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Chrome Plating in Harsh weather

I am an intern at an interior design firm and we are working on a project in the Bahamas. With product material/finishes being a big concern with all the salt/moisture in the air down there, I am trying to find out if an outdoor lamp made of steel and chrome plated would be successful. Please advise me.
Is chrome plating impervious to salt air? moisture? I read that a good chrome job won't ever peel (even in harsh weather), but is this true for all chrome plating? (I found there are several different kinds).

John Anderson
intern for interior designer - nashville, Tennessee USA
August 4, 2010

August 9, 2010

Hi, John.

A high quality chrome plating job is very corrosion resistant. Look at Harley Davidsons, truck bumpers, and exterior automotive trim as examples. But . . .

huffychrome54501

. . . I don't know if there is any other finish where quality is so vital, because the nickel layer is cathodic to the underlying steel, so if there are pinholes and porosity, you will very quickly get blooming rust pits as the nickel forces the steel to corrode. Don't chrome plate unless you can afford top quality.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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