If you’ve received multiple quotes for outdoor landscape lighting, you’ve probably noticed a significant price difference between companies. A big part of that difference usually comes down to one thing: fixture material. Companies that use aluminum or composite fixtures can offer lower prices because those materials cost less. Companies like Majestic that use only solid brass fixtures charge more — and deliver far more value over the life of the system. Here’s why solid brass is worth every penny in Austin, Texas.
Austin’s Climate Is Brutal on Fixtures
Austin sits at a challenging intersection of environmental factors for outdoor hardware. Summer temperatures regularly reach 100°F+. UV intensity is high. Humidity, while less extreme than coastal areas, is still significant. And the area receives periodic heavy rain followed by drought cycles that stress materials through expansion and contraction.
Aluminum oxidizes and develops a white powdery corrosion in these conditions. The oxidation clogs the threaded connections that hold fixtures together, making them impossible to service without breaking them. Composite materials become brittle under UV exposure and crack from thermal cycling. We’ve seen outdoor fixtures installed by other companies fail completely within 2–3 years of installation in Austin-area properties.
What Solid Brass Does Instead
Solid brass responds to the same environmental conditions in a completely different way. Rather than corroding or becoming brittle, it develops a natural patina — a beautiful, even darkening that many clients actually prefer to the bright original finish. This patina is not corrosion. It’s a protective layer that forms on the surface of the brass and actually prevents further oxidation. A brass fixture that has developed a patina is more protected than a new one, not less.
The threaded connections in solid brass fixtures remain serviceable indefinitely. The fixture bodies maintain their dimensional stability. The finishes hold up under heat, UV, and moisture in ways that aluminum and composite simply cannot match.
The 20-Year Math
A system of 20 aluminum fixtures might cost $1,500–$2,000 less upfront than the same system in solid brass. But if those aluminum fixtures fail in 4–5 years and need to be completely replaced, the “savings” evaporate — and then some, because replacement means another installation labor cost on top of the new fixtures. A Majestic solid brass system installed today will look as good in 2046 as it does today.
Learn more about our fixture standards on our Residential Services page or call 888-885-2653.