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Inexpensive attractive finish on bonderized metal

Q. We are a fabrication shop in California. We have a client who needs 9000 feet of brake metal for an exterior architectural application (louvres). We plan on doing the bending in shop. The louvres would have three profiles. They originally wanted an organic color for the finish, such as the natural green that occurs on copper. But the copper would be too expensive. So we are looking at ways to color steel, it does not have to be green, but something organic in color.
What would be a cost effective way to achieve this? Does anyone have patina recommendations, or a different solution?
Are there some good sources for factory finished metal, such as perforated, or bonderized (the grey may be too boring in this case) but something of that nature.

Thanks for your time.

Thomas R [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
design - Los Angeles, California, USA
2005

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Hi Thomas. You can buy steel sheet for roofing which has a roll-coated paint on it with quite a good verdigris patina look to it, but I think you would have difficulty producing something that looks like a real patina by field painting.

How about this idea: paint it copper colored, then use a vertigris color patina system on it?

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Ted is available for instant help
or longer-term assistance.
December 2013

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Q. Hi,
Does anyone know of a method to stain or color Bonderized sheet metal rather than paint it? A non uniform color is ok. Darker brown better than lighter.
ASTM A606 steel (aka Corten) is material of choice, but it discolors stucco terribly.
Ted

Ted Van
- Cayucos, California USA
February 3, 2017

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