| Search our quarter-million Q&As |
Home of the finishing HOTLINE since 1989
-----How to maintain/protect zinc plated steel
Q. I am replacing my old teak wood potting bench with a new stainless steel topped table with zinc-plated steel shelves which i plan to use as a potting bench on a porch. How can I maintain the zinc coating?
Sally S Smith- Pensacola, Florida
June 5, 2022
A. Hi Sally. Although zinc plating can be pretty nice looking, it is a "sacrificial" coating designed to corrode to protect the underlying steel. The best way to maintain it is to not expose it to those corrosive forces by keeping the shelving dry and free of fertilizer spills or other salt spills.
But if you wish to keep it nice looking, you can certainly brush it with protective coatings for metal like Protectaclear from Everbrite [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] or spray it with a clear-coat.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
June 2022
Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.