water plus lacquer form a cloudy emulsion like when you shake oil & vinegar together; the water is retained in the emulsion instead of evaporating; but if you heat it you drive the water out and get back to the clear top coat lacquer. Let us know if it works.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
A. I have the same problem on my Conran table. Using Astonish oven & cookware cleaner ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil links] with a lot of elbow grease and #0000 steel wool ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil links] takes it back to a mirror like finish. Then I apply super resin polish (Autoglym ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil links] ). However it is hard work and I do have some black marks etched in and now looking for a chemical cleaning solution.
Hope this helps.
Eamonn Brennan- Berkhamsted, U.K.
A. Re. cleaning your zinc table top: I had the same problem with my (Conran shop) table - i.e, unpleasant ring stains from wine glasses, embedded black marks, etc. In desperation I completely ignored the cleaning instructions which came with the table and used Vim cleanser ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil links] (a very powerful scouring product) in combination with a normal washing-up scouring pad (hard, green and scratchy one side, a foam pad the other)...and guess what. It worked a treat! And has done ever since. Hope this helps you!
Kate Cullinan- London, London, UK
January 5, 2008
A. A really successful method of cleaning Zinc is using 'Silvo' or 'Brasso'. However, I should warn that this only works if you're looking for a non-weathered look.
Using Silvo
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] you get quite a shine on the finish. People call it a 'mill' finish. It's nothing like polished chrome or anything, but it gives a kind of rustic shiny look which will then tarnish down and become progressively more matte with time and use. Brasso
⇦ on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil links] gives much the same result -- but I have found that it polishes up slightly more matte/cloudy than with 'Silvo'. So use either depending on what look you want.
For Zinc that has been 'pre-weathered' (blue/pinky/dark grey hue) you're pretty much stuffed... The best thing you can do is the above, with some serious elbow grease! Believe me, I've tried! Will come out great, but is a lot of work. Hope this helps,
Luke
- London, UK
November 13, 2008
A. Hi
Zinc will mark very easily which over time patinas.
You can sand out the stain with sandpaper, or you can send it away to be patinated a darker colour.
- LIVERPOOL UK
February 6, 2012
Ed. note: If a tabletop is actually zinc (solid zinc) sanding is a viable solution. If it is galvanized or otherwise zinc coated, though, you can accidentally sand away the zinc coating.
Q. I have used a small antique, french medicine cabinet (which I was told was made of zinc … perhaps it is not zinc but some other painted/aged metal?) as a small washstand in my party 1/2 bath. It was drilled and outfitted with a glass vessel sink, wall-mounted taps, and I was thrilled. NOW, not so thrilled ...
The hand soap, and/or any soapy residue which drops on the top has terribly marked it. I have used an ultra fine grade #0000 steel wool
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] , gently working on the raised whitish rings and/or circles from soapy residue and it has removed the white marks but it also removed what must be a stain of some sort, leaving me with silvery metal spots and/or rings on the brownish surface. Sigh.
My question is: can I lightly abrade it, stain it (with what?) and then seal it with a polyurethane of some kind? I cannot change it out … into it with a $mall fortune in plumbing co$t$, etc., but I am very capable of fine brush work which will be required around the vessel … sigh … but have few options. I have dabbed certain stains on the spots but they lift right off. I tried to dry brush them with my oil paints. It's all been a disaster. I have put out a lot of hand towels for now which covers the mess. Willing to work hard but just don't know the materials to use on zinc/metal to make it impenetrable to soap and water.
Hoping for a miracle. Thanks. JP
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
December 10, 2012
A. Hi, J P.
The best "sealer" is probably automotive clear coat. It comes in two parts like epoxy, and hardens similarly. Presumably you don't have two-part paint spraying equipment, but you can brush it on. Mix the two parts in a disposable container and use cheap brushes because the two parts will react and harden after several minutes and there will be no saving your brushes.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
A. I'm a galvanizer so while I don't know a lot about furniture, I know a little about zinc surfaces and the various things that can happen.
If it's really zinc, (or a zinc coated steel? it might be galvanized steel?), then it's probably not an appropriate surface for such an application.
