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See how steel goes together

Turn the details we draft and make, see real jobs in 3D, find out where steel goes in a house, and what to send us for a price.

Which finish do you need?

Three finishes cover almost every job. Where the steel ends up decides which one you need.

A steel beam with an end plate, red oxide primer
Our standard finish

Red oxide primer

A shop-applied primer coat that protects the steel on its way to site and during the build.

Use it for

Steel inside the building that will be boxed in, plastered over or fire-protected by others.

Good to know

  • It’s a temporary coat, not a finished protective system. Don’t leave it out in the weather.
  • Scuffs from handling and fixing are touched up on site.
A steel beam with an end plate, hot-dip galvanised
For steel outside

Hot-dip galvanised

After fabrication the steel is dipped in molten zinc, which coats it inside and out.

Use it for

Steel outside or in damp places: canopies, balconies, posts, external lintels, garden studio bases and gates.

Good to know

  • Allow extra time for the galvaniser. Ask us when you order.
  • Hollow sections need vent holes, which we drill before it goes.
  • Everything is made first: cutting or welding afterwards damages the coating.
  • It can be painted or powder coated later.
A steel beam with an end plate, powder coated
For steel on show

Powder coated

A coloured coating baked on in an oven, in the RAL colour you choose. Shown here in anthracite grey.

Use it for

Steel you’ll see every day: exposed beams, staircases, balustrades and posts.

Good to know

  • Outside, it goes over galvanising for the longest life.
  • Allow extra time for coating. Choose your RAL colour and gloss level when you order.
  • Small site damage is touched up with matching paint.
CompareRed oxide primerHot-dip galvanisedPowder coated
LookRed-brown, mattSilver-grey with a crystal pattern, weathers to matt greyAny RAL colour, smooth satin or gloss
Outside on its ownNoYesOver galvanising
Extra time to allowNoneYes, ask usYes, ask us
Typical useHidden steel insideCanopies, posts, lintels, studio basesExposed beams, stairs, balustrades

Compare galvanised and painted steel in 3D

What to send us for a price

Tick off what you have. We’ll show what’s missing, then open an email with the job address as the subject.

What do you need?

Got a job in mind? Email us the engineer’s drawings or a sketch and we’ll price it.

Send us your drawings