Why choose Gold Leaf over gold paint?

Purchasing a good quality weathervane can be an important decision, in particular when buying as a gift or to commemorate a special occasion. This blog aims to give a bit of clarity about the gilding process, plus explains why we would always choose gilding over gold paint for adding a touch of opulence to a special weathervane.

Though gold paint can be a good option where keeping costs down is a priority, the radiance of gold leaf commands attention and is impossible to ignore. It adds a touch of elegance and luxury where a statement weathervane is the focal point of your garden; even on a gloomy day, gold leaf can look quite magnificent. So, in my opinion it’s well worth the extra money for something a bit special.

The video above shows how the light catches the gilded letter (ignore the hose pipe and the kids sand pit in the background!)

How do you gild a weathervane?

While painting can be done by virtually anyone, gilding is a highly skilled process. Once the weathervane is electroplated and powder coated, the gilding process can begin:

1. Gently sand and primer the area to be gilded. This is because powder coat is non porous, so paint will not adhere to it.
   
2. FIVE coats of outdoor paint. I tend to alternate between white and yellow just so that I don’t miss a bit! Leaving drying time in between coats of course. This gives a really nice base colour for the gold leaf to be applied, and you know the metal is really well protected, despite having etched the powder coat.
   
3. Apply the gold size. This is an oil based glue, it looks like clear nail varnish. Leave for anywhere between 1 and 3 hours depending on temperature.
   
4. It’s time to apply the Gold Leaf once the size is tacky. We use 23.5 carat gold leaf, and it comes in little transfer booklets. While doing the flat face of the letters goes on quite quickly, getting into all the fiddly bits without damaging what I’ve just put on can take ages!
   
5. Leave for 24 hours so the size can harden and cure.
   
6. Brush off any excess with a soft brush or cotton wool.
7. If any tiny areas have been missed, these can be touched up now.

So you can see the reason for the difference in cost between gold paint and gilding!
Black Fox metalcraft use 23.5 carat gold leaf, which is a lot more weather resistant than paint. The photo below shows Jenny using a sheet of transfer leaf to finish gilding a weathervane's E.

Is it worth lacquering over the gilding for extra longevity?

The answer is no – the 23.5 carat gold leaf has a better life span than lacquer, so you would just end up needing to re lacquer before the gold needed any attention, and would therefore risk damaging it. If using a lower carat gold then yes, lacquer could be worth looking at.

The main advantage of gold leaf over gold paint

The main reason I'd choose gold leaf over gold paint is that Gold Leaf does not dull over time like paint will. It maintains it’s alluring sparkle for many years; paint will need maintenance much sooner than properly applied gold leaf.