The elements can be harsh on your home. If you do not have a solid house, it can suffer quite a bit of damage. However, it is not only the forcefulness of nature you have to worry about when it comes to the structural integrity of your house. Rust is the silent destroyer, and it can damage your home without you even noticing. Here’s how you can better protect your home from rust.
Use Rust-resistant Material
Fighting rust can start from the very moment you build your home. Instead of ordinary metals, you can use rustproof or rust-resistant materials for parts of your home that are open to the elements. Remember that rust is merely the iron in metal reacting to moisture and oxygen. The result is iron oxide, also known as rust. Though it can be challenging to prevent rusting, some materials do not need to worry about rust.
One good example is stainless steel. Though it has iron content that will rust, it also has a higher amount of chromium. This material quickly reacts to the oxidization process, which creates rust. Weathering steel works in a similar way, forming a protective layer that prevents rust formation. Both can be quite expensive, with weathering steel having a lower price tag.
Use Coatings
As noted earlier, you can prevent rust from forming by merely placing a layer of protection over the metal. The simplest way to do this is applying a coat of paint to metal. But paint chips and flakes easily, and you can have the same problem in the future. This is where more robust coatings come in. For example, you can ask experts in powder-coating in Utah and other states to apply a coat of thermoplastic powder to the metal in your home, which is then heated to make the powder stick. It is similar to painting it, but the plastic sticks better and is harder to remove.
If you have the money, you can use galvanization to apply a coat of zinc to the metal that needs protecting. The zinc layer prevents corrosion from reaching the iron in the metal
Reduce Moisture
It is good to remember that rust happens because of moisture and oxygen. It can be impossible to get rid of the oxygen, but moisture is much more natural to handle. If the metal is outdoors, then that can be hard, but if you place it underneath the shade or cover it up before rains, then that can help. If the metal is inside your home, it is easier to protect. Just have a dehumidifier keep your rooms dry. You should also keep metal surfaces clean to prevent any moisture in mud and dirt from creating rust.
Many homeowners ignore the danger that rust presents to their house. But the structural weakness that rust can introduce to your home can be a big problem. This is why you should remember the pointers above if you have exposed metal in your house. Excellent rust protection can ensure that your home will still stand decades from now.
