Home / Products / Surface treatment
Surface treatment
Hot-dip galvanizing, electroplated galvanizing, painting and acid passivation, all produced in the same workshop as the steelwork.
The coating decides how many winters a panel survives, and it is the specification most often chosen against the invoice rather than against the environment. All four treatments are produced here, which means we can recommend against the environment without also losing the order.
Hot-dip galvanizing gives the thickest and longest-lasting zinc layer and is the default for anything outdoors. It also distorts thin sections with its heat and leaves a rougher surface, which is why it is not automatically right for a fine architectural panel.
Electroplated galvanizing gives a thinner, smoother and more even zinc layer. It suits indoor work and fine sections and does not suit a yard trench that spends winter under salted runoff.
Painting is a decorative and a barrier choice, and on steel it is a maintenance commitment rather than a permanent answer. Acid passivation is for stainless: it removes free iron from the surface and restores the passive layer, which is what makes stainless behave like stainless after fabrication.
Specifications
| Hot-dip galvanizing | Thickest zinc, default outdoors |
|---|---|
| Electroplated galvanizing | Thinner and smoother, indoor and fine sections |
| Painting | Decorative and a maintenance commitment |
| Acid passivation | For stainless, restores the passive layer |
Typical Applications
- Outdoor drainage and yard work
- Interior and architectural panels
- Stainless in hygienic and coastal environments
Related Products
Heel guard grating
Narrow-slot grating for places where people walk in heels, wheels or walking aids, with the slot closed down so nothing drops through.
Concrete cover grating
Hook-type steel covers that sit in a concrete kerb or pit and lift out for cleaning, made to the opening rather than to a stock size.
Welded steel grating
The standard load-bearing panel, pressure welded on an automatic line, with flat or twisted cross bars to suit the application.
Tell us what the opening is
Send the measured opening, the load it has to take and where it will live. We reply with a bar section, a panel layout and a coating recommendation rather than a catalogue page.