Why Galvanized Steel Is Simply Better

Customers often ask us whether galvanized steel, or stainless steel fittings are better. Stainless is more expensive, because it contains a minimum 11% chrome to prevent rusting. Whereas galvanized steel has a cheaper zinc coating which fails after several decades depending on thickness.

More About Galvanized Steel

The layer of galvanizing protects the host steel from contact with the air, meaning corrosion cannot take place. Although this will occur when immersed in salt water. This is our coating of choice for nuts, bolts, screws, nails, brackets, frames, and corrugated iron roofs. These products do not require any special skills.

More About Stainless Steel

Stainless steel foundries add chromium to molten steel to produce the unusually strong, and corrosion-resistant product. Welding it requires special skills. Extra care must be taken to avoid diluting the material. These factors add to the price the consumer pays.

However, not all stainless steel is the same. Machine shops often opt for highest quality, austenitic materials. While auto exhausts are usually lower grade ferritic stainless steel. The reality that not all stainless steel is the same, leaves consumers open to abuse.

Why We Prefer Working with Galvanized Steel

Ordinary steel is more flexible and less likely to snap, including after galvanizing. Therefore it is easier to work with, and the job costs the customer less. However, stainless steel would be the right choice when a job must last a lifetime.

How Price is Usually the Discriminating Factor

Galvanizing only increases the cost of standard steel marginally. Whereas quality stainless steel may cost four or five times as much. But welding destroys the galvanized protection locally where it occurs. Hence galvanizing must be done, or or a coating added after a welding job.

More Reasons to Consider Galvanized Steel Fittings

If we were building a space probe or a nuclear submarine, there’s no doubt we would use stainless steel. However, in the case of Valiant Exteriors we are installing asphalt shingles, siding, and eaves troughs likely to be replaced in a decade or two for these reasons:

1… Storm damage, or natural weathering from sun, wind, and climate.

2… Changing fashions that may trigger upgrades ‘for the sake of it’.

3… A new property owner wanting to stamp their personality with an upgrade.

It makes little sense to increase our costs just for the sake of it either. Valiant Exteriors Calgary (403)829-1661 believes in putting the customer’s best interests first. We will never load our price with non-essential features, or charge more than what is demonstrably fair.