Zinc's main role in such things is corrosion protection. It does this sacrificially. For example steel coated in zinc protects by sacrificing itself instead of the steel being corroded. It is rarely used as an aesthetic finish, as it is visually unstable. With time a weathering zinc surface will go from initially bright shiny silver to dull grey, and its crystalline nature will show through at different time in different ways too.
Further, if something touches it that leaves a deposit, or if its touched by something acidic, coloured stains occur. Even water left, is likely to cause colouration changes.
So your best plan is probably to coat it, but this raises another problem. It's hard to get coatings to adhere to zinc. Paints, stains, powdercoatings, etc. are like this. Usually, a pretreatment system is used to change the surface to allow things to adhere, but that treatment causes visual changes too. So clear coatings are very rarely used on zinc surfaces for that reason.
You can clean the surface, removing oxides, carbonates or whatever deposits get left, using (as you did) 00 steel wool
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] or similar, but that just exposes fresh unoxidised zinc which will react - even with the oxygen in air- and discolour again, and probably not to look the same as uncleaned areas.
This sounds all very negative, sorry. I think if it were mine, I'd consider putting a different coating on it. Either paint, vinyl, Formica (laminate) or something similar, and forget the look of zinc. Pity!
Geoff Crowley
Crithwood Ltd.
Westfield, Scotland, UK
A. Hi JP. Although I don't disagree with Geoff's warnings about the generally non-decorative nature of zinc coatings, a lot of stuff is made of zinc including kitchen countertops.
I think the toughest part is the blending in. If you can't do a touchup, you can probably remove the whole finish and re-patina it per the earlier advice on this thread that we appended your inquiry to. Then lacquer it, or patina it and lacquer or clearcoat it. Make sure it's completely dry before the clearcoating. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Thank you both for your tips. I think I must try to remove the stain, replicate it and then seal it. You should see what a disaster it is now, several months and six children, a few parties... a new spot from everyone! I do appreciate your thoughts... Do I remove it with...a solvent ... And what on earth do I stain it with? What holds onto zinc? So many projects...and here I thought this one was finished once the sink, taps, and glass bowl were installed. Merci. JP
JP Kennedy- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
A. Hi again. You might try alcohol ink (metal dye).
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I have a zinc dining room table that has slowly been acquiring small squiggly black lines across the top. They look like pen marks or thin little cracks but are completely smooth to the touch and impossible to wipe clean. They don't seem to be associated with areas of higher use, just randomly appearing throughout.
I can't figure out how to get rid of them and am afraid to try anything that might scratch the table's surface. Any idea what might be causing this and how I can fix it?
Erica Guthrie- Atlanta, Georgia USA
July 28, 2014
A. Hi Erica. You say "black" and you're probably right, although they look dark red on my monitor.
I don't know what it is, but I lean towards thinking it's staining of some sort ⇩. I'd suggest trying isopropyl alcohol -- it shouldn't hurt the zinc, it's a disinfectant (which can't hurt), and it removes magic marker stains in case the markings are of that sort.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Update: We've now received an inquiry about markings which are almost surely "filiform corrosion". And now that my eyes have been opened, and I'm viewing your pictures from that perspective, I think that's what your issue is as well. Unfortunately there is no way of removing such marks short of sanding away or chemically removing the clearcoat.
Q. This question replicates another on a similar site, but here goes ... a client of mine has bleached a zinc table top with lemon juice. Can the original be recovered? I am no chemist! HELP please, this is outside my comfort zone.
George Juddantique Restoration - Salisbury Wiltshire U.K.
September 21, 2014
A. Hi George. That is not a stain, where you can remove the stain and be back to original. This is, as you say, bleaching -- so there's no "removing" bleaching, there is only "restoring" the coloration, and we don't know what "the original" look was. Time & patience might restore the look, but there are black patina solutions for zinc that would hurry it along and might be what you're going for. Good luck!
But "similar site"?! There is no similar site! Take it back or we'll sic the dogs on you :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Zinc vs. steel for a desktop
Q. Contemplating making a desk; want to cover it in metal -- sheet metal to be more precise. I was told to use zinc. What's the benefit of zinc vs. steel. Can I still acid wash some patina into the new metal like you can with the zinc. Is the zinc better for some reason. It's going indoors anybody have some insight for me.
