Material finishes

To assist you with the choice of material finish that will suit your scheme best, we have shown images of the material finishes available for both timber and metal.

We have shown material finishes as they will be when supplied new and we have shown, where possible, the same finishes after a period of time, exposed to weathering and the surrounding environment.

For timber, the choice of finish is either left natural, or stained.

For the natural finish, the redwood components are machined and then treated using a Wolmanit CX pressure treatment process. After treatment the timber is left to dry out naturally. The general colour is a light greenish brown.

For the stained finish, a pre-treated timber is used and after machining, we apply 3 coats of stain. As standard we use a quick drying, water based wood stain. The standard colour used is teak.

In time, all natural timber will weather down to a silver grey colour. This is caused by the effects of weathering and the surrounding environment. Stained timber will start to fade, wear and crack due to the effects of weathering and the surrounding environment. It is advisable therefore to ensure that the timber is lightly sanded and re-coated with 1 or 2 coats of wood stain. The frequency of re-staining very much depends on the local weather and environmental conditions.

For mild steel, the choice of finish is either hot dip galvanized or hot dip galvanized and polyester powder coated.

New galvanizing will have a bright silver finish. The brightness depends on the make up of the steel and the reaction to the zinc in the galvanizing process. After a period of time, the brightness will fade and the galvanized steel will develop a dull mid grey appearance.

After galvanizing, the steel components can be polyester powder coated. The galvanized steel is prepped and sprayed with a polyester powder before being baked in a sealed oven to harden the powder coating. Any RAL or BS colour can be specified.

For stainless steel, there are 2 choices of finish. The grade 304 stainless components can be dull or mirror polished.

The standard finish will be dull polished (brushed finish). This is a more economical finish than mirror polished because of the additional time it takes to achieve a mirror finish.