Stainless application
Stainless Steel for Architecture & Facade
Architectural stainless is chosen for a finish that stays put for decades. The decision is two-part: 304 for inland, 316L for coastal or de-icing-salt exposure, and a finish — 2B, No.4, hairline or 8K — that is specified as a measurable surface, not as "shiny".
Specification
What Architecture & Facade Specifies
| Grades normally used | 316L · 304 |
|---|---|
| Product forms | Sheet · Plate · Profile · Tube · Fittings |
| Standards & approvals | ASTM A240 (sheet) · ASTM A554 (welded tube) · EN 10088-2 · AAMA 2605 (coating, where applicable) |
Grade by grade
What Each Grade Does in Architecture & Facade
A stainless application page that lists grades without saying what each one is for is a catalogue, not a specification. These are the roles they actually play here.
| Grade | The job it does here | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 316L | The grade for coastal facades, street-level cladding and anything that sees salt air or de-icing salt. The molybdenum stops the rust-staining that would mark 304 within a few kilometres of the sea. | Specs → |
| 304 | The default for inland architecture — curtain-wall trim, railing, elevator panels, interior cladding. Fine where chlorides are not in the environment; wrong within reach of salt. | Specs → |
Before you send the enquiry
Specification Mistakes That Cost Money Here
None of this is exotic. All of it arrives on real enquiries, and each one adds a round trip before a price can be issued.
1. Specifying 304 for a coastal site. Within a few kilometres of salt water 304 pits and rust-stains; 316L is the honest call for the same elevation.
2. Writing "mirror finish" without a number. A finish is a measurable Ra or a mill designation (No.4, 8K); "mirror" is not a requirement and gets interpreted five ways.
3. Ignoring the coating spec on facade panels. Where the panel is coated rather than bare, the PVDF film build and adhesion are what the specifier checks, not the bare metal.
4. Mixing grades on one elevation. 304 and 316L weather differently; a facade that mixes them shows the difference as staining within a season.
Categories that serve it
What We Supply Into Architecture & Facade
Stainless Steel Coil
Cold-rolled and hot-rolled coil in 200 / 300 / 400 series.
Stainless Steel Sheet & Plate
Cold-rolled sheet and hot-rolled plate for structural and decorative use.
Stainless Steel Tube & Pipe
Seamless and welded round, square and rectangular tube.
Stainless Steel Bar & Rod
Round, flat, square and hexagonal bar, cold drawn or hot rolled.
Verification
What We Put in Writing for This Application
- Mill test certificate to the class your file requires — 2.2 or 3.1 — carrying the actual composition and mechanical values for the heat, so the grade is checkable against the order.
- Surface finish and gauge recorded before packing; photos of the sealed container.
- Where the market requires it, the food-contact, 3-A or coating test report with the issuing body named.
Before you ask
Architecture & Facade — Questions That Come Up
Should a coastal facade use 304 or 316L?
316L. Within a few kilometres of the sea, 304 pits and rust-stains from chloride in the salt air. 316L adds molybdenum to resist that staining; inland, 304 is usually enough and costs less.
What does a stainless finish designation like 2B or No.4 mean?
They name the surface produced at the mill: 2B is the standard cold-rolled bright finish, BA is brighter, No.4 is a brushed satin, 8K is mirror. Each has a measurable roughness range — write the designation or the Ra value, not "polished".
Which standard applies to architectural stainless tube?
Welded tube for railing and structure is usually ASTM A554; sheet and plate follow ASTM A240 or EN 10088-2. Name the standard and the finish together on the enquiry.