Care guide
Care for the long haul.
A little regular care helps preserve your steel sculpture’s color, finish, and strength through years outdoors.
Know your finish.
Every sculpture is cut, welded, and finished by hand in the Los Angeles studio, then sealed under a 2K urethane clear coat. That protective clear is applied before shipping and included in the price. A steel ground anchor is included in the box.
Painted colors
Color coats sit beneath the protective clear. Silver is silver paint under clear coat. Lagoon Blue Patina is a painted finish; its name does not mean the surface should keep rusting.
Rustic patina
Rustic is a patina I mix by hand, developed on the steel and sealed under 2K clear. Keep that surface intact. New peeling, flaking, or rust spreading beneath the coating needs attention.
Matte or gloss clear
Matte Black gets matte 2K clear. Every other finish gets gloss. Gentle cleaning preserves the intended sheen; abrasive polishing can change it.
Clear-coated and weather resistant. Steel can still rust wherever the coating is broken.
How the protective finish is built
Cut edges are rounded, welds are dressed, and the surface is prepared for coating. Painted finishes receive corrosion-inhibiting primer and color; Rustic develops its patina before sealing. The 2K clear covers the whole sculpture, including the underside of the base. Each sculpture cures before individual leaves are wrapped for shipping.
What the elements do.
Sun & heat
Long exposure to UV light can gradually fade color and soften gloss. Partial shade helps preserve the original finish. Clean when the steel is cool.
Rain & moisture
Water that sits against exposed steel encourages rust. Keep the base clear of wet leaves, soil buildup, and standing water. Aim sprinklers away from the sculpture.
Salt & pool water
Coastal salt, pool splash, and deicing salts speed corrosion. Rinse deposits off with fresh water promptly and check the finish more often in these settings.
Wind, snow & ice
Wind can loosen placement; snow and ice can trap moisture. Check stability after storms, gently brush off loose snow, and let ice melt. Move the sculpture to shelter before severe weather when practical.
A simple care routine.
Care illustration · A soft cloth and a light touch. Clean with plain water
Rinse or wipe with plain water and a soft cloth or soft brush once or twice a year inland, and monthly within one mile of salt water. Also rinse whenever sprinkler spots or salt deposits build up. No soap or household cleaners.
Look closely at the surface and edges. Inspect and repair chips
Look around leaf edges, welds, and the base for chips, peeling, or rust beneath the coating. Repair chips the week they happen. Email a photo and your serial number for matching touch-up finish and repair guidance.
Care illustration · Keep the base visible and clear. Check the structure
Keep the sculpture on firm, level ground with good drainage. Check the base and any anchor for movement or loosening, especially after storms. Lift from the base or body, never the leaf tips.
Keep these off the finish
No soap, household cleaners, solvents, abrasive cleaning pads, steel wool, wire brushes, pressure washers, or polishing compounds. For cleaning, plain water and a soft cloth or soft brush are enough.
Refresh the clear coat every 12 months
A compatible 2K urethane clear renews the protective layer. Use matte for Matte Black and gloss for every other finish. The annual refresh is expected maintenance and does not itself affect warranty coverage.
Contact the studio for your finish specification or a re-clear quote. Isocyanate-containing 2K coatings need specialist spraying controls; have the studio or a qualified refinisher handle application and follow the coating manufacturer’s current safety and technical instructions.
What maintenance costs
Routine re-clearing is paid maintenance, separate from a covered warranty repair. Studio pricing includes materials, shipping both ways, and labor at a shop rate quoted before work begins. There is no fixed annual fee.
Already own a sculpture? Email its serial number, photos, size, and return-shipping ZIP code for a free estimate. Before purchasing, send the size and finish you are considering and your ZIP code. You approve the quote before any work begins, with no obligation to proceed.
Covered U.S. warranty claims include the covered work and shipping both ways. See the Repair Commitment and claim process.
Request a maintenance estimateWithin a mile of salt water?
Ask for the Coastal Specification before checkout. The studio applies an additional full pass of 2K urethane clear, with extra attention to edges, tips, and the underside of the base. It is quoted by sculpture and size.
Standard finish coverage excludes salt-water and salt-air exposure within one mile of salt water. Coastal Specification carries the five-year limited finish warranty there when the clear coat is refreshed every 12 months. Any compatible brand of 2K urethane clear may be used. Rinse monthly with plain water.
Read the coastal coverage termsWarranty & repairs.
Serialized sculptures made from August 2026 carry a lifetime limited structural warranty and a five-year limited finish warranty for the original purchaser. Covered U.S. claims include shipping both ways.
Every sculpture arrives with its protective clear coat already applied. This makes it weather resistant, not rust-proof. Rust can develop where chips, scratches, or worn coating expose the steel. The warranty covers specified coating failures; it does not guarantee that a sculpture will never rust.
Fading and gloss loss are excluded. Coastal exposure has separate conditions. Paid repair and refinishing remain available for older sculptures and later owners.