Using corten steel indoors - possible to seal?

[thefoxesmaltings]

Firstly, am I completely mad trying to use corten steel indoors...Is this just a recipe for disaster with rust dripping and getting all over clothes, or can it be sealed relatively cost effectively?

 

My thought process is as follows:

1. Buy corten/weathersing steel sheets.
2. Age naturally (lay flat and leave 6 months outside) or age manually using a mix of water, salt, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide
3. Seal using some sort of matt effect clear coat - *the part I'm stuck on, and wondering if anyone has done this?*
4. Affix to exterior and interior for a seamless looking interior/exterior finish.

 

My thought process is that by aging to my desired look and then sealing, I will effectively "stop" the rusting process and lock the corten steel finish in time, therefore the exterior which is exposed to the elements will remain fairly similar to the interior corten which is protected from weather. Otherwise, over time, I'm going to end up with a very aged exterior and a not-so-aged interior, which will ruin the whole effect.

 

Below is a CGI I produced which hopefully adds some visual context. The idea is to have the corten cladding 'meet' at the window junction and appear to continue outside to the feature portal frame which surrounds the exterior of the house. There's some more CGI photos on our instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoxesmaltings/ if further visual context would help.

 

[markc]

Waste using Cotten indoors. Just use ordinary mild steel, leave outside for a few months to rust, light brush to remove the loose stuff, bring inside, wax to seal.

[thefoxesmaltings]

4 minutes ago, markc said:

Waste using Cotten indoors. Just use ordinary mild steel, leave outside for a few months to rust, light brush to remove the loose stuff, bring inside, wax to seal.

Would you just use mild steel everywhere then, interior and exterior...if it will produce largely the same effect? What wax would you seal with?

[JohnMo]

The corrosion of mild steel and Corten are very different.

 

Mild steel corrosion is alway porous and will continue to corrode until there is nothing left.  The surface corrosion will flake and dust off over time.

 

Corten is a form stainless steel, the corrosion when formed becomes a non porous continuous surface which protects the core material from further corrosion.  The corrosion should firmly affix to the core material.

 

The trouble with any coating it will give a sheen that the non coated material does not have.

[thefoxesmaltings]

15 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

The corrosion of mild steel and Corten are very different.

 

Mild steel corrosion is alway porous and will continue to corrode until there is nothing left.  The surface corrosion will flake and dust off over time.

 

Corten is a form stainless steel, the corrosion when formed becomes a non porous continuous surface which protects the core material from further corrosion.  The corrosion should firmly affix to the core material.

 

The trouble with any coating it will give a sheen that the non coated material does not have.

 

Understood, thanks for clarifying that. Seems like mild steel isn't suitable at all for this purpose then if it's just going to corrode to nothing...

 

Aware that the coating will change the look slightly, but a bit out of options here as I don't want rust getting off everywhere with corten being used indoors.

Edited April 18, 2022 by thefoxesmaltings

[JohnMo]

Have you looked at rust effect paint - paint effect used on cars to make them look rusty, when they are not.

[Mr Punter]

There is a Corten clad house near me.  I know the contractor who clad it.  Apparently it is very difficult to work with and getting your seamless junctions to floor, ceiling and windows will be very hard to achieve.

[Radian]

1 hour ago, JohnMo said:

Have you looked at rust effect paint - paint effect used on cars to make them look rusty, when they are not.

 

e.g. craigandrose.com artisan rust effect Might be worth a try on something...

[saveasteading]

3 hours ago, thefoxesmaltings said:

I will effectively "stop" the rusting process and lock the corten steel finish in time

That happens automatically, and is the purpose of corten.

Once indoors it certainly wont rust any more, and sealing would not be necessary except to keep greasy fingers off it, (and rust off clothes??....if it does come off, I have stroked the stuff and I don't think any ca me off)

 

No  comment on whether it is aesthetically interesting as that is up to you.

[thefoxesmaltings]

3 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

There is a Corten clad house near me.  I know the contractor who clad it.  Apparently it is very difficult to work with and getting your seamless junctions to floor, ceiling and windows will be very hard to achieve.

Noted. will do some more research into that. That alone might make it a non-starter.

[thefoxesmaltings]

2 hours ago, Radian said:

 

e.g. craigandrose.com artisan rust effect Might be worth a try on something...

Interesting option for indoors, but would need the exterior wall to also have the same finish. Not sure how painting cladding outside would pan out. Not to mention, a lot of work. 
 

[thefoxesmaltings]

2 hours ago, saveasteading said:

That happens automatically, and is the purpose of corten.

Once indoors it certainly wont rust any more, and sealing would not be necessary except to keep greasy fingers off it, (and rust off clothes??....if it does come off, I have stroked the stuff and I don't think any ca me off)

 

No  comment on whether it is aesthetically interesting as that is up to you.

Good to know, but you're saying it will definately get on clothes if leant/brushed against etc?

[markc]

Unless the air inside the building is very dry then it will continue to rust and come off when you brush against it, this is true of Corten  or plain mild steel. Obviously the amount of rust formed will be drastically reduced indoors.

 

 

[thefoxesmaltings]

2 hours ago, markc said:

Unless the air inside the building is very dry then it will continue to rust and come off when you brush against it, this is true of Corten  or plain mild steel. Obviously the amount of rust formed will be drastically reduced indoors.

 

 

@saveasteading seems to have a different experience in that the rust will not come off when brushed against, when used indoors.

 

This still brings me back to my original question on how to seal it effectively though.

[markc]

Outside you don’t seal it as the rusting process sheds finger and hand prints, inside the rusting process is so slow that hand prints are a pain, the surface sucks up oil and it looks terrible. Waxing produces a great effect but it is shiny and looks like a coating, an install we did in a London office park was sprayed with a light coating of Matt clear lacquer, still had a bit of a sheen to it and not like a true rusting surface but it was impervious to hand prints.

we supplied a full stainless steel conservatory for lord Sainsbury and that ended up getting sealed after several re polishing s due to hand prints. That was waxed over a brushed finish

[saveasteading]

1 hour ago, markc said:

and it looks terrible.

I think corten is a brilliant material, especially when used for its intended purpose in structures.

 

As an architectural finish it has its place, but has these 'flaws' as markc explains, and with better knowledge than I.

 

Waxed corten completely defeats the original intention of the architect.  Controlled corrosion/rawness of the material. 'Honesty of the material' is probably quoted too.

[SimonD]

Have you considered liquid metal? A number of the microment companies now offer this with various metal finishes. Can be used internally or externally and you use a spray to induce aging which you then wash off with water and seal.

 

 

[thefoxesmaltings]

On 22/04/2022 at 12:46, SimonD said:

Have you considered liquid metal? A number of the microment companies now offer this with various metal finishes. Can be used internally or externally and you use a spray to induce aging which you then wash off with water and seal.

 

 

Interesting. Do you have any links to companies and/or examples?

[SimonD]

5 hours ago, thefoxesmaltings said:

Interesting. Do you have any links to companies and/or examples?

Here are a few links. I've used Relentless Microcement for the supply of Microcement. Topciment seem to do a lot of options.

 

https://www.topciment.com/en/microcements/metallic-coating-pure-mettal#que-es-puremetal

https://www.topciment.com/en/microcements/metallic-paints-oxide-effect-classic-mettal

https://www.topciment.com/en/microcements/metallic-glazes-elitte

 

https://relentlessmicrocement.com/liquid-metal-kits/

 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by SimonD