Coating Needed to Reduce Constant Brass Maintenance

Question: We have a home that has brass railing along two large staircases. The railing needs constant polishing. Is there a method or product that would eliminate the need for the polishing?

Answer: Not to my knowledge. Brass is a great looking material, but it tarnishes easily--as anyone who spent some time in the military can tell you. One solution to this problem--a definite no-no in the military--is to clean the brass thoroughly and spray it carefully with a good quality clear lacquer or acrylic coating. This is what manufacturers of high quality musical instruments do and the lacquer is surprisingly durable. The kind of treatment a trombone gets is roughly comparable to that given a stair railing, after all!

If any readers have an alternative suggestion, let me know and I’ll run them. And just as an aside, if stainless steel and similar metals are good for trim on cars, etc., why didn’t the folks at the Pentagon adopt them for belt buckles? Just asking!

Q: What is your view of low-voltage lighting versus regular lighting with dimmer switches?

A: The vogue in recent years has been toward low-voltage task lighting, wall-washing, picture lighting, etc. If you can achieve the effects you want--and you indicate that a builder and an architect believe you can--with conventional lighting, go ahead. There was relatively little low-voltage lighting in the 1985 Pasadena Showcase House of Design, especially compared with recent showcase homes. It’s possible that the trend is away from low-voltage lighting. Frankly, I don’t have any preferences one way or the other.

Dale Baldwin will answer remodeling questions of general interest on this page. Send your questions to Home Improvement, Real Estate Department, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. Baldwin cannot answer questions individually. Snapshots of successful do-it-yourself projects may be submitted but cannot be returned.