How to Repair Surface Damage

As a professional elevator repair company, Kencor Elevator Systems has helped many customers restore their elevators to working order quickly and efficiently so that your home or business is also returned to working order. We often get questions from our customers about how to properly take care of their elevator mechanics and keep the doors and cab clean. One of our customers asked how to repair minor surface damage without having to replace or resurface the doors.

Here is some general information about repairing surface scratches and dents in certain types of elevator finishes.

Stainless Steel or Bronze Doors

Small scratches in stainless steel and bronze doors can easily be removed by a stainless steel abrasive pad like the kind used for scrubbing pots and pans in the kitchen. For satin finishes, the pad can be used to blend the scratch into the same satin finish direction of the overall area. For a mirror finish, professional services may be required to restore final finish.

However, for bronze finishes with a clear lacquer, the lacquer should be removed before addressing the scratch. The lacquer can be removed with solvents like paint thinner, but these chemicals can be dangerous and should only be used in well-ventilated environments.

Deep Scratches

Deeper scratches should be sanded out gradually moving from coarser to finer abrasives until the scratch is worked out.

Non-metal Finishes

There are a variety of non-metal finishes available in today’s modern elevators, including:

• Glass
• Woven wire
• Leather
• Decorative/etched metals

These surfaces can usually be etched or smoothed out chemically. But it is a good idea to contact your maintenance company to examine the damage and advise on how to fix it before attempting any refinish work yourself. They may even recommend recovering the damage with a new surface that is no more than 1/16” so it does not void the fire rating of the door.

Painted Doors

If your door is painted, you can start by filling in a deep scratch to avoid rust, or buffing a surface scratch. To find the original paint color, you might contact the original manufacturer, inquire with your elevator service company, or visit a local paint story. Then the entire door may have to sanded and spray painted (electrostatically, preferred) by a professional.

Click here or call the Pennsylvania elevator repair company, Kencor Elevator Systems today at (800) 220-4046 for more information on services and supplies.