How to coating ORB for sewer with a strainer?

In this blog post, you’ll read:Brass sewer strainers are used to drain the wastewater without clogging the drain. After a while, however, they lose their beauty due to working with waste all the time. In this case, you can give it a new look of ORB instead of replacing it.

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How To Paint ORB On Brass Sewer Strainer

Brass sewer strainers are used to drain the wastewater without clogging the drain. After a while, however, they lose their beauty due to working with waste all the time. In this case, you can give it a new look of ORB instead of replacing it. And that is exactly what you will learn in this post. So, keep an eye out.

What Is ORB Coating?

The ORB or Oil Rubbed Bronze (ORB) is a special type of chemically darkened surface finish or coating. This dark finish ranges in color from a deep chocolate brown to a dark gray. It is used to give an element an antique metallic appearance with a bronze highlight. 

However, you will see slightly different colors in different ORBs because all the ORBs are not the same. 613, US10B, 10B, and OB are the standard finish codes of oil-rubbed bronze coating.

When and Why You Should Use ORB Finish

If the sewer strainer you bought does not match your bathroom’s theme or gets older with a dull look, you can apply oil rubbed bronze on it. Using the ORB finish will give your brass sewer strainer a modern makeover. Moreover, it matches any room decor. Also, it is a durable dark finish that efficiently protects the surface for a long time. 

Instructions To Coat ORB On Brass Sewer Strainer

You don’t need to be an expert to paint oil rubbed bronze on your brass sewer strainer (floor drain). Just follow our instructions step-by-step very carefully. Also, make sure you have these things to make this happen.

· Dark Primer. Reference: Krylon ColorMaster™ Primer Spray Paint in Black.

· Copper Spray Paint. Reference: Krylon Copper Metallic Brilliance Spray Paint.

· Oil Rubbed Bronze. Reference: Rust-Oleum Metallic Satin Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint.

· Sandpaper.

· Painter’s Tape.

· Eye protection glass, face mask, and hand gloves for self-protection.

[Note: This process takes about 4-5 hours to complete. So, start doing this when you are available for the required time.]

orb lift drainer
orb lift drainer

Step 1: Disassemble The Strainer

To coat the oil-rubbed bronze properly on your floor drain, you need to disassemble all its parts. You will probably need a screwdriver to unscrew the bolts. But if it’s a stopper or slide-lock type drain, you have to rotate the strainer anticlockwise to remove it. Then you can easily dismantle the other parts.

However, if you are thinking of applying ORB in an existing floor drain, you will need to remove it from the floor first. But it is a critical process to remove and reinstall the drain after the coating. So, we recommend doing this before installing the floor drain. Anyway, you can remove it following this floor drain removing guide.

Step 2: Rub The Strainer Parts With Sandpaper

Now that you disassembled all the parts, you have to make them dirt-free. Take a fine piece of Sandpaper and rub all the part’s surface gently with it. After that, wipe away every inch with a soft rag to make it dust-free. Doing this will make the parts more responsive to grab the spray paint.

Step 3: Ready The Work Area

Since you will be working with paint, there is an excellent chance of making the workspace dirty. To keep the area clean, you can use a piece of newspaper or polythene or something like that. Spread it where you want to do the work and put the strainer parts on it. Most importantly, choose a well-ventilated space for work so that the paint dries well in a short time.

Step 4: Cover Where You Don’t Want To Paint

Sometimes you don’t want to paint every inch of the elements—for example, the threads of the floor drain base. So, if you’re going to keep any area of an element paint-free, then cover the area using the painter’s tape. When the work is done, you can remove it.

Step 5: Spray The Black Primer

Till now, everything is ready, and it’s time to start painting the ORB on the sewer strainerBefore starting it, wear the safety equipment (eye protection glass, face mask, and hand gloves) for your safety. 

Now arrange the strainer drain parts on the paper maintaining 2-3 inches distance. After that, start spraying the black primer on them. Be sure to spray 10-12 inches above the parts following the overlapping parallel strokes. Next, let the primer dry completely. Remember that this primer needs 10 minutes to touch-dry and about an hour to dry completely.

After drying, if you notice the original finish somewhere under the primer coating… spray a second coat of primer and let it dry again.

Step 6: Spray The Copper Paint

After applying the black primer properly, you will have to spray the copper paint now. Do this by following the same instructions as the primer. However, the copper paint requires more time than the primer to dry. It takes about 2 hours to dry perfectly. 

Step 7: Spray The Oil Rubbed Bronze

Finally, it’s time to spray the oil rubbed bronze over the strainer parts. So, start spreading the oil-rubbed bronze, following those instructions again. Make sure to cover every corner and surface of the elements with it. When the spray is finished, please leave it to dry again for another 1 or 2 hours.

Step 8: Highlight The Copper Layer

If you want, you can reveal the copper layer over the ORB coating in some areas. Doing this on the edges looks excellent sometimes. To do this, gently scrub off the ORB layer using Sandpaper where you want to highlight the copper.

Above all, you have successfully given your brass sewer strainer a new oil rubbed bronze look. Now you can attach the parts and install them. However, if you have removed your old floor drain to do this, then reinstall it this way.

To conclude, oil rubbed bronze is an excellent finish for any material like metal, wood, and plastic. This was just the brass sewer strainer transformation tutorial. But following the same procedure, you can turn every single element of your bathroom into oil rubbed bronze. For example, faucets, basin wastes, p-traps, light fixtures, curtain rod, door handle and hinges, towel holders, and so on. So, give your bathroom a modern look using the oil rubbed bronze.

kitchen drain with brass nut
kitchen drain with brass nut

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