The outer shell, or cladding, of a Toro steel building has a protective coating to help prevent corrosion over time. This is often referred to as galvanized steel. Galvanization was a process developed over 200 years ago where steel is dipped in zinc, creating a new chemical bond. Almost 50 years ago, this process was modified, and Galvalume coating was created.
What Are The Benefits Of Galvalume Coatings?
What Is Galvalume
Galvalume is created with a mixture of aluminum and zinc and a little bit of silicon. This helps it to adhere better and remain more durable. The addition of aluminum is what distinguishes Galvalume from galvanized steel. Utilizing both aluminum and zinc for the coating material provides the benefits of both to add protection. Zinc helps the material protect itself from small scratches and abrasions, while aluminum creates a barrier.
How Galvalume Differs from Galvanization
Galvanization uses zinc to create a bonded, crystalline surface. This bonding makes it harder to damage the coating through abrasive methods. When this coating begins to wear down or becomes significantly damaged, corrosion will start. As the corrosion begins to spread, the galvanized layer will be shed.
Galvalume has all of the benefits of galvanization with the added corrosion protection that aluminum adds. Aluminum helps slow the corrosion process, and also keeps any damage from spreading.
The Advantages of Galvalume
The main benefit of using Galvalume is the corrosion resistance it offers. When compared to galvanization, the addition of aluminum in Galvalume significantly increases the corrosion resistance of the steel. This is especially true for steel that is used in a marine environment. Using Galvalume doesn’t add much weight to the original piece of steel, allowing it to maintain its strength-to-weight ratio. Galvalume coated steel has a high reflectance, reducing the absorption of heat, helping to lower your cooling and heating bills. The lifespan of Galvalume steel is on average over 40 years should the coating remain undamaged, while galvanized steel can begin to show the signs of wear in half that time.
Choose to Build with Galvalume Coated Steel
At Toro, all of the cladding used on our prefabricated steel building kits is Galvalume coated. This ensures you will have a reliable, durable, and beautiful structure for years to come. No matter what your project is, consider using a steel building. For more information about the structures we provide, please contact us at 1-877-870-8676. Alternatively, you can submit a request for a free online quote and view our Galvalume coated clearance buildings.