Sheet Metal
IOTA offers bespoke manufacture in all grades of steel [the most commonly-specified sheet metals], and in aluminium. In addition, IOTA has a unique industry reputation in also offering ‘precious’ sheet metals, supplied pre-patinated by hand – specifically zinc, lead and bronze/brass.
There are nine different material options in sheet metal – subdivided into four categories: Painted Finish, Natural Metal Finish, Hand Patinated and Specialist Materials and Finishes.
Painted Finish
Powder coat painting offers limitless scope for colour customisation, with a flawless surface finish. IPTA applies powder coat to four different metals – each at a different price point, and each with their own individual technical performance characteristics.
To learn more about powder coat painting, and to compare-and-contrast the four metals click here
Zintec steel has a protective zinc layer electroplated onto mild steel, and it is the cheapest metal that IOTA offers.
For many commercial projects, where cost is of paramount importance, powder coated Zintec steel offers an attractive quality vs. cost relationship – particularly if the environment is relatively protected.
For unprotected environments, like public realm and streetscapes, it is almost always worth paying a bit more to powder coat onto 1.4003-grade stainless steel, rather than Zintec steel, to enhance longevity and corrosion-resistance.
Aluminium offers similar benefits to 1.4003-grade stainless steel, but at a significantly higher cost. Aluminium's premium means that its use is largely limited to specific situations: where aluminium's triple benefits of corrosion-resistance, longevity and light weight combine, and justify the cost.
High-grade stainless steels – such as 316-grade [aka 'Marine-grade'] – offer unparalleled corrosion-resistance and longevity. However, these steels are extremely expensive; and, when painted, will look like any other metal. Therefore, their use, painted, can only be cost-justified for landscape products where either contractual warranties, and/or the environments, are extreme.
Natural Metal Finish
Certain metals do not require a paint finish for protection - and thus offer a zero-maintenance option, combined with extreme longevity.
Corten steel develops a distinctive patina, which acts as the perfect foil for all manner of planting schemes.
Corten steel is also not as expensive as often thought, and 'it lasts forever'.
Given this, of all sheet metals, Corten steel offers by far the best ROI for landscape products, over a 25+ year lifetime expectation – particularly in challenging environments, such as public realm.
High-grade [304- and 316-grade] stainless steels are expensive.
However, they do not need painting, are durable and corrosion-resistant; and they have a distinctive metropolitan style, when left with a raw, unpainted, natural metal finish.
And the only sheet metals that can definitively guarantee a 25+ year lifespan are Corten steel and 316-grade stainless steel. And 316 is aka 'Marine-grade' for a reason – in exposed coastal locations, it really is the only option.
Hand Patinated
Where budgets allow, nothing can compare to the natural and characteristic patinas of the 'precious' sheet metals. These are clad onto Steel, and are supplied pre-patinated by hand.
The patina of old lead is utterly distinctive. Unlike zinc and bronze/brass [which are stiff], lead's softness also means that embossed/debossed designs are possible.
At the beginning, zinc's patina resembles old Lead. However, over time, zinc will become generally lighter, with increasing levels of tonal variation and highlights – and characteristic 'white-ish' zinc oxide highlights will start to come through.
Bronze and brass start with a general background patina of warm brown and gold. Over time, the metals will become generally darker, with increasing levels of tonal variation and highlights – and eventually some green tones will start to show through.
Specialist Materials and Finishes
Specialist finishes include Hot-Dip Galvanisation; specialist paint finishes, such as those supplied by Artistic Metals and Bradleys Metal Finishes; and modified decorative metals, such as supplied by Rimex Metals. Examples of such projects include:
