Proper surface treatment: the key to ensure that custom large sculptures remain beautiful and durable for a long time

1. Antifouling treatment: extend cleaning cycle and reduce maintenance work
Outdoor sculptures are often exposed to the erosion of wind, sand, rain, bird droppings and other pollutants. These substances not only affect the appearance of the sculpture, but also may cause the material to deteriorate over time. Therefore, antifouling treatment is the basis for maintaining the long-term beauty of the sculpture.

Modern antifouling technology usually uses antifouling coatings, which can form a smooth protective film to prevent pollutants from directly adhering to the surface of the sculpture. Nano coating is a commonly used high-efficiency antifouling material. It forms a tiny protective layer on the surface of the sculpture through nanotechnology, making it more difficult for pollutants to adhere and easy to clean. This coating also has a self-cleaning function, which can effectively reduce the accumulation of dust on the surface of the sculpture, and has strong water resistance, which can prevent moisture from penetrating into the material and avoid corrosion.

Some stone sculptures have special antifouling agents applied to the surface. These antifouling agents can penetrate into the stone to form a deep protective film, effectively avoiding oil, stains and chemical pollution, thereby maintaining the original appearance of the sculpture.

2. Anti-corrosion treatment: Extend the service life of sculptures
Many materials used in sculptures, such as metal, stone or wood, will be affected by moisture, salt spray, chemicals in the air and other factors over a certain period of time, resulting in corrosion or weathering. This will not only affect the appearance of the sculpture, but may also endanger the safety of its structure. In order to avoid these problems, anti-corrosion treatment is particularly important.

For metal sculptures, especially metal materials such as steel and aluminum alloy, anti-corrosion treatment often uses spraying, plating or coating protection. The most common methods include:

Hot-dip galvanizing: This is a common anti-corrosion technology that can form a zinc protective film on the metal surface. It has good corrosion resistance and is suitable for exposed metal sculptures.

Electroplating or spraying: Through electroplating or spraying processes, a layer of anti-corrosion coating can be applied to the metal surface. Common coatings include chrome, zinc, polyester, etc. These coatings can not only effectively prevent oxidation corrosion, but also increase the gloss and beauty of the metal surface.
For materials such as bronze and cast iron, special anti-oxidation paints or special coatings are often used to prevent oxidation and discoloration of the metal surface, thereby maintaining the original color of the sculpture.

After the stone sculpture is coated with waterproof preservatives on the surface, it can effectively prevent rain or moisture from penetrating the stone surface, causing surface peeling, mildew and other phenomena. Especially in coastal areas or humid environments, anti-corrosion treatment is particularly important.

3. Weathering treatment: anti-ultraviolet and natural weathering
The beauty of large sculptures does not only depend on their design and materials. How to resist the erosion of the external environment, especially ultraviolet radiation, directly determines whether the sculpture can maintain its color and texture. Ultraviolet radiation can not only cause pigments to fade, but also cause aging and embrittlement of many materials (such as wood, plastic, etc.). Therefore, weathering treatment is particularly important.

Weathering paint: In response to the invasion of ultraviolet rays, modern sculptures often use weather-resistant paints. These paints use special chemical formulas that can effectively absorb or reflect ultraviolet rays to prevent ultraviolet rays from damaging the color of the sculpture surface. This treatment is particularly important for sculptures with bright colors.

Anti-ultraviolet varnish: For most Custom large sculptures, a layer of anti-ultraviolet varnish is applied to protect the color and provide an extra gloss to the sculpture surface. UV-resistant varnish can prevent color fading and maintain the visual effect of the sculpture, especially when exposed to sunlight for a long time outdoors.

Antioxidant treatment: Some metal sculptures (such as bronze sculptures) are also treated with antioxidants to prevent darkening of color or the formation of oxides such as patina on the surface due to the reaction between ultraviolet rays and oxygen in the air.

4. Daily care and cleaning
Even if the surface of the sculpture has been properly treated, regular cleaning and maintenance are necessary to keep the sculpture beautiful. Sculptures in outdoor environments will absorb a lot of dust, stains and pollutants. If not cleaned in time, these stains may penetrate the surface and form difficult-to-remove stains, or even affect the structure of the sculpture.

Cleaning frequency: The cleaning frequency of the sculpture should be adjusted appropriately according to the material and environmental conditions of the sculpture. For sculptures with dusty surfaces, they should be cleaned regularly with a soft brush and avoid wiping with hard objects to avoid damaging the surface. For metal and stone sculptures, mild detergents can be used to remove stubborn stains.

Local repair: For sculptures with minor surface damage (such as scratches, stains or fading), local repairs should be carried out in time. Some coatings or paint surfaces can be reapplied or repaired to restore their original color and luster.

Professional maintenance: For high-value or historical sculptures, it is recommended to invite a professional maintenance team to inspect them regularly and perform surface repairs when necessary to ensure that the sculpture remains in the best condition for a long time.