Corten or ‘weathering steel’ is expensive (‘Corten’ or ‘Cor-ten’ is kind of like calling tissue by the brand name ‘Kleenex’). There are currently only a select, very few places in Canada that import it from the U.S. Real Corten is trademarked by US Steel, so if you want the real thing, it’s coming up here from the States.
We continually receive inquiries on various Corten items. Those who are unfamiliar with the material are generally pretty shocked when they see the sticker price. But you really do get what you pay for. Here’s what makes Corten special:
It oxidizes so you get that wicked cool ‘rust’ look BUT THEN THE RUST FORMS IT’S OWN PROTECTIVE LAYER! Basically Corten will never rust through. It uses it’s own rust, which is the weakest point of steel, to overcome further oxidization. That’s the beauty of it.
If you are being led to believe you are purchasing a Corten product, please ask to see the material specs (metuallurgical certifications are provided with every material order from the point of purchase). Please also ensure that the person doing any welding on your Corten product is skilled and using an appropriate (and expensive) low-allow welding wire – if the weld-points don’t weather at the same rate as the Corten sheet steel, this will be extremely problematic. And honestly, we see this all the time, people trying to pass off regular steel as Corten with a too-good-to-be-true price tag. But the difference is apparent once you know what to look for. Corten is weather resistant. Raw, untreated steel is not, and it’s also fairly easy to spot rusty steel vs. Corten. Corten is ultimately MUCH prettier in every stage of oxidization.
We continually receive inquiries on various Corten items. Those who are unfamiliar with the material are generally pretty shocked when they see the sticker price. But you really do get what you pay for. Here’s what makes Corten special:
It oxidizes so you get that wicked cool ‘rust’ look BUT THEN THE RUST FORMS IT’S OWN PROTECTIVE LAYER! Basically Corten will never rust through. It uses it’s own rust, which is the weakest point of steel, to overcome further oxidization. That’s the beauty of it.
If you are being led to believe you are purchasing a Corten product, please ask to see the material specs (metuallurgical certifications are provided with every material order from the point of purchase). Please also ensure that the person doing any welding on your Corten product is skilled and using an appropriate (and expensive) low-allow welding wire – if the weld-points don’t weather at the same rate as the Corten sheet steel, this will be extremely problematic. And honestly, we see this all the time, people trying to pass off regular steel as Corten with a too-good-to-be-true price tag. But the difference is apparent once you know what to look for. Corten is weather resistant. Raw, untreated steel is not, and it’s also fairly easy to spot rusty steel vs. Corten. Corten is ultimately MUCH prettier in every stage of oxidization.
(Picture source: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal)
An ideal material for outdoor applications, specifically landscaping and structural projects, Corten is unparalleled in aesthetical appearance and durability.
An ideal material for outdoor applications, specifically landscaping and structural projects, Corten is unparalleled in aesthetical appearance and durability.
RSS Feed