The benefits of steel building kits are obvious, but the use of metal may put a fear into a lot of people’s minds. Metal rusts over time when exposed to rain, and that could be a problem when your entire building is made of metal. As rust spreads, the metal becomes weaker and weaker until it eventually just turns to dust. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prevent your metal building from rusting.

1. Galvanized Steel Kits

Galvanizing is the key process that separates modern metal buildings from their older counterparts. When you see an old, rusted building in a state of decay, you can be sure it wasn’t galvanized. In short, galvanization is a process in which steel is coated with zinc, which will take the brunt of the rust rather than the steel itself.

Galvanization requires steel to be dipped into molten zinc and then left to harden. This can be kind of difficult if your building is already up, but if you’re looking for a new building, galvanization is already taken care of for you if you’re working with a metal building company you can trust. With Metal Pro™ Buildings, all steel used in our building kits is galvanized, so you’ll have protection right from the start.

2. Paint Your Building

While the painting is primarily used to enhance your building’s appearance, it also has a secondary function that helps prevent rust. Think of it as another layer of protection on the steel components, just like the zinc. With a satisfactory paint job, rust will have to get through both the paint and the zinc layer to ever touch your steel components, and with proper care, that’s virtually impossible.

The most common types of paint used for metal buildings are acrylic and polyester. Both of these paints have the durability similar to that of the steel itself, and if you opt for a polyester paint with silicone in it, you’ll have even better rust protection — plus an additional shine. You can also opt for fluorocarbon paint if you’re looking for a barrier that not only protects against rust but also heat, UV rays, and the passage of time itself.

3. Keep Up With Maintenance

Steel buildings are remarkably easy to maintain, especially compared to their wooden counterparts, but there’s still some work you have to do to keep everything running smoothly. About once or twice a year, you should take a power washer to your building just to make sure you’re getting all the dirt and corrosion out of there. For particularly stubborn stains, you may have to use a brush to really get the grime out.

If normal power washing isn’t doing the job well enough, feel free to add some laundry detergent to the water. A single cup of detergent for every 18 gallons of water should do the trick, but make sure you test it first on an inconspicuous spot on your building. While actual damage to the exterior of your building is rare, you should still do an inspection every wash. Refinishing is probably something you’ll never have to worry about, but it’s still a good idea to check.

Design Your Own Metal Building

Now that you know how to maintain a metal building, it’s time to design one of your very own. Whether you’re looking for steel garage kits in Canada or you’re trying to erect steel buildings in California, Metal Pro Buildings is happy to help. We have a catalog of buildings to choose from, but you can always work with our team to design a unique building perfectly suited for your needs. Contact us today to get started!