What is Hot Dip Galvanising?
6 April 2021
IN BRIEF
- Hot dip galvanizing is the process of coating steel with zinc to prevent corrosion.
- Galvanised steel is extensively used in applications where rust resistance is critical, making it an important addition for commercial, industrial, and rural structures.
- Galvanising provides complete protection, ensuring long-term durability and corrosion resistance.
What is Hot Dipped Galvanized Steel?
Hot dip galvanising is the process of coating iron, steel or ferrous materials with a layer of zinc. This is achieved by first removing any scale or loose material, passing the metal through a pickling bath of hydrochloric acid, and finally through molten zinc at a temperature of over 400 degrees Celsius.
This final process causes the metal to react with carbon dioxide to form zinc carbonate – an incredibly strong material that helps to prevent corrosion by protecting the steel from the elements.
Galvanised steel is extensively used in applications where rust resistance is critical, making it an excellent building material for commercial sheds, warehouses, industrial structures and rural sheds that are exposed to the elements.
How Does Hot Dip Galvanising Protect Against Corrosion?
Hot dip galvanising is a great way to protect steel and other ferrous metals from rust by completely sealing them in a zinc coating.
This coating also creates a more heavy-duty product, offering extra abrasion and scratch resistance. If any minor scratches do occur, the zinc enclosure still provides the same protection due to the cathodic action of the surrounding galvanised coating.
Opting for a hot dip galvanised coating will provide long-term protection for the underlying steel.
Rust Protection for Every Nook and Cranny
Because the galvanizing process involves total immersion of the material, all the interior and exterior surfaces are completely coated, including the hard-to-reach areas of bracing, purlins, struts and any components with irregular shapes.
This is important because corrosion often tends to occur at an increased rate on the inside of hollow structures where the environment can be more humid. Condensation can become trapped and retain moisture for longer, meaning rust often starts in internal sections of a structure.
Benefits of Hot Dip Galvanised Steel Sheds
- Excellent corrosion resistance offers lifelong strength
- Highly abrasion-resistant – galvanising creates a harder material than the original base steel
- Cost-effective
- Durable, predictable performance over time
- Resistant to mechanical damage: even small scratches don’t affect performance due to the cathodic protection of the zinc
- Galvanised steel is not affected by UV radiation (unlike most painted finishes)
- Takes on a matt grey patina over time which can be seen as a unique architectural feature
Talk to Steelcorp about a galvanised shed
If you think a hot dip galvanised shed is the right option for your project, our team of professional shed builders can help you design the ultimate shed. This starts with a friendly chat and a complimentary on-site discovery session with one of our structure consultants so we can completely understand what you want to achieve.
Give our team a call today to book an on-site discovery session at a time that suits you.
