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1. What is Aluminum?
- Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. It is always found combined with other elements such as oxygen, silicon, and fluorine. Aluminum as the metal is obtained from aluminum-containing minerals. Small amounts of aluminum can be found dissolved in water.
- Aluminum metal is light in weight and silvery-white in appearance. Aluminum is used for beverage cans, pots and pans, airplanes, fencing, siding and roofing, and foil. Aluminum is often mixed with small amounts of other metals to form aluminum alloys, which are stronger and harder.
- Aluminum compounds have many different uses, for example, as alums in water-treatment and alumina in abrasives and furnace linings. They are also found in consumer products such as antacids, astringents, buffered aspirin, food additives, and antiperspirants.
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3. Is Aluminum better for fencing or railings?
- In southern climates where snow isn't a concern aluminum is an excellent fencing material.
- In climates where snow is a factor aluminum is better used for smaller applications. An Aluminum Railing, for instance, works well in a Canadian winter but the snow load must be taken into consideration when planning larger projects like an Aluminum Fence.
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4. What makes Fence-All Aluminum different?
- Our custom made Aluminum railings offer maintenance-free strength and elegance - complete and ready for easy installation.
- Every one of our Fence-All Aluminum gates or Aluminum Panels are custom made to fit directly into the posts. This means maintenance-free strength and elegance, easy installation and no bulky brackets.
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5. Why is powder coating better than traditional painting?
- With powder coating, a dry powdered plastic is sprayed onto the Aluminum, and an electro-static charge is used to keep the powder on the Aluminum long enough to get it in an oven. In the oven, heat melts the plastic to evenly cover all of the Aluminum.
- Advantages of powder coating that make it particularly environmentally friendly are that it does not require solvents and it captures it's own over spray.
- Further advantages are that the plastic contains UV stabilizers which will provide longer lasting shine, the heating process offers better adhesion to the Aluminum (it's baked right in), and once cooled down the plastic offers better protection against scratches.
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6. Does powder coated Aluminum require maintenance?
- Once installed, maintaining the powder coating is a simple matter. It's much like washing your car--use a coating of soapy water with a neutral detergent and rinse with clean water. This should normally be done at least once every six months to get rid of the pollens and pollutants that accumulate over time. Aluminum in marine and industrial environments needs to be cleaned more often.
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9. Are all Aluminum Railings powder coated?
- No. Traditional wet painting is something that can be done at less cost than hiring a professional with a special electro-static painting oven, so many companies choose to offer products that look the same at time of delivery and cost them less.
- This is not a problem for the first 1 to 2 years, but then the disadvantages of wet paint will start to show, and the re-painting begins.
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11. Is all powder coating the same?
- No. As we all know the durability of any finish depends as much or more on the pretreatment than on the finish coat.
- The Aluminum needs to be cleaned properly before it is coated and the coating has to be put on evenly and at the right thickness.
- Unfortunately a consumer really can't predict the durability of a finish - all they can go by is the reputation of the supplier.