Rob ValDo it yourselfer - USA
March 4, 2015
A. Hi Rob. Steel rusts, whereas zinc "patinates". This thread should give you a feel for the good and bad of zinc surfaces. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Stripping & re-patina of zinc counter
Q. I have done patina for years but on copper & brass more than not. I have a client who has a zinc counter with a light patina (most likely spritz applied). There has recently been a contaminant introduced to the counter that darkened portions of the counter. The counter has been protected by wax only. I have been asked to remove the existing patina and re patina to match the original. I would seem to me there are 3 basic steps:
1. Remove the wax- That's a no brainer.
2. Strip the existing patina. This one is a little more tricky. I assume that a diluted acid is the best way to get back to bright Zinc? My years of experience on other metals tells me this will be a bit difficult to restore back to raw zinc without leaving some discoloration behind. I fear that just allowing the cleaned and rinsed surface to air dry will create mottling. Most likely compressed air should be used to dry the top more quickly and evenly.
3. Re patina the zinc to match the original. Though cupric sulphate seems to be the most common chemical used, dilution rate will mean everything. My research indicates that the original finisher used "Sure Thin Super Antique Forty". I have not been able to locate this product and question whether or not it is even necessary. How will the acid washed surface react to the patina as apposed to unfinished zinc? My guess is it will react quicker but I do not know.
Any advise from a professional who has had first hand experience with my particular situation would be more that appreciated.
professional finisher - Carbondale, Colorado USA
June 15, 2015
Q. I have a zinc top table that I am using on a screen porch. It has been coated with something that is now peeling. How do I remove all of the coating and what do I put on it to protect it?
Becky ShellyHomeowner - Atlanta, Georgia USA
February 12, 2017
A. Hi Becky. If what is peeling is a simple lacquer, then acetone ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Warning! highly Flammable! /nail polish remover (flammable) will remove it. If it's a more robust clear coat, you'll probably need aircraft stripper … this is noxious stuff requiring goggles and rubber_gloves, and working outside and upwind.
You can leave the zinc bare, or you can apply brass lacquer, or automotive clearcoat.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Thank you so much for your answer! A BIG help!!
- Atlanta, Georgia USA
February 12, 2017
Q. We purchased a zinc topped wooden table to be used outdoors. However, the surface becomes so hot in the sun that it makes the table unusable. What could I cover the table with that will not get hot. I don't care about covering the zinc. I simply want a usable surface. Thanks all.
Judith Weldon- Atlanta, Georgia USA
February 15, 2017
A. Hi Judith. After priming it with a self-etching primer, white paint will be the best answer short of just throwing a white tablecloth over it on days when you use it.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Hi,
I just purchased a zinc top table at a huge restoration hardware sale. It isn't really meant for outdoors but I am here in So Calif. so figured I could get away with it. However it poured yesterday! haha. But I like rustic and figuring it will weather. Wondering now tho what it will weather to? Should I put any kind of waterproofing protectant? I got such a screaming deal on this beautiful table because it has some scratches on the zinc top, wasn't sure if that will make rusting more of an issue?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
- Dana Point, California, USA
May 8, 2017
A. Hi Karen. You tried to come to an 'expert' site here, and unfortunately you'll find people ducking the question. The thing is that there are thousands of materials and finishes, and the description of an item is written by copywriters trying to induce you to buy rather than trying to inform you :-(
If it's actually solid zinc, rather than 'zinc clad', it can never rust because only iron and steel can rust; rather, the corrosion will be 'white rust'. And again, the effect of the scratches will depend on whether the table top had or didn't have a clear coat to deter that white rust. If it didn't, the scratches should have no effect; if it did, the scratches penetrated that clear coat.
My answer would be: outdoor is not the right place for a non ocorrosion resistant table, but you could just try it as is because you may be happy with it for a while; if you're not happy with it you can later polish away all the white rust and clearcoat it if it's solid zinc. And if it's actually just zinc plated steel and gets red rust, it probably wasn't really that great a deal :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I have a zinc clad over steel table that I am using on my screened porch. A while back you had answered a question for me about removing the lacquer on top which was peeling. We did that according to your recommendations and it worked well. Now, I am seeing a lot of white on the zinc and recently saw rust. Can I clean all of this and put a coating on top that will keep this from happening?
I paid a lot of money for this table and was never told that it could not be used outside until I contacted the company about my problems. The company will not help at all.
