When does steel become destructive? Steel is widely used in the building industry as a material that has very strong structural properties. It can also be the cause of some expensive structural repairs! If left unchecked and not properly maintained steel will RUST. When the rust has set in it will naturally keep rusting until the element collapses. When steel rusts it expands and this is where things can start getting expensive.
The photos below show a steel lintel above a window that has rusted. The rust was strong enough to lift the brickwork above the window by 12mm. If left unchecked this steel lintel will eventually collapse as well as the brick work above it.
To avoid this situation general maintenance is required. A couple of times a year wash the steel lintels (usually when washing windows) check that surface rust has not started. If surface rust has started clean with a wire brush then use a rust preventative primer and paint.
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