Letter 25010 The life of galvanized beams in salt atmosphere   +++ I live on a salt water sound and have a boat lift. The cradle is made of galvanized H-beams. The beams have become quite rusty after ten years of service. I have recently scrapped them and spray painted them with more galvanized paint. My question - how long should such beams last in this type of atmosphere? The boat I lift on it is a 1977 25 foot Chris Craft with a fiber glass hull. Thanks for any information you can give me. Hardy Wessell consumer - Surf City, North Carolina +++ 10 years in such a corrosive environment sounds like you got your money's worth, Hardy. But your new "galvanized spray paint" is not a match for factory applied hot-dip galvanizing. I'd give you maybe 2 or 3 years this time; just a guess. But I see no reason you couldn't also attach zinc anodes to extend the life easily and inexpensively; then if you replaced the anodes when required, your repair might last a good deal longer. Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey     Dear Reader, please -- Answer or follow-up on this subject (in non-commercial fashion).   Post a new question or inquiry on a different subject.

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