Galvanised Stairs

Galvanising is a hot-dip process and is usually requested where stairs are to be located in commercial external locations and exposed to extreme weather.

These days the process is a zinc -based coating and while not as popular as it once was, there are many who still prefer the hardy industrial look of galvanising. It is the process of passing the metal through a molten bath of zinc at a temperature of around 460 €C. When exposed to the atmosphere, the zinc reacts with oxygen to form zinc oxide, which further reacts with carbon dioxide to form zinc carbonate, a usually silvery-grey, fairly strong material that stops further corrosion in most circumstances, protecting the steel below from the elements.

Galvanized steel is widely used in applications where rust resistance is needed, and can be identified by the crystallization patterning on the surface, often called a €spangle€. From a designer perspective this spangle effect also makes galvanized stairs somewhat desirable, particularly when seeking an industrial look to designer stairs.

( Ladder Stairs: Superstructure Painted Epoxy Enamel )

( Galvanised steel walkover )

( Fire escape – Aluminium painted epoxy enamel superstructure with galvanised treads and handrail )

Technological advances have meant that todays hard-surface epoxy enamel paint finishes have become far and away the most popular choice, even eclipsing galvanising in external and extreme weather locations. This advance has not only provided for beautiful and durable stairs in these environments but has also effectively reduced the cost by up to 30% over galvanising.

Even industrial stairs are increasingly finished with epoxy enamel paint systems, again achieving significant savings and more often engineers and architects are specifying hard surface paint systems over galvanising as they seek to achieve more appealing and greater cost effectiveness for their customers.

MFB – Sydney Steel Stairs offer both hot-dipped galvanising and epoxy enamel paint finishes, or powder coat and we have wide range of designs to suit our customers needs.

( Wakover Stairs: Hot Dipped Galvanised )