Stainless Steel is chosen for Architectural applications because it looks good, is long lasting and requires minimal maintenance. In principle that is correct however that is only the case if the Stainless Steel material has been properly finished. Unfortunately that is often not the case.
The heat-affected zones of Stainless Steel welds must be properly treated and the whole of the exposed surfaces must be passivated. If this is not done, welds will tend to deteriorate and a layer of rust will form on the surface of the welds. Other surfaces will also tarnish commonly referred to as “tea staining”.This effect is exacerbated by exposure to the weather and even more so in coastal areas close to a marine environment or close to swimming pools, where chlorine or salt water have a further negative impact.Stainless Steel is primarily an alloy of iron combined with a variety of different metals, in varying proportions, depending on the grade of the alloy. The rusting or “tea staining” is caused by the corrosion of iron molecules that are on or close to the surface.

                                  BEFORE                                                                                AFTER

P.S. Please note that scrubbing Stainless Steel surfaces with abrasives compounds the problem.

Call us for an obligation free quote on your cleaning requirement