Hot-Dip Galvanizing: What Is It and Why Does It Help?

Hot-Dip Galvanizing: What Is It and Why Does It HelpMetal exterior staircases are a sleek and modern alternative to wood staircases, giving your home a stylish way to stand out. Although metal exterior staircases conveniently require little to no maintenance for years to come, they do require a protective coating to prevent rusting and corrosion.

That’s where hot-dip galvanizing comes in.

Hot-dip galvanizing is a simple corrosion protection method that helps to protect your exterior metal staircases. The process consists of actually using molten zinc to coat fabricated steel. Like the name, this is done by actually dipping the steel into the hot zinc, leaving the steel with a tightly-bonded alloy coating.

Advantages of Hot-Dip Galvanizing

  • Superior Protection: Hot-dip galvanizing provides unmatched corrosion protection to keep your steel in tip-top shape all year round. This process also makes steel extremely durable thanks to the coating’s strong metallurgical bond and the fact that the coating is distributed evenly, ensuring the steel can stand the test of time.
  • Lower Life-Cycle Cost: A common misconception is that hot-dip galvanizing is more costly than other corrosion protection services. However, this is not the case. The superior protection that this method provides ensures that your stairs will be maintenance free for decades. When considering life-cycle costs of using other corrosion protection methods, the investment into hot-dip galvanizing is unmatched.
  • Greater Longevity: The coating this type of corrosion protection provides lasts for a lifetime. According to Zinc Coating Life Predictor’s time to first maintenance chart, it would be safe to say that this protective coating should last at least 72-73 years before needing maintenance. This shows that investing in hot-dip galvanizing is an investment into the future of your metal exterior staircases.

For more information about stair maintenance or other stair needs, visit Acadia Stairs.