TERRAFORTE ® MANTEINANCE SUGGESTIONS

It is very important to take care of your pots even when they remain empty.
Sometimes, pots which had seasonal flowers/plants during the summer remain empty and without shelter in the winter.
If you don't provide for water's drainage, the as for  pots that have plants inside, leaves can choke up the drain and cause accumulation of water in the pot. During cold weather, such water can freeze and, with it's natural expansion, cause heavy damage to the pot.
To avoid this situation (and preserve your plants in  an y case) you just  have to do two or three simple  things :
- Maintain the hole of the pot free from things that can clog  it.
- Place some pieces of another cracked pot or some stones in the bottom of the pot.
- Cover the ceramic pieces or stones with a big layer of expanded clay or gravel.
- At this point, please, be careful where you place the pot: clay soil may create an external obstruction of the drainage hole. We recommend that you place the pot in a raised position on some gravel or on a flowerpot dish.
Now your pot can have a plant inside or remain empty.


BRONZE MANTEINANCE SUGGESTIONS

Bronze items don't need  much maintenance, but this depends on both personal taste and use  of the object.

For indoor use, for example, bronze items keep  their beauty  and quality  unchanged .

However, you can have a slow and light oxidation. In this case,  we offer the following suggestions .

If the bronze item is outdoor s ,  we advise that you treat the external surface with silicon wax in order to protect it and refresh the brightness of the bronze, usually after each six months/one year.

Even if  some light oxidation occurs, the structure anf life of the bronze won 't be compromised.

The silicon wax we use for bronze has a water base and it has to be  applied to  all the external pot surface with a brush. Please,  b efore  apply ing the wax , you should check that the pot is not dusty and its surface neither too cold nor too hot.

When the wax  is dry, bronze will regain its brightness and it will be protected  from possible oxidation.

PLANTS AND BRONZE

If you put plants directly inside a bronze pot without protection for the roots, we advise that you not expose the pot to bright sunshine. The bronze will absorb much heat, which could prejudice plants roots that are in direct contact with the bronze. In this case, it would be best to isolate the roots from the bronze by putting some insulating material inside the pot.

Avoid any contact of bronze  with acid substances , which can affect  its colour (hydrochloric acid, for example , will  make bronze become green).

We would like to remind you also that bronze is a very heavy metal . You will need to provide for an adequate number of people to move the objects, if necessary. Also, due to manufacturing processes, the surface may be rough or irregular, which could cause cuts. We recommend that you wear gloves and handle bronze with caution.

We are at your disposal for any information you may need.
 
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