Powder coating
is a durable finish, which can be painted over using standard household gloss paint (eg to match house colours) if required.
Standard colours used by Flairmet are as follows:
- Black
- White
- Red (Christmas Tree Stands)
- Dark green (Christmas Tree Stands)
- Gold (Christmas Tree Stands)
Other colours are available on request though there may be an additional charge.
Black powder-coating is recommended as it tends to be more durable than white. Powder-coated finish should be wiped clean from time to time using a non-abrasive cleaner and can be painted over using normal household gloss paint. In non-exposed areas a powder coated product would benefit from being re-painted every few years. Products with a white finish may need re-painting more frequently than those powder-coated in black.
Powder Coating is an advanced yet simple way of spray-painting a very fine, dry plastic powder paint onto a metal surface. As the powder paint cloud gently leaves the front of the spray gun, it is charged with static electricity. The charge attracts the powder paint to the part that requires coating. The part is then placed in an oven, where it bakes at high temperature for a few minutes. While in the oven, the powder paint melts and flows into a beautiful and durable finish. Primers are not necessary. And there are no unsightly runs or drips, as often results with the use of wet paint.
Powder coating is environmentally friendly. That's because the over-spray is reused. And with no solvents, powder paint does not pollute the air.
Galvanising
provides a particularly rust-resistant finish for metal products. Products with a galvanised finish are much less likely to show rust, except where the galvanised coat wears off in use. In areas where products will be exposed to salt water (eg sea-fronts) serious consideration should be given to using a galvanised based, as otherwise the products will need repainting as much as every year (depending upon the level of exposure).
Galvanising doesn't provide an especially attractive finish though galvanised products can be painted over to enhance appearance. Strictly speaking galvanised metal should weather for about 6 months before being painted. In practice, painting early means that paint may chip in use, though for most products this is not noticeable. It can be painted over with a primer and standard household gloss paint (eg to match house colours) if required.
Hot dip galvanising is a modern and technically advanced product that protects iron and steel from rust by providing a thick metallic zinc envelope that completely covers the steel surface and seals it from the corrosive action of its environment. A high quality zinc coating is welded to the steel surface by an alloying reaction between zinc to form a tough, durable and impervious coating. This protects the steel by electrochemical protection, also known as sacrificial protection because where there is damage or minor discontinuity in the sealing coat of zinc, the zinc sacrifices itself to protect the steel to which it is alloyed. It will go on doing so until almost the last atom of zinc and significantly reduces corrosion of steel and iron. Unlike organic paint coatings that require frequent renewal, the galvanised coating cannot come off as it is alloyed to the surface of the steel, coating every surface of the product which can be reached in the hot dip process, both inside and out. In hot dip galvanising a product, the galvaniser cleans the steel by degreasing and pickling to obtain a chemically clean surface. The galvanising reaction between zinc and steel takes place in liquid zinc, at a high temperature for a few minutes.
This abrasion resistant coating can ordinarily last for many years with little or no maintenance. Galvanising does have a finite life, however, and its effectiveness as a barrier depends directly on the thickness of the coating and the environment (for example it will have a shorter life when exposed to salt water or pollutants).
Mr William Hunter, who is a consultant to the zinc/galvanising industry, says: "Zinc is a boring metal that does its job beautifully as an unsung hero. You are one of the only gate makers that offers a galvanised finish as a standard option, and in my opinion you are wise, and the public needs to be educated not to go for the cheapest price regardless of life."
Galvanised and Powder-coated
For many products Flairmet can arrange powder-coating after galvanising. This combines the advantage of the durability of galvanising with the attractive appearance of powder-coating. However, customers are advised that, because the galvanised finish won't have had time to cure, the powder-coating is prone to chipping though, in practice, most people feel that this risk is outweighed by the advantage of having a complete and lower-maintenance finish from the beginning. If Flairmet offers this service it is at the customer's risk.
Zinc Phosphate and Red Oxide Primers
For fabrication products the standard finish is black zinc phosphate, which is a rust-resitant hand or spray-painted paint.
An alternative finish, with similar properties, is Red Oxide.
These primer finishes can be over-painted with gloss paint.
Which finish?
Where there is a choice the particular finish to select will depend upon the type of product and its intended location. Examples are given below:
- For indoor use, powder-coating provides a durable wipe-clean surface.
- For exposed or coastal areas it is recommended that a galvanised finish be chosen.
- Products which will be exposed to high temperatures need special finishes and should not be galvanised (as they may give off fumes).
Standard finishes on Flairmet products are as follows:
Planters (including all cauldrons) and brackets
Finishes available as standard for garden planters and brackets are as follows:
- Black powder-coated
- White powder-coated
It is also possible to have the products galvansied or galvanised and powder-coated by arrangement.
Christmas Tree Holders:
Christmas tree holders and stands are powder-coated and available in the following colours:
- Black
- White
- Green
- Red
- Gold
Furniture
Furniture is generally supplied in the following choices of finish:
- Black powder-coating
- White powder-coating (certain products only)
- Galvanised (certain products only)
The brazier is supplied with a heat resistant black powder-coating.
Rose arches & gazebos
Rose arches, gazebos, bowers, arbours and obelisks are generally supplied in the following choices of finish:
- Black powder-coating
- Galvanised
These products can also be supplied galvanised and black powder-coated (see note above).
Weather vanes
The following finishes are available on Flairmet steel (wrought iron style) weathervanes:
- Black powder-coated (oven-baked)
- Galvanised (hot dipped)
- Galvanised and black powder-coated
Gates, railings and fabrications
The following finishes are available on Flairmet steel (wrought iron style) fabrications:
- Zinc phosphate black primer
- Zinc phosphate red oxide primer
- Zinc phosphate primer plus gloss black
- Galvanised (hot dipped)
- Black powder-coated (oven-baked)
- White powder-coated (oven-baked)
- Galvanised and black powder-coated
- Galvanised and white powder-coated
As standard, gates and railings would be supplied with black or red oxide primer finish. This requires over-painting with standard gloss paint depending on the finish required.
Other options for finishes to gates and railings include:
- Features (finials) finished in gold-coloured paint on a fully-painted gate
- Features (eg logos) finished in specific colours by arrangement
Note on colours: The lighter the colour of finish the more likely it is that small rust spots show through on continued exposure to wind and rain. Black is the most durable finish. Powder-coated finishes can be painted over using normal oil-based paints,
and, will last indefinitely if repainted at appropriate intervals (typically every few years, depending on the environment). Finishes may also be searched as steel treatment, pre-treatment, paint, paintwork, galv, zinc-coating, hot zinc dip, spary-painted, metal treatment, enamel, over paint, rust protection, weather proofing, weather protection, anti-corrosion treatment, anti-rust, anti-oxidation, wrought iron treatment, metal treatment.
Note: we cannot guarantee that the appearance and/or colours of the products shown on our web site and in our brochures exactly reproduce the appearance and/or colours of the physical products themselves.
Wrought iron
Although described as "wrought iron" in accordance with common parlance, in common with almost all other manufacturers, Flairmet actually uses high quality mild steel for the construction of its products. This material is stronger than actual wrought iron (which is virtually unobtainable nowadays), though it can be more prone to rust if untreated. | 
