How many years will my galvanized metal last before beginning to rust?
It is NOT infinite. 🙂
If galvanized to ASTM Standard A123, Time to First Maintenance (TFM) is at least 72 years.
This article on the Crossroads Galvanizing website explains in depth. Here is the link: https://crossroadsgalvanizing.com/2020/04/08/life-expectancy-of-galvanized-steel/
Read the article above for the full content, but here is an excerpt:
- TFM for standard galvanized steel in an industrial environment is 72 to 73 years. Example of an industrial environment include Newark, Atlanta, and Houston.
- TFM for standard galvanized steel in a tropical marine environment is 75 to 78 years. Examples of a tropical marine environment include Miami and Mazatlan.
- TFM for standard galvanized steel in a temperate marine environment is 86 years. Examples of temperate marine environments are Seattle and Charleston, South Carolina.
- TFM for standard galvanized steel in a suburban environment is 97 years. Examples of a suburban environment include Minneapolis and Orlando.
- TFM for standard galvanized steel in a rural environment is over 100 years. Examples of a rural environment include Fargo, North Dakota and Las Cruces, New Mexico