NEWSLETTER: Kingston Brass - The Kingston Informer - February 2011

THE KINGSTON INFORMER THE TRADITION OF FINE BRASS WWW.KINGSTONBRASS.COM

MONTHLY NEWSPAGE OF KINGSTON BRASS

FEBRUARY 2011 - ISSUE 2

KB GOES SOCIAL

Kingston Brass has entered social media!

With the rapid growth and popularity of online business, KB has joined the millions of other

corporations by unveiling a new Facebook page, blog website, Twitter page and Youtube video section.

In an effort to meet with

the public, KB is utilizing these platforms as a direct communication line providing news and updates, receiving comments and feedback and learning more about the consumers’ needs.

Over 24.54% of the U.S. population makes up the global audience on Facebook, according to statistics from checkfacebook. com.

The Kingston Brass blog website will provide special features, product profiles and editorials continually on a weekto-week basis. Log on at http:// kingstonbrass.wordpress.com.

For breaking news, special advertisements and new article alerts, log on to www.twitter.com/kingstonbrass.

Browse through our video page for special features on www. youtube.com/kingstonbrass.

Find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/KingstonBrass-Inc/181527701879568.

Oil-rubbed bronze vs. PVD Which one is better--oil rubbed bronze or PVD? The old-world charm of the oil-rubbed bronze finish is what makes it one of the top 3 most popular finishes today when it comes to faucets or decorative hardware.

The oil-rubbed bronze originally became popular during the early 1990s, replacing antique brass as the finish de rigueur in traditional style décor.

Part of the charm and prominence was its “living finish” characteristic. A living finish is what occurs when you have any metal (except stainless steel) that is not lacquered or protected by any other process.

The finish will continually evolve through exposure to the

Q: What is the best way to maintain my oil-rubbed bronze faucet?

A: Since oil-rubbed bronze is a living finish, special care should be taken, beginning with the proper installation: (1) Don’t use Plumber’s Putty when installing your faucet as the fumes will breakdown the protective coating, (2) Do use a silicon base sealer such as poly seam seal. After installation, there are three things to keep in mind: (1) Keep your faucet dry after each use, (2) Periodically apply a thin coating of Spray car wax; this will prevent the accumulation of mineral deposits on the surface of your faucet, and (3) Clean with a mixture of a mild non-abrasive soap and water.

Q: What cleaning products should I stay away from while cleaning my Kingston Brass item?

A: KB recommends that you only clean your faucet with a mild nonabrasive soap such as hand soap. If you notice calcium or lime build-up, we suggest that you use a half-andhalf solution of one-part warm water and one-part vinegar and a wash cloth. Do not use any harsh or abrasive items to wipe down your product.

The oil-rubbed bronze (Left) [KB1605AL_CS] and the polished brass or PVD (Right) [KB1602A-CS-W] are two of the four finishes that KB offers.

elements-also called an oxidation process, which varies in different metals. In copper you may see a green patina, or verdi gris.

In the case of oil-rubbed bronze, a lightening effect occurs in the areas where it comes in

contact with the human hand, such as the faucet handle or a door knob. This is precisely its charm— the fact that it will acquire a “broken-in” appearance within a relatively short period of time.

See O VS PVD in page 3

Q:

Are KB products lead-free?

A: All products that are required to be in compliance with the Federal Clean Drinking Water Act (NSF61) and also the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, which recently was passed by Senate this past December according to the Congressional Research Service. **

Often in the bathroom design process, the small details are what makes the difference from good to excellent.

That was the inspiration that motivated the team at Kingston Brass to design a collection of products and address the need for high quality, well-designed, affordable group of trim products.

Designer Trimscape groups products in four main categories: Showerscape, as the name implies is a collection of showerheads, handheld showers and other related items. With this offering, Kingston Brass attempts to satisfy the desires

of even the most discriminating consumer. You will see everything from traditional vintage all the way to the most contemporary European style showerheads and shower accessories.

ADAscape, this group is comprised of both decorative and commercial grade grab bars.

The decorative portion is made up of nine different designs, most of these match popular faucet escutcheon patterns to complement your baths décor. Our philosophy in designing the ADAscape series is not to make function and form mutually exclusive.

Complements, This is somewhat of a catch-all grouping of products where you

will find decorative angle stops, waste and overflows, decorative tank levers, etc.

Made to Match, In this series you will find an extensive selection of bath accessories, as the name implies, it is “made-to-match” a wide variety of faucets.

With this offering Kingston Brass has successfully filled a void in the market by making these trim items more accessible to the general public. KB has also become an instrumental component in achieving that custom-designed look for your bathroom.

