Brass Tactile Strips – Directional Indicators with a Natural Gold Finish

Overview

A guiding path is one of the longest continuous metal details in a building, so its colour has a real effect on the interior. In cream, beige and warm-grey stone floors a stainless steel path can look cold; brass reads as an intentional inlay. MetalX machines brass tactile strips from solid bar in Mumbai with the same 280 × 35 × 4.5 mm profile as our stainless steel tactile strips, so the two can be combined, for example brass in the lobby and stainless steel on the external plaza.

Finish and maintenance

Polished brass slowly darkens to a bronze patina. Floors that are machine-cleaned daily keep a soft lustre; a clear lacquer can be applied where a bright finish is required. Brass is inherently antimicrobial. For exterior or coastal projects that want a gold colour with no maintenance, PVD gold-coated stainless steel strips are available in the stainless steel strips range.

Specification tips

• Pair brass strips with brass tactile studs at hazard points for a consistent look.
• Use the self-adhesive version to retrofit paths in operating hotels and terminals without drilling into finished stone.
• Check luminance contrast: on pale stone a carborundum-insert or contrasting surround may be needed.

Designing a brass guiding path

A guiding path is the longest metal line in a building, so in a warm-toned interior it is the element most worth getting right. Brass strips read as an inlay in cream marble, limestone, terrazzo with warm aggregate and timber. They are usually paired with brass warning studs at every turn and destination so the whole system is one metal. Where the path leaves the building, it changes to stainless steel at the threshold; our profiles are identical, so the user feels no difference.

Where brass strips belong

Pattern and fixing

The linear top is standard and shows the brass colour best. The carborundum insert adds a black abrasive strip along the bar for wet grip and contrast on pale floors. Stems into drilled holes with epoxy are used on new stone floors; the 3M self-adhesive version is used to retrofit paths in operating hotels and terminals without drilling finished marble.

How many strips do you need?

Four bars across a 300 mm path at 75 mm centres gives about 13.3 bars per metre. A 60 m lobby route needs roughly 800 bars plus a 600 × 600 mm square of studs (144 studs) at each turn and destination.

What affects the price

1. Material: brass bar costs more than stainless steel, so expect a 30–50% premium over SS 304 strips.
2. Pattern: linear is the base; carborundum insert adds an operation.
3. Finish: natural polish standard; lacquer optional.
4. Fixing, length, ends, quantity and destination.

Mistakes we see with brass strips

• Brass across an entrance threshold. Change to stainless steel where rain and grit come in.
• Acid cleaning after grouting. Mask the bars until the acid wash is finished.
• Bars not parallel. On a polished floor a wandering brass line is very visible; use the template and a string line.
• Path with no warning squares. Every turn and destination needs a stud field.
• Brass bars with stainless steel studs. Match the metal.

Typical specification clause

“Tactile directional strips: solid machined brass bars 280 × 35 × 4.5 mm, linear pattern top, natural polished finish, three Ø8 mm stems set in epoxy anchor [or 3M self-adhesive backing], laid parallel to the direction of travel at 75 mm centres, four bars per 300 mm path, terminating in brass warning stud fields at all changes of direction and destinations. Manufacturer: MetalX Engineering Inc., Mumbai, or approved equal.”

Where they are in service

Hotel lobbies in Mumbai, Delhi and the Gulf, restored heritage stations in India, gallery interiors in the UK and corporate headquarters in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.