Paint systems for structural steel in Ireland
Not every piece of steel needs galvanising. Internal structural steel is usually painted, and the specification depends on the environment and on whether fire protection is involved.
Corrosivity categories
Protective coatings are specified against the environment the steel lives in, running from dry heated interiors through to marine and industrial exposure. A beam buried in a warm dry floor build up has almost no corrosion risk; the same beam in an unheated plant room does.
Matching the system to the environment avoids both premature failure and paying for protection the job does not need.
Shop primer as standard
Structural steel is normally supplied with a shop applied primer. It protects the steel in transit and on site and gives a key for later coats. It is not a finished system and is not intended to be left exposed to weather for months.
Where steel will be encased in concrete or fully enclosed in a dry build up, primer is often all that is required.
Intumescent fire protection
Where steel needs a fire resistance rating and will remain visible, intumescent coating is the usual answer. It swells when heated to form an insulating char that delays the steel reaching its critical temperature.
The thickness is calculated for the required period and the section factor of each member, so it is a specified system rather than a paint choice. Boarding or encasement is the alternative where appearance is not a concern.
Powder coating for appearance
Powder coating gives a durable, even colour in any RAL shade and is what we use on stairs, balustrades, gates and architectural steel. Outdoors it should sit over galvanising rather than bare steel.
Tell us where the steel is going and what it has to resist, and we will specify a finish that suits rather than defaulting to the most expensive option.
Want this priced for your own job? Send us your drawings or a photo and we will come back with a fixed price, usually within one working day.
Common questions
Need this done properly? Talk to the workshop.
Send us drawings, a sketch or a site photo. We come back with a fixed price and a firm lead time, usually within one working day.