Painting vs Galvanisation: Choosing the Better Finish for Your Outdoor Steel

Steel is one of the most versatile building materials and its strength and durability have made it a popular material for various building and construction applications. When it comes to steel that is used for outdoor applications, an added consideration that becomes relevant is finishing the steel to protect it from corrosion and rust. In this post, we take a look at two popular steel finishes, galvanisation and painting, to help you decide which is the better option for your needs. 

Understanding Painted Steel

As its name suggests, painted steel refers to steel that has been coated with a layer of liquid paint or enamel on all of its exposed surfaces. When dried, this layer of paint or enamel acts as a protective coating that shields the steel from the elements, ensuring that the underlying steel does not rust or corrode. Some of the key advantages of painted steel include:

• Customisability: You can choose from a variety of different colours and textures when it comes to the paint that you use, giving you greater control over the final look of your steel after it has been painted. 
• Ease of Maintenance: It is also very easy to reapply or update the paint layer whenever it becomes necessary and you will rarely need to obtain external help. 

Understanding Galvanised Steel

Galvanisation involves coating steel with a layer of zinc to create galvanised steel. While zinc is less durable and not as strong as steel, it is also a generally unreactive metal. This means that unlike steel, it does not corrode or rust when exposed to moisture or oxygen, making it the ideal material to be used as a protective coating for the underlying steel. In addition, it also enables the steel to retain a metallic appearance which some people may prefer. Other advantages of galvanised steel include:

• Long-Lasting: Compared to painted steel, the zinc layer that is created through the galvanisation process tends to be longer lasting and does not need to be updated as frequently. 
• Low Maintenance: Galvanised steel also tends to be generally low maintenance and only requires the occasional cleaning to maintain its visual appearance. 
• Ideal for Wet and Humid Environments: Galvanised steel is suitable for wet and humid environment because the steel is protected from the moisture and oxygen in the air and will not be susceptible to rusting or corrosion.

Choosing Between Painting and Galvanisation

At the end of the day, the choice between painting and galvanisation tends to boil down to your personal preference in terms of visual appearance. Nonetheless, regardless of whether you opt for painted or galvanised steel, it is important to get your steel from a reputable supplier such as RW Steel to ensure that you are getting your money’s worth. Here at RW Steel, we offer a variety of high quality steel and steel products for you to choose from, ranging from galvanised steel posts to retaining wall steel h beams. Contact us today for a free quote to find out how we can help with your steel needs!