Like any other type of building material, weathering steel seems to have its own limitations. But this should not come as a surprise. In fact, it would be nice if you could learn more about it. That way, you'll be able to make informed and rational choices at the end of the day.

High chloride content

Environments where a protective rust layer cannot spontaneously form on weathering steel will be coastal environments. That's because the amount of sea salt particles in the air can be very high. Rust occurs when soil is continuously deposited on a surface. Therefore, it can cause problems for the development of internal protective oxide layers.


It is for this reason that you should stay away from weathering steel products that use a lot of salt (chloride) as a rust layer initiator. This is because over time they exhibit the non-adhesive properties of the oxide layer. In short, they don't provide the layer of protection they should in the first place.

Deicing salt

When working with weathering steel, it is strongly recommended that you do not use deicing salt, as this can cause problems in some cases. In general, you won't notice that this is a problem unless a concentrated and consistent amount is deposited on the surface. If there is no rain to wash away this build-up, this will continue to increase.

Pollution

You should avoid environments with high concentrations of industrial pollutants or aggressive chemicals. While that's rarely the case today, there's no harm in staying safe. This is because some studies have shown that industrial environments with as low as normal levels of pollutants will help steel form a protective oxide layer.

Retain or drain traps

Continuous wet or humid conditions will prevent protective oxide crystallization. When water is allowed to accumulate in a pocket, especially in this case, it is also called a retention trap. This is because these areas are not completely dry, so they experience brighter colors and higher rates of corrosion. Dense vegetation and wet debris that will grow around the steel may also prolong surface water retention. Therefore, you should avoid debris retention and moisture. In addition, you should provide adequate ventilation for the steel members.

Staining or bleeding

The initial flash of weathering on the surface of weathering steel usually results in severe rust on all nearby surfaces, especially concrete. This can be easily solved by getting rid of a design that drains loose rusted product onto a nearby surface.