Several suppliers from all over the world have entered the stainless steel hardware market in Australia, flooding it with inferior stainless hardware that’s easily susceptible to staining, rusting and even failure.
A significant percentage of Australia’s population resides along the coastline or in close proximity to a coastal setting. Given the threat of corrosion in marine environments, it’s important to select high quality hardware to avoid the problem.
Not all stainless steels are created equal. Grades of stainless steel such as 304 and 316 refer to the quality of the steel and indicate the chromium and nickel content in the material; corrosion resistance is maximum in the 316 grade steel.
Miami Stainless ensures that the highest quality raw material is sourced and rigid quality control processes are implemented during the manufacture of any product supplied by the company. Their products perform optimally in the chosen application, in many cases better than the 304 and 316 steel hardware available from other suppliers.
A recent project located close to the beach and involving the installation of vertical green wall systems combined Miami Stainless hardware and a competitor's hardware. The hardware was installed at the same time, with the Miami Stainless hardware installed closer to the beach than the competitor’s material.
After a few months, corrosion was noticed on the 316 grade hardware from the competitor, while the Miami Stainless 316 grade hardware remained unaffected.
This is why designers should name the preferred supplier when specifying materials for any project.