SwissMaterials
Stainless steel
The material that changes least. Brushed stainless holds the same grey for decades, shrugs off salt spray, and gives engraving its cleanest edge. If a plaque has to be forgotten about, this is the one.
How it ages in Switzerland
Practically nothing happens. The chromium layer reforms by itself wherever the surface is scratched, so a knock leaves a mark but never a rust bloom. Near gritted roads and in lakeside humidity, cheap steel would show tea-staining after two winters; the grade we use does not. The one real maintenance point is cosmetic — a polished mirror finish shows every fingerprint on a doorbell plate, which is why we brush anything people touch. The brushed grain also hides the fine scratches a house key leaves over ten years.
Technical data
| Thickness | 1.5 mm and 2 mm |
| Finish | Brushed, or mirror on request |
| Outdoor life | 30+ years outdoors |
| Engraving | Rotary or laser, filled black for contrast |
Best for
- ✓Contemporary buildings and new-builds
- ✓Anything within reach of a gritted road
- ✓Doorbell and intercom plates handled daily
Think twice if the building is historic and the neighbouring plates are all brass — a lone steel plate reads as a repair.
Questions
Will stainless steel rust in Switzerland?
Not the grade we use, including on lake shores and beside gritted roads. Surface marks from iron dust can appear near building works; they wipe off.
Brushed or mirror?
Brushed for anything at hand height. Mirror looks striking in a photograph and is covered in fingerprints within a day of real use.
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