PVD & Decorative

PVD and decorative stainless steel is the range architects reach for when a lift, lobby, façade or shopfront needs colour and texture in a metal that survives the Saudi climate. The colour is applied in the works, on sheet that is cut, formed and installed like any other stainless steel.

Physical vapour deposition bonds a thin titanium compound to the steel in a vacuum chamber. The tone comes from the compound and the base finish beneath it, so the same gold reads differently on a mirror, a hairline or a vibration surface. What PVD stainless steel is explains the process.

What the PVD and decorative range covers

• PVD colours: brushed gold, rose gold, bronze, champagne, black and the mono-dichromic tones.
• Etched sheet: repeat etch patterns and bronze etch.
• Textured sheet: hammered, embossed and rigidised surfaces.
• Base finishes: anti-fingerprint and champagne brushed.

How PVD colour behaves

The colour is not a coating on top; it is a thin, hard ceramic layer bonded to the steel. It does not peel and is cleaned like plain stainless steel. Deep scratches that reach the steel cannot be touched up, so the film stays on until handover and the base finish is chosen to suit the wear.

Choosing the base finish and the grade

Mirror shows the deepest colour and every mark; hairline and vibration soften both; anti-fingerprint and hammered surfaces suit doors and counters. Etching, embossing and V-grooving are done before colouring, so the pattern and the tone arrive together.

304 serves interiors and inland exteriors; 316L is specified for coastal façades and pool halls because the PVD layer decorates the steel without replacing its corrosion resistance. Sheet is laser cut after colouring with the film in place.

What a good enquiry contains

• Colour and base finish, by finish page or sample.
• Grade, thickness and sheet size, or the area to be clad.
• Flat, cut to size or fabricated.
• Interior or exterior, and the city.

The quotation form takes drawings and finish references together.

Common questions

Does PVD colour fade or scratch off?

The colour is a bonded ceramic layer, not a paint, so it does not fade in sunlight or peel. A deep scratch that cuts through to the base metal will show and cannot be repaired locally, so choose a brushed or textured base finish for surfaces handled every day.

Can batches be colour matched?

Yes, within the limits of the process. Panels for one area are run together from the same base finish, and a retained sample lets a later batch be checked against the original. Large areas are planned so that adjacent panels come from the same chamber load.

Can PVD sheet be bent and welded after colouring?

It can be bent, folded and laser cut with the film in place, which is how most panels are made. Welding burns the colour back at the joint, so fabricated pieces are coloured after welding or designed with mechanical joints and concealed fixings.

Is PVD suitable for exterior façades in Saudi Arabia?

Yes, and it is widely used on shopfronts, canopies and building entrances. Specify 316L as the base grade near the coast, keep the film on until the site is clean, and wash with fresh water on the same schedule as plain stainless steel.