Log on to www.designertrimscape.com for more information on our products.

QUALITY CONTROL: PART 2 OF A 2-PART SERIES ON PRODUCT TESTING

The information shown is Kingston Brass’ Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) sampling chart.

Aesthetic longevity is a priority when it comes to Kingston Brass products.

Products are randomly selected and put through a process of salt spray testing in which the product is deposited in a sealed chamber and continuously subjected to salt water spray for a period of 12 to 18 hours.

At the end of this process, the faucets are inspected for finish deterioration.

Most of Kingston Brass’ faucets, sinks, and vitreous china products are cUPC certified

by IAPMO and meet the U.S. plumbing code and Canadian plumbing standards.

Our local quality control engineers randomly re-inspect the incoming shipments to our warehouse to ensure that the product quality is maintained during the delivery.

Every new item gets inspected on performance, packaging and

inclusion of all accessories and mounting hardware for three continuous lots of shipment.

If there is no discrepancy in all three lots, the quality is considered good. If any of the lots fail the inspection, the production engineers are notified to take corrective action and the items will be monitored until they pass the Kingston Brass QC requirement.

To reduce human error in shipping, packers will audit items

from the picker by matching the bill of material on the pick ticket orders for each order.

For bulky items, such as bathtubs and sinks, that need to be shipped by truck, preshipment inspections are made.

Packaging is checked to make sure it is reliable enough for shipment and pictures are taken for record.

If you have any questions regarding quality control, call us at 1-877-2KBRASS.

O VS PVD conƟnued from Page 1 In the mid-1990s, the PVD (physical vapor deposition) technology was developed.

PVD is a high-tech process where the finish is applied inside a vacuum chamber; a base solid material is introduced into the chamber and vaporized to an atomic level. It then attaches itself to target surface in a thin film and becomes a solid material again.

The difference between regular electroplating and the PVD process is that once the substrate becomes solid, it becomes a part of the target surface as opposed to just a coating.

In other words, if the surface is scratched it would not break the surface. But when examined microscopically it appears to be dented.

This process allows some plumbing and door hardware manufacturers to be able to offer a lifetime warranty.

In the case of oil-rubbed bronze, the PVD process is very challenging.

Its lack of consistency is an issue very prevalent in oil-rubbed bronze and certainly aggravated in the PVD process.

Its color variations may go from a light grayish-brown color to a dark brown (almost black) tone.

In a specific case, a Taiwanese manufacturer accidentally ended up with a gun-metal color when trying to develop a PVD oil-rubbed bronze finish during the trial-and-error process. They actually decided to introduce this finish for their line of products.

In closing, do you prefer a living finish with its ever changing tonality?

Or do you prefer the stable and everlasting look of the PVD oil-rubbed bronze? If you ask me, I would choose the living finish—after all, that’s where its charm lies.

GEORGIAN

FRENCH COUNTRY

TEMPLETON

MAGELLAN

NUFRENCH

ENGLISH VINTAGE

ENGLISH COUNTRY Like the Olde World series, a lot can be said about timeless classical designs.

In the last few years the automotive industry has experienced a resurgence of vehicles from eras past, such as the Mustang, the Chevrolet HHR and the Prowler. Even European automakers took advantage of the trend and reintroduced the Volkswagen Bug and the Mini. Now you get to enjoy traditional styling with modern day technologies, such as power steering, air conditioning and ABS. Kingston Brass, in the same way, has selected seven faucet collections to achieve that same objective.

In reviewing these collections, you will find that most of them, in one way or another, will evoke that sense of nostalgia for a specific historical era. The essence of the Edwardian era of the English Vintage collection--will remind you of the grandeur of what would later be known as the Belle Époque.

The Georgian Collection with its classic elegance, is reminiscent of early 19th Century England. The French Country Collection, with its distinctive cross-handles, will transport you to the quaint elegance

of the early 20th Century French countryside, much in the same way as the English Country Collection does to inspire the simplicity and elegance of the early English farm style.

Other collections merely incorporate the essence of popular traditional styles into more up-to-date designs making these collections very versatile and easier to blend into more transitional décors. In the case of the Nu French Collection, this collection takes the traditional French lever design and gives it an entirely modern appearance preserving an Olde World feel in a modern world environment.

The Magellan Collection has a modernized look of a traditional style and blends well with any décor. Realizing that not everything is about looks, Kingston Brass has insured that all faucets in the Old World Series be equipped with either state-of-the-art ceramic or washerless cartridges.

These collections have been perfectly paired with matching components and bath accessories, taking all the guess work out of selecting all the complementary items for your kitchen or bath.

Browse our catalog by going to www.kingstonbrass.com/catalog.asp