Let’s talk a little bit about the difference between galvanized steel and stainless steel.
If you're not familiar, hopefully this can help you make a selection between the two!
Galvanized Steel
Galvanized steel is the less expensive of the two materials, and it is made out of cold rolled steel that has a galvanized coating on top, as well as a layer of Zinc.
Our Galvanized products arrive at the factory in this state. It's important to note that when we cut the material, we also cut through its protective coating. This means that the inside of the cut will be exposed to the elements, resulting in reduced protection compared to the rest of the material.
One of the great things about zinc, though, is that from a chemical standpoint, that hole will remain partially protected. Eventually, it will wear down, and the hole will start to rust before the rest of the part.
In terms of appearance, it has a dull gray look, and it’s typically used for industrial purposes.
It can be painted, but it's difficult - it’s better to go with raw steel if you want to paint it.
If you look closely at the galvanized steel you can see it has a sort of pattern. This is called spangle, and different types of galvanized steel will have different sizes and shapes of spangle. If you have a specification for spangle, let us know and we will try to get a material that matches!
Stainless Steel
One of the ways that stainless steel differs from galvanized steel is that it doesn't have a coating. It is simply made from an alloy that is resistant to rust.
Cutting a hole in stainless steel won't reveal any discernible difference in color or quality between the inside and the rest of the part. So, if that's something that is a concern to you, then you might want to choose a stainless steel over a galvanized one.
Stainless steel accepts a wide number of good finishes - from mill to four, and some places wil even do mirror coated finishes. This is something that can’t be done on a galvanized part because putting on a finish would scrape off the galvanized coating, therefore removing all of its benefits.
When choosing between the two, stainless steel is usually considered a more attractive finish, which is why all of your kitchen appliances probably have stainless steel in front of them!
But, with attractiveness comes price, so it’s important to note that stainless steel is a good bit more expensive - but you get what you pay for!
Overall, when you're trying to decide if you want stainless steel or galvanized steel - it's important to take into consideration appearance, durability, and cost.