Design

At Metal Sheets Ltd, we collaborate closely with architects, designers, builders, and private clients to create stunning zinc bar tops tailored for the hospitality industry and private residences. Whether you have detailed technical construction drawings or simple sketches, we’re ready to turn your vision into reality. Our initial layout will outline essential details such as lengths, widths, and thicknesses, while front nosing profiles can be customized to add a unique touch to your bar design. We are equipped to accommodate curves and split levels, and built-in drip trays are available as an option for added functionality and elegance.

Materials

At Metal Sheets Ltd, we prioritize quality by using only the finest materials in our zinc bar tops. Our premium zinc sheets are imported directly from renowned European zinc mills, ensuring you receive some of the highest quality zinc available globally, characterized by an exceptional natural surface finish. With precise dimensional tolerances, our CNC machinery can accurately bend sheets into long lengths, minimizing joints for a seamless look on extended bar tops. We maintain a stock of zinc sheets measuring 3 meters in length, further enhancing the continuity of our designs. Additionally, we utilize MRMDF and Birch Ply timber to provide sturdy and attractive support for our bar tops.
An image to the side shows zinc in its natural form before fabrication.

Finishing

After fabrication, our zinc bar tops are sent to our finishing shop, where we seamlessly blend welded areas and condition the zinc sheet to a satin finish, eliminating any blemishes from the fabrication process. Customers have the option to either leave the zinc top in its natural state, allowing it to gracefully age and develop a patina over time, or to apply an initial patina for a head start on the aging journey, with an aged patina being a common choice. We offer a variety of patinas for zinc the can be seen on our patina pictures page, but for high-traffic bar environments, we typically recommend either the natural finish or patina aged. While we do provide durable lacquers to preserve the finish, we generally advise against their long-term use in busy bars, as the beauty of copper truly shines as it evolves with age.

Maintenance

Once a bar top has been finished, whether in its natural state or with a patina, we apply a beeswax polish to provide a final clean and create a seal that slows the natural patina process. Maintaining a zinc bar top is quite straightforward. For both natural and aged zinc, simply use a soft cloth dampened with water and a mild detergent to wipe away spills and maintain the surface. It is important to avoid aggressive cleaning products. The patina will gradually develop and blend over time. If needed, beeswax can be reapplied after cleaning to help manage the rate of patina growth.

We have an article “preserve patina on metal” which give more insight to the maintenace topic.