Book Cadillac's Copper Roof?

**ventura67** · July-13-09, 09:37 PM

Saw the BC for the first time since its rehab, but where is the green copper roof? For me that roof made the building at a distance. The new roof looks like it might be some kind of metal, but not copper. Did the old copper roof get stolen before rehab started? Much less interesting building without that green roof to contrast its gray body.

**Guideboat** · July-13-09, 09:46 PM

Usually copper roofs are left to gather patina on their own. It won't take but a year or two tops.

**French777** · July-13-09, 09:49 PM

i believe when the Statue of Liberty arrived it was copper colored then the pollution turned it green.

**hudkina** · July-13-09, 09:55 PM

The patina or "green copper" is the result of years of weatherization and chemical reactions. You won't see the green for at least a decade.

**izzyindetroit** · July-13-09, 10:04 PM

Education.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patina

**Gannon** · July-13-09, 10:31 PM

French,

You are correct somewhat. It was copper colored because it is, indeed, made of copper. Careful oxidation encouraged by the Sun turned it green on the surface...if anything, pollution may have changed it some but didn't cause the green.

As for the BC's roof, it will be many years before you can sneak up there and etch your commentary to the universe for eternity through the patina with Coca Cola and a brush...for an example, put a corroded old penny in a glass of Coke overnight.

I wonder if the Mexican Cokes do any better a job?!

**Gannon** · July-13-09, 10:45 PM

They did a decent job of restoring the Spirit of Detroit's patina to a solid green...although the artist apparently installed it patina'ed in the first place! Heard that at the re-dedication ceremony.

It may be easier to accelerate bronze...

**Rocko** · July-13-09, 11:12 PM

Give it a while for the copper to fully react with the oxygen. The green will come back

In the meantime, I'm a big fan of the chocolate brown! I think it looks pretty cool.

**ndavies** · July-14-09, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

They did a decent job of restoring the Spirit of Detroit's patina to a solid green...although the artist apparently installed it patina'ed in the first place! Heard that at the re-dedication ceremony.

It may be easier to accelerate bronze...

Just a little ammonia will put that patina on copper. [[some classmates of mine severely stained an extremely large copper statue by cleaning it with a household ammonia based cleaner. Luckily they started on the back near the bottom. The statue was installed outside and the stain has since faded in the 30 years since the incident.)

**56packman** · July-14-09, 10:11 AM

Tidy bowl will do the trick to copper too. Although given the amount of square footage of the BC roof that would be an expensive propisition. There is a low grade acid in Tidy Bowl that does the trick.

**ventura67** · July-14-09, 10:16 AM

So, it actually is copper? Usually fresh copper is, you know, copper-color, not poop brown.

**detourdetroit** · July-14-09, 10:32 AM

can't get much more copper looking than this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/snweb/3060108225/

maybe your optic nerve is misfiring.

**izzyindetroit** · July-14-09, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by ndavies

Just a little ammonia will put that patina on copper.

You can simply use urine, which contains ammonia, to patina copper, bronze, and other metals. Back in the day, construction workers installing metal roofs would urinate on them to speed up the patine process.

**ventura67** · July-14-09, 12:22 PM

OK Detour, I see- copper. Can't wait until it's again green!

**kryptonite** · July-15-09, 12:24 PM

The green patina copper develops is desirable, it is sort of a seal against the elements and actually protects the metal. The Book Cadillac did replace the old copper with new copper, I remember seeing photos in the news about the installation of the copper sheets.

**Rockin' Best** · July-17-09, 05:30 PM

The patina is copper sulfate. You've seen it on pennies that got wet and stayed that way a while. Have to keep the BC together so it can star in Life Without People on the History Channel. Sad.