- Greensboro, Georgia
May 25, 2017
Hi again. We still don't know what the table is actually made of, or what it looks like; nor do we know your taste --
If you just want a table, you can paint it after applying a rust converter
⇦ on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil links]
or Ospho, and if it suits your taste you'll probably be happy with it. If you need a metallic look, you've already seen two unsuccessful attempts (clear coating it, and stripping it bare) ... but you can try brushing all the loose white stuff off with a bristle brush and then applying Krylon or another lacquer. But the manufacturer's lack of success gives you a hint; getting adhesion onto a galvanized or zinc surface is difficult, especially if the pretreatment/primer needs to be transparent.
Assuming a table or other furniture can be used outside if it's not sold as patio furniture is a mistake though. The overwhelming majority of furniture is unsuitable for outdoor use.
Luck and Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I have a zinc top table that I purchased from Restoration Hardware. One of my kids got permanent marker on the top. RH is no help with suggestions of how to remove it and the manufacturer is overseas.
Suggestions on how to remove it without destroying the rest of the finish are welcomed!
- Madison, New Jersey, USA
June 22, 2017
A. Hi Jodi. I think permanent marker markings are soluble in rubbing alcohol. Try marking up some old scrap piece of metal with it and removing it with the alcohol first. Although rubbing alcohol should not harm metal, the table may have some sort of organic topcoat, so try your best to test it on a non-visible area first.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Hi. I purchased a zinc table from made.com recently and my daughter just spilt nail varnish remover on it. It turned white and I scraped it with my nail thinking I was getting rid off the nail varnish remover (shows how much I know!) It lifted some kind of coating off and those areas are shiny now. I was googling out of desperation and saw this thread. Anything I can do to fix it please? Thank you very much.
Regards,
Yekbun
- Bromley Kent England
September 24, 2017
A. Hi Yekbun. If acetone ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Warning! highly Flammable! removes the coating it is probably lacquer. You can try touching it up by spraying lacquer on the stripped area, but you'll probably end up having to remove all the existing lacquer and re-applying it.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I have a brand new zinc dining room table from RH that has started to show small squiggly black lines across the top. They are completely smooth to the touch and are scattered throughout the whole table top. What is this, why did it happen, will it continue and can it can be removed? Thanks!
- Belle Mead, New Jersey
September 26, 2017
A. Hi Ankita. It absolutely looks to be filiform corrosion; it will continue and it can't be removed or even stopped (short of refinishing). Sorry; if it's still brand new, get your money back. It's a manufacturing defect: the surface was not correctly treated before clearcoating, or the selected clearcoating is not proper for this metal.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I just wrapped a table top in zinc and I am finding it is very sensitive in getting marked with almost everything it has made contact with - cardboard, shirt, towels, fingers you name it. Issue now is all of these marks look bad on the surface and I just want to get it back to a uniform finish. I tried vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , this only removed finger prints, and lemon juice which just added more cloudiness. First time working with zinc, please advise as this table is for my sister and I can't give it to her as is.
Josh harrell- Midlothian, Virginia, USA
January 25, 2018
Q. I bought a zinc/metal coffee table at pottery barn. When you put your feet on it it picks up the oil from my feet and is now shiny and very conspicuous in that area. Is there a way to fix it?
Linda sutherland- Indio, California, United states
May 27, 2018
Q. I bought a zinc topped table for outdoor use. It sits under a fir tree and has gotten a lot of sap on the top. I looked online and saw that rubbing alcohol was recommended to remove sap or pine tar. I used it and some of the spots have come clean, others won't clean up. They turn brown when I apply the alcohol. In addition there are areas with white speckles. I bought zinc because I like the patina, ring marks don't bother me. But these brown smudges and white irregular marks just look dirty. Hate to cover it with a tablecloth as I really wanted zinc. Any ideas or suggestions on how to clean it. Thanks.
Marta Naber- Calistoga California USA
July 4, 2018
A. Hi Marta. Your table probably had a clearcoat finish on top of the zinc, which is now compromised -- as evidenced by the white speckles which are the corrosion products of zinc. Why it became compromised (not UV resistant, too thin for outdoor use, finish rubbed away by cleaning, etc.) may be beside the point.
