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-----:Refinish Shower Doors to Oil Rubbed Bronze
Quickstart:
We have about 2 dozen discussion threads about oil rubbed bronze, so if your interest is in other than shower doors, you'll probably be happier searching the site for "oil rubbed bronze" plus other keywords.
Genuine oil rubbed bronze is a finish which is done on copper (or on copper plating) by chemically darkening it, then letting the wear surfaces get lighter through actual use while the recesses stay dark (this is called "a living finish").
More often though, the blackening is burnished from the high points in the factory to simulate such wear, then the item is clear coated to preserve the finish as is.
Sometimes "oil rubbed bronze" is just a warm brownish paint color though.
Most shower doors and shower enclosures, unless very expensive, are actually just dyed anodized ⇦ huh? aluminum. Painting is possible, but even when done very well is probably not as satisfactory and durable as a real oil rubbed bronze finish.
Read on, join in ...
Q. I am remodeling our daughter's bathroom. Wish to install a corner shower. The shower kits only come in Silver finish. Can I make this an oil rubbed bronze finish. I've talked to the manufacturer and they don't offer this finish and won't recommend how to do it. I understand this will void my warranty.
Gary C [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]hobbyist - Liberty Hill, Texas
2005
A. Hi Gary,
I'd suggest that you try to find another manufacturer. Sliding, and framed, and frameless hinged oil rubbed bronze shower doors and corner showers are available, although obviously more expensive than basic aluminum doors.
Most shower doors except really expensive ones are made of anodized aluminum, which is dyed during manufacture; they can't be dyed after they leave the factory.
While aluminum shower doors can be painted, painting probably won't be as durable and satisfactory, and must start with good prep work, then a primer designed for aluminum
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link]
before the oil rubbed bronze paint ⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link]
.
Good luck!
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
A. Gary ... too bad you can't find it in brass finish, yet there still is an answer. Oil rub finishes are usually reserved to those surfaces of bronze. There is a protective clear coating over the aluminum to protect it from corrosion. Your effort is to affect this clear coat to make it 'look' like oil rubbed. There are solvent dyes which can be applied to this coat which will give you the effect you want and it will look real.
adv. Contact BarrysRestoreItAll.
Good luck.
Barry Feinman - Chief Restoration Officer
BarrysRestoreItAll
Carlsbad, California
Painting a chrome shower door to look like brass
Q. I have a chrome framed shower glass door (just new) and hardly ever used. I want to change all the bathroom fixtures to brass. Is there a paint product that is available to change the chrome to brass on the chrome shower door frame(at least on the outside)?
I wouldn't want it to look "painted".
This is a guest bathroom that does not get utilized very often at all.
I just don't want to go to the expense of replacing the chrome with brass (Basco Shower Door System)
Thank you,
Zenith Associates - Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
2006
A. You want a paint which doesn't look like paint? There are lots of brass colored paints, but they all look, more or less, like....well...paint.
Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
A. There was a post not too long ago regarding all of the difficulties in trying to get paint to stick to chrome, so you may not end up being satisfied with the results no matter what. That being said, you may want to look into tinted lacquers - they may preserve the metallic appearance and avoid a matte painted look.
Good luck!
Compton, California, USA
A. Hi Nancy.
You say "chrome", but my guess is you actually mean a bright reflective anodized aluminum finish. If that is the case, painting is a lot more practical than trying to paint chrome
Painting or tinting anodized aluminum is the heart of this particular thread.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Painting metal shower doors
Q. My situation: needing to paint the metal on a shower door from yellow/brass to a antique brass/brown color. the faucets are the new finish called "oil rubbed brass". It does not have to look shiny.....I hope you can help me find a product or resource to help.
Kelli Petersenhobbyist - Forest Hill, California
2007
A. Unless these doors were very expensive, they are probably dyed anodized aluminum rather than brass, and your most promising path would be to lightly sand them and paint them with one of the oil rubbed bronze paints after applying a Self-etching primer ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] .
Alternately you can get new shower doors; they are available in what the industry calls "bronze" color, which is actually pretty close to brown. It should "go" reasonably well and you'll have a more durable finish than a repainted finish while retaining a metallic look. Best of luck.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Multiple threads merged: please forgive chronology errors and repetition 🙂
Q. I have bathroom shower doors that have a bright brass finish. I am unsure of the shower door metal. I would like to change the finish to an antique or dark finish. Do you know what products to use?
Sheryl Wolfhomeowner - Kildeer, Illinois, USA
April 4, 2008
A. Hi Sheryl. Unless the shower doors were very expensive (say about $2000), they're almost surely not brass but anodized aluminum, and can't be darkened except by coating the aluminum with paint, or something opaque or only slightly translucent.
I suggest good prep, followed by a self-etching primer, and then a paint in oil rubbed bronze color. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
(this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread)
Q. Paint brass shower doors. Is it possible to change the color and also have a durable nice looking finish?
homeowner - Highland Village, Texas
March 7, 2009
(this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread)
Q. Need to know if there is any way to change the silver aluminum color on my new shower door frame to an oil rubbed bronze color. Any suggestions appreciated
April 5, 2011
homeowner - orange, texas, USA
(this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread)
Q. Is there a product that can be put on the metal portion of a shower door to change from the 1980's gold finish to an updated oil rubbed look to avoid the cost of replacing the door?
Homeowner - Norcross, Georgia, USA
May 25, 2011
A. Hi, all. Most shower doors are anodized aluminum with a dye sealed within the finish. There is no chemical treatment you can do to anodized aluminum to oxidize it to an oil rubbed bronze look. You are limited to painting (or possibly alcohol ink dyeing), which will be marginally acceptable if you do a good job. I'd suggest replacing the doors unless they were very expensive (indicating that possibly might actually be brass rather than aluminum, in which case they can be darkened with liver of sulfur) ⇨
If they are truly brass, please search the site the site for 'brass liver of sulfur' for lots of detailed threads on the subject.
Good luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. I have just moved into a new house. The shower has the usual chrome around the door. I am switching the faucets to a burnished bronze. Is there any treatment that would let me turn the chrome to this color?
Thank you
- saraland, Alabama
April 5, 2015
The Sulfuric Acid Process"
by David LaPlantz
on Amazon or eBay
or AbeBooks
(affil link)
A. Hi Janice. Although you say "chrome", "usual" tells me you probably mean bright aluminum rather than actual chrome plating. I think a self-etching primer ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] followed by a burnished bronze decorative paint ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] probably has a good chance of sticking to clean, lightly sanded, aluminum.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
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