Material spotlight: Stainless steel

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting some of the benefits of certain materials for schemes. We start this week with stainless steel. Stainless steel is an ideal choice for sites as it offers a stunning modern finish that requires minimal maintenance. Stainless steel has a chromium-rich oxide film that gives it a high corrosion resistance. This film can self-repair, giving the material its "stainless" name!

Stainless steel street furniture is generally supplied in Grade 304 or Grade 316. The latter features a higher content of chromium to provide greater resistance to salt-spray, making it more suitable for use in costal areas and docks. Standard finishes are bright polished; which has a highly buffed finish and offers blurred, partly visible reflections, and satin polished; which offers a mirror-type appearance, or satin polished, which is brushed with a gritted polishing disc, providing a less reflective, smooth finish.

Here are some of the benefits of using stainless steel in your project:

• Stainless steel offers a bright, stunning appearance, instantly modernise a site
• Hard-wearing and easy to maintain - spend less time and money on maintenance
• Long term value - products are likely to last for longer therefore providing good value for money over the long term

Furnitubes team of expert designers can adapt existing stainless steel designs or create completely new designs to suit your requirements. Please contact us on 0208 378 3200 if you would like to discuss the use of stainless steel street furniture in your next scheme.