Common Metals Used In The Home

Products are made from many different materials. Custom metal fabrication Manitoba is responsible for making many things out of metal, which is a very sturdy and strong material to use. Let’s go over some of the most common things around the home that are fabricated with metal to give you an idea of just how common this material is when it comes to everyday items that we take for granted.

Lead

Lead gets a bad wrap when it comes to drinking pipes and other things. However, lots of things are made from lead which poses no harm to humans. Some examples of this are flashings and roof coverings. The main reason why this is used for roofing is because the metal is soft, but heavy metal. This allows it to be easily worked to be put into certain shapes. Since it is a heavy metal, it is resistant to rust which makes it a perfect metal to use on the roof where humans do not frequently traffic.

Copper                                          

Copper is not poisonous to humans but is also a soft metal similar to lead. Due to its unique color, this metal is often used for decorative metal art or decorative metal features for a home such as a range hood. Copper is also very commonly used for plumbing as it can be easily bent and worked with to get around studs and other obstacles in the home’s frame. Copper also conducts heat and electricity well, which works well for hot water lines when it comes to plumbing.

Zinc

Zinc is similar to lead, but it is much lighter. It is also a bit harder to bend than lead which makes it a perfect flashing substitute to be used for roofing and drip guards. 

Silver

Silver is a much more valuable metal than the other metals listed above. This metal is soft and easy to work, but along with that, it means that it is also very easy to damage. Silver needs a lot of care to be kept looking nice, but most silverware that people use is made of silver and can be fabricated to be quite ornate and beautiful looking.

Gold

Gold is very valuable, and 24 carats is pure gold. Gold is used mostly in jewelry; however, it is also used in electronic components due to its high conductivity properties. There are many companies that exist which strip out the gold from old electronics due to how valuable gold is.