Maintenance Tips for your Brian’s Furniture Products
Sugar Kettle and Fountain Maintenance
- Never use bleach – this harsh chemical will affect the finish on your sugar kettle, and can also corrode your fountain’s plumbing. To keep the water clean, we recommend purchasing the small 1 inch chlorine tablets to toss in your sugar kettle as needed. Of course, it depends on the size of your sugar kettle and how much water we are dealing with. For smaller sugar kettles, half of these 1 inch tablets will be sufficient. These are to be used on an “as needed” basis, but you shouldn’t need more than one of these tablets per month. If any discoloring has occurred, any outdoor, oil-based spray paint can be used for touching up.
- Getting rid of algae – if algae has formed in your sugar kettle or fountain, you can start by using a bristled cleaning brush with soap (Dawn) and water. If this doesn’t remove the algae, you can try using white vinegar with the bristled cleaning brush. For best results, drain the water from the sugar kettle and completely clean the sugar kettle or fountain, then refill with water.
- Pump maintenance – Always be sure that the filter on your pump is clean and unobstructed. If the filter is not clean, this will put a strain on your pump, resulting in poor performance or decreased lifetime of the pump. Replacement filters can be purchased at Brian’s Furniture.
- Cast iron sugar kettles – we like to say that our cast iron sugar kettles are guaranteed to rust. If you purchase a painted cast iron sugar kettle, the kettle will still rust. The black paint simply covers the rust for a period of time. The cast iron sugar kettle will turn the water a rust color, therefore if you’re trying to maintain clear water, we recommend painting at least the inside of the sugar kettle.
Mailbox Maintenance
- Never use bleach – this harsh chemical will affect the powder coat finish on your mailbox. If you want to clean your mailbox, a bristled cleaning brush with soap (Dawn) and water is all you need.
- Broken mailbox – in most cases, a mailbox broken into pieces is caused by a vehicle. Our cast aluminum mailboxes are very sturdy, but will not withstand a vehicle striking them. If you have a broken mailbox on your hands, email photos of your broken mailbox to us at [email protected]. In this email, please include your name, phone number, and address, and we will contact you with a repair quote, if possible.
- Weed eating – while the powder coat finish on our mailboxes is extremely durable, it is not protected from a weed eater. In order to prevent paint chipping at the base of your mailbox, we recommend using extreme caution when weed eating around your mailbox. If the paint begins to chip at the base of a mailbox due to a weed eater, it will likely cause further peeling of the powder coat finish.
- Mailbox refurbishing – our mailboxes are powder coated, which is a baked on enamel finish. This is the best type of finish for any outdoor metal items. If your mailbox needs refinishing, any outdoor, oil-based spray paint can be used for touching up or repainting. Before spraying your mailbox, we recommend using a pressure washer and/or wire brush to remove all loose pieces of paint or powder coat finish. We recommend using a primer first, then the color of your choice to repaint the mailbox. Our standard black finish is considered “satin black”. For your convenience, we offer mailbox refurbishing. Contact us today for a quote.
Patio Furniture Maintenance
- Never use bleach – this harsh chemical will affect the powder coat finish on your cast aluminum patio furniture. If you want to clean your patio furniture, a bristled cleaning brush with soap (Dawn) and water is all you need.
- Patio furniture refinishing – our cast aluminum outdoor furniture is powder coated, which is a baked on enamel finish. This is the best type of finish for any outdoor metal items. If your patio furniture needs refinishing, any outdoor, oil-based spray paint can be used for touching up or repainting. Before spraying your cast aluminum furniture, we recommend using a pressure washer and/or wire brush remove all loose pieces of paint or powder coat finish. We recommend using a primer first, then the color of your choice to repaint the furniture. Our standard black finish is considered “satin black”. For your convenience, we offer cast aluminum furniture refurbishing. Contact us today for a quote.
- Salt water pools – while the powder coat finish on our outdoor furniture is extremely durable, salt water will also affect the powder coat finish on your cast aluminum furniture. Fortunately, cast aluminum will never rot or rust, but the finish might have to be reapplied. Because of this, we often recommend selecting the “black” finish, as it is easier to touch up. Our special finishes require a special hand-painted finish which would have to be applied by us.