You can probably remove the sap with a stronger solvent -- anything from WD-40 ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil links] to nail polish remover to turpentine ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . These will not hurt zinc, but may hurt whatever is left of the clearcoat. I think the WD-40 is the best solution if it removes the sap because it will deter corrosion. But it's not a permanent solution, it's something you would wipe the table down with every few weeks. Let us know how it goes.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Thank you, I will try the WD-40 (I did try nail polish remover in addition to the alcohol) and let you know how it works. If it does work should I try to add a coating to the zinc? Or just clean it with WD-40 as needed?
Marta Naber [returning]- Calistoga, California USA
A. Hi again. "WD" stands for 'water displacing compound', and although it is not a long-term finish, it does resist corrosion. It should therefore deter additional white corrosion; with luck, the fact that it stays sort of microscopically 'wet' and 'smoothes' that white pitting may help to disguise it as well.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Hi again. I tried the WD-40.
Did not work.
I guess I will have to use a tablecloth. Can't move it as it is the only spot in the yard for a table.
Please let me know what you think. Thank you.
Marta
- Calistoga California USA
A. Hi again Marta.
Getting sap off of a porous metal surface is unfortunately going to be a constant battle.
I'm not there, and am only judging from photos which look like before and after. If they are, the WD-40 seems to me to have somewhat improved the look of the white corrosion (although it might be wishful thinking on my part), and it will somewhat inhibit ongoing corrosion. I really didn't hope for much more than that.
Sorry that a zinc topped table used outdoors, and subject to sap dripping as well, is apparently destined to be a headache. Other entries on this thread complain about zinc-topped tables being subject to filiform corrosion even when kept indoors, no less outdoors :-(
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I have a zinc top table that I aged with copper sulphate.
We had a water cooler on top, which I placed on a foil wrapped circular cardboard base (from a cake) and I now have a brown stain in this area
I have tried to rub it out with steel wool and re-age it, but I still have some brown reappearing.
Please advise.
- Melbourne, Australia
August 20, 2018
I have a solution though. It basically is to remove air to the bench to allow the natural patina to come back.
a) the harder way is to just rub Vaseline on the bench and leave it for 24 hours then clean it off. It's only hard because it is difficult to clean off (generally needing cleaning cloths, hot weather and a lot of rubbing -- but then dry thoroughly at the end.
b) the easy way is found at the hardware store -- a lubricating spray composed mainly of lanolin and just keep a spray can handy so that when I am wiping down the bench I can do a small spray on any marks. It's so easy and does a remarkable job.
If you don't know Lanolin, it's oil that comes from wool producing animals (i.e., mainly sheep) and has excellent water repellent properties ... so it's really just keeping a seal on top of that zinc bench.
- NSW Australia
Q. Hi All,
I've just purchased a vintage zinc top table for our garden and am just smitten with its coloration. There are a few bits of rust poking through which lead me to believe perhaps it is zinc clad vs pure zinc as the antique dealer had noted. In any event, it was purchased to live outdoors and I'd like to protect it from further rust and discoloration.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a specific product to use? There are many online from Rust Oleum to more specialty products. We live in a temperate climate in Northern California, about 20 miles from the SF Bay. Any advice would be much appreciated!!
Kelly McHugh- Piedmont, California
July 24, 2019
A. Hi Kelly. People should feel free to suggest types of coatings or ingredients to look for, etc., but we can't suggest specific brands or products except our advertisers like Everbrite [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] (why?)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Hi, I have a dining table which is covered in galvanized zinc (with a slightly weathered finish). The zinc has become discolored where my son sits, under his white plastic placemat. Does Zinc become discolored when in prolonged contact with plastic, or is it the lining of the plastic placemat rubbing off onto the zinc? Before applying anything too corrosive I would be very grateful for your advice and thank you very much in advance for your thoughts.
L Drayson- london, UK
August 5, 2019
A. Hi L. Although it's not impossible for plastics to give off volatile compounds which react with the zinc, I doubt that that is the issue. More likely just the additional humidity or the denial of oxygen caused the zinc to slightly corrode in different fashion.
