Stainless Steel vs. Powder-Coated Bollards: Which One is Right for You?
While browsing through our wide selection of Pedestals, Towers, Hoods, Housings, and especially Bollards you'll notice that they mostly come in either Powder-Coated Black or Stainless Steel. It's important to know that both options are made from high-strength steel that is designed to be used outdoors, they do offer different advantages to your gate setup. While the cosmetic differences are obvious, it's important to know the real differences between these metal finishes. Let's take a look!
What kind of Bollard is better?
There isn't one way to choose which bollard is right as they both offer distinct advantages. If you live in a colder climate that often has heavy rain or snowfall, we recommend a powder-coated bollard for enhanced visibility and protection from the environment. Not concerned about climate? Then we recommend a stainless steel bollard that'll last for decades to come with their extra high-strength materials. Generally speaking, either Stainless Steel or Powder-Coated Steel is an excellent choice for nearly any setup!
What is Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is a type of steel that has been forged with at least 10.5% chromium (while also containing other metals such as nickel for strength). Typically this results in a glossy, smooth texture that can even result in a mirror-like finish as often seen in things like cookware.
For things like pedestals, towers, hoods, housings, and bollards, stainless steel is often manufactured into a matte "brushed" finish so that it is more visible for guests as well as animals. Stainless steel is best known for its resistance to rust and relatively difficult to blemish surface.
- Best Used for: Commercial Properties, High-Security Areas
- Material: Steel with at least 10.5% chromium
- Finish: Glossy, Brushed, Smooth
- Color: Silver
What is Powder-Coating?
Powder-coating, as implied by the name, is the process of applying dry powder electrostatically to any given surface and then cured using heat or UV light. This is done for two purpose: Change the color of a metal in a more effective way than paint, and protect it from the environment.
Typically, powder-coating doesn't retain the smooth texture that the material it is covering had even if it is stainless steel. Powder-coating creates a very fine, grainy texture like sand or powder. It's most commonly done in black and is heavily resistant to rust and scratching.
- Best Used for: Commercial Properties, Wet and Cold climates
- Material: Steel
- Finish: Matte, Gritty, Textured
- Color: Black
