Why Does Their Ironwork Look Like New? |
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Airmet Metalworks
671 North 3rd Street
Newark, NJ 07107
t. 973 481-5550
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Greetings!
Welcome to the June 2010 issue of our Airmet Metalworks Classic Metal newsletter! This month's article offers useful information to keep your metal product looking like new...or restoring it to those glory days! |
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Why Does Their Ironwork Look Like New? |
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Periodic maintenance is the key to preserving a beautiful finish. The degree of maintenance required depends upon how the metal was prepared prior to being painted. We recommend checking for rust, examine your product for miscellaneous damage and, if you have gates, have them routinely lubricated and adjusted.
Be On the Look-Out For Rust
If the product was pre-treated with a galvanized coating, also known as hot dip galvanizing, it may still be checked for minimal rust issues. If any little spots arise, they can be easily repaired. To correct for rust on metal that has not been galvanized, the metal needs to be:
- Scraped
- Brushed
- Primed
- Repainted
If you have an existing gate, fence or railing and the posts consist of hollow tubing, keep an eye on the base for corrosion. Also be aware that hollow tubing can fill up with water, freeze and crack open from winter weather conditions. We are able to make the necessary repairs or replacements from such damage.
Watch Out for that Tree!
We also recommend checking for miscellaneous damage. Damage can occur from fallen trees, rocks, lawn equipment and motor vehicles, to name a few.
Service Your Gates
If you have gates, we recommend that they are periodically serviced. This would entail:
- Greasing the hinges
- Resetting the heights and vertical gaps between gates
- Pavers: The height of your gates may need to be reset if you've encountered any elevation changes in your driveway. This generally occurs when an asphalt driveway is replaced with pavers.
Airmet is able to provide service for any degree of maintenance that you may need. Contact us at 973 481-5550 or email at info@airmetmetalworks.com to find out how we can help. |
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What is the Hot Dip Galvanizing Process? |
Airmet Metalworks follows these general procedures for the hot dip galvanizing of our products:
- Starting with the bare metal, we fabricate and weld everything together.
- Once the piece has been "fabricated" or "built", it is sent out for hot dip galvanizing.
- Since the surface needs to be as clean as possible, free of any contaminating residues, it is immersed in three different "baths".
- The first bath is an acid degreasing or caustic solution which removes excess dirt, oil and grease. The metal is then rinsed with clear water.
- The second bath provides a "pickling" process in an acid tank which removes oxides and scales. The steel is rinsed with water again.
- The final step before galvanizing is the "flux" bath which removes any remaining oxidation after the pickling bath. It also provides a protective coating to keep the steel from oxidizing before being galvanized.
The metal is finally dipped into a bath of molten zinc which is kept liquefied at approximately 860 degrees Fahrenheit.
The galvanized ironwork is sent back to our shop to be further prepped for paint. This prep work includes:
- Removal of lumps and flashing (excess zinc)
- Scuffing of the surface to aid in the adhesion of the paint
For the finishing touch, the metal is painted with a special paint specifically designed to adhere to the galvanized finish.
We highly recommend hot dip galvanizing. Being immersed in the zinc, the dipping process allows the coating to reach and cover intricate areas far better than application with a brush or spray. This is especially beneficial for designs that are more elaborate, leaving you free to be as creative as you'd like!
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A Little Background Info about Lead and Zinc |
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| Lead has been used as a protective coating for iron dating as far back as late BC to early AD. Examples of this can be seen in the magnificent Greek and Roman architecture where the stones of these buildings were held together with butterfly shaped iron pieces that were coated with lead. As wonderful as the protection was that lead provided, lead poisoning is an unfortunate side affect which has even been documented in ancient Greece, Rome and China.
Due to the high level of health risks, the United States has banned the residential use of lead since 1978. We now use the hot dip galvanizing process, with a proven history of providing corrosion resistance for over 150 years, to protect the iron. |
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We appreciate our clients and strive to provide the very best in quality and service. We are also very grateful for each of our employees and proud to have them on the Airmet Metalworks Team.
Our goal is our clients' complete satisfaction with each step of their project right down to the finished product. We offer this with the utmost confidence.
We are your solution. |
Sincerely,
Stephen and Cindy Yavorski
Airmet Metalworks
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