I would think that cleaners like Barkeepers Friend ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , which incorporate a mild acid plus mild abrasion, are probably the best route to an even finish. Try cleaning a strip which is half under the mat and half not. If I'm wrong and the repair sticks out like a sore thumb, your son is growing ... so get him a slightly bigger placemat to cover my error :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. We have a two month old dark patinated zinc kitchen countertop. We expect and look forward to it changing over time with wear and use. But there have been a few changes that I am not happy with. The first (not pictured) was under our fabric dish drain pads. The zinc has a slightly matte feel to it there. Visually it is fine but when I run my hand over the area it feels like something spilled there. I have tried to clean it with non abrasive means but it's still the same.
There are now 3 other issues. In the corner, where there's no contact with much of anything except a ceramic fruit bowl, a rash of raised white spots have appeared. After not having success with a dish rag, I used a dish scouring pad (the green one). The spots disappeared but returned immediately after it dried. They seem to be impregnated in the zinc:
The second is where a fresh pumpkin sat for a few days. There was some moisture seeping from it. The spot is slightly discolored but is now very rough-matte in feel, kind of like the dish drain pad area but worse. I cleaned it with mild soap, scouring pad, 409. Still the same:
And finally, a rough line in front of the microwave. This is white in color and also won't smooth out. I don't care about color differences as they will all blend in over time. The rough spots make me feel like it is dirty. The spot where the pumpkin sat is also a different color now but the difference in surface texture really makes it noticeable:
I am hoping someone on the forum can me advise me because I am ready to rip them out. That would be sad because they are quite lovely.
Sue Rosengard- Chicago Illinois USA
September 8, 2019
A. Hi Sue. The little white dots are probably corrosion spots. If you examine them with a magnifying glass or loupe they will probably look like little volcanos.
Unfortunately, although your countertop is beautiful, zinc is not corrosion resistant in the sense that stainless steel, formica, or Corian are. I would suggest regular application of butcher's wax or possibly mineral oil on the whole counter top (after trying it in an inconspicuous spot) to reduce it's sensitivity to moisture.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Thank you for the quick reply. We'll give it a try. There are so many rough spots that we considering taking it back to natural zinc and allowing it to patina naturally. What do you suggest using? Occasionally when my husband wipes the counter extra hard, the paper towel or cloth actually removes some of the dark patina. I'm wondering if the fabricator never applied a sealer or coating.
Sue Rosengard [returning]- Chicago Illinois USA
September 12, 2019
A. Hi again. It's certainly possible that the countertop never had any sealer/clearcoat. Sorry, I don't have any experience with clearcoats for zinc specifically, and we can't post recommendations for specific brands anyway (why?), but I have no reason to think Everbrite [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] or a lacquer from G.J. Nikolas [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] would be inappropriate. But as you see from this and related threads, filiform corrosion under clearcoats is a commonplace.
If it was me, I'd try to remove the white dots and roughness with the green scotchbrite sponge, try to work butcher's wax into that pitted area, avoid leaving the counter top wet, and not leave regularly shaped items like round bowls and rectangular placemats in the same spot too long. And remember that the "scratch" in front of the microwave catches your eye because its the only one; after there are fifty of them at different lengths, depths, and angles, all may be well :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Thank you. We'll give it a try.
- Chicago Illinois USA
Q. I bought the RH Zinc table. My son put hot baby potatoes straight from the microwave on my new table! It left white spots on my table that were exactly were the baby potatoes were on the paper plate. Any suggestions on how to help me? Thank you!!
Craig WorkingerCPA - Encinitas, California USA
September 24, 2019
A. Hi Craig. When it comes to wood tables and hot or wet objects, the cause of the white discoloration is usually that the object created an oil-water emulsion with the lacquer or clearcoat; the remarkably effective fix is to iron a white t-shirt or towel over the area, producing dry heat that drives the water out of the emulsion and returns it to pure lacquer. Please see topic 10275, "How to remove white water rings from wood furniture" for rave reviews from a hundred or more readers.
Whether your zinc table has a clearcoat on it, and whether watermarks can be removed the same way, I don't know. Let us know. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
A. I have just submitted a response to thread 40020 and see that my comments apply equally here.
If you make a working surface out of totally unsuitable materials you must be prepared for constant maintenance.
Zinc in particular is a rather reactive metal and does not take kindly to acid substances. It is also quite soft and easily scratched.
It may look pretty when new but as a functional item I would class it with the chocolate tea pot.
Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
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