Hello everyone,
I’m currently getting quotes for French balconies and balcony railings. One metalworker offered me a price for V2A stainless steel with a brushed finish, while another said that the quality (alloy?) of V2A has declined significantly and that it’s definitely better to use V4A.
I asked the first metalworker if V2A is really durable and rust-resistant, and he said they have had positive experience with this material for over 20 years.
Have you also heard of problems with V2A or can you understand these concerns?
I’m a bit frustrated, especially since V4A makes a big difference in price.
Thanks a lot for your feedback!
I’m currently getting quotes for French balconies and balcony railings. One metalworker offered me a price for V2A stainless steel with a brushed finish, while another said that the quality (alloy?) of V2A has declined significantly and that it’s definitely better to use V4A.
I asked the first metalworker if V2A is really durable and rust-resistant, and he said they have had positive experience with this material for over 20 years.
Have you also heard of problems with V2A or can you understand these concerns?
I’m a bit frustrated, especially since V4A makes a big difference in price.
Thanks a lot for your feedback!
When it comes to the railing, avoid or minimize welding, as the areas to the right and left are heat-affected zones that tend to rust easily. Everything that is bolted and bent lasts longer; small parts should preferably be made of V4A stainless steel, grades 1.4404 or 1.4435.
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Davidoff8611 Feb 2021 11:33Nordlys schrieb:
For seawater and on the ship, grade 4a is required; inland, grade 2a is sufficient.Ok, we live inland, so that’s already a good start.
T_im_Norden schrieb:
That’s why V2a isn’t always just V2a.Do you know which alloy should be avoided?
Nida35a schrieb:
For railings, avoid welding or keep it to a minimum; the heat-affected zones on either side tend to corrode. Everything that is screwed and bent lasts longer. Small components should preferably be made from V4A, 1.4404, 1.4435.Wow, I can already see this topic isn’t so simple. I’ll have to rely on the metal worker and hope they perform the job meticulously.
Specifying alloys is nonsense. Genuine V2A is 1.4301. There is also 1.4305, which is easier to machine, but strictly speaking it is no longer called V2A. This means "real V2A" does not come in different alloys, as it is a very specific material.
V4A is 1.4571 and nothing else. 1.4404 is also well known, which is easier to cold-form (e.g., deep drawing – container manufacturing). Both materials are resistant to salt (actually chlorine) and therefore seawater-resistant.
Salty air, common near the coast, can cause surface rust on V2A, but also other aggressive effects. However, V2A is still fully suitable for outdoor use without seawater contact. The surface rust will not corrode the metal during its lifetime and can also be removed, for example.
V4A is 1.4571 and nothing else. 1.4404 is also well known, which is easier to cold-form (e.g., deep drawing – container manufacturing). Both materials are resistant to salt (actually chlorine) and therefore seawater-resistant.
Salty air, common near the coast, can cause surface rust on V2A, but also other aggressive effects. However, V2A is still fully suitable for outdoor use without seawater contact. The surface rust will not corrode the metal during its lifetime and can also be removed, for example.
Payday, but it is still disappointing. You buy, as we did, stainless steel wall lamps for outdoors from a specialty store, not from eBay from Shanghai, and the supposedly rust-proof stainless steel suddenly shows rust spots after just a few storms, while the stainless steel parts on our boat remain clean and almost shiny.
On ships, V4A stainless steel is commonly used. Otherwise, lower-quality stainless steels are often employed.
Specialist dealers have nothing to do with quality. Usually, it’s more about the lack of testability combined with fixed pricing, and that’s it. Specialty items are often only available through specialist dealers, so there are no reviews or user experiences online. The disadvantages only become apparent later, such as poor steel quality. For example, stainless steel does not tolerate contamination with regular steel. Stainless steel is ruined when steel is welded or cut nearby due to sparks and similar effects.
Specialist dealers have nothing to do with quality. Usually, it’s more about the lack of testability combined with fixed pricing, and that’s it. Specialty items are often only available through specialist dealers, so there are no reviews or user experiences online. The disadvantages only become apparent later, such as poor steel quality. For example, stainless steel does not tolerate contamination with regular steel. Stainless steel is ruined when steel is welded or cut nearby due to sparks and similar effects.