The durability of cold-formed steel framing depends greatly on its ability to resist corrosion. Untreated steel has a natural tendency to corrode, or oxidize, when exposed to moisture. For this reason, most nonstructural steel framing is manufactured with protective coatings that prevent moisture from reaching the steel substrate. While most in the industry are familiar with standard coatings like galvanized and galvanealed, the use of EQ or equivalent coatings has been growing in popularity, due primarily to their superior corrosion protection. Though “newer” to the construction industry, these coatings have actually been used for several decades, account for a significant portion of the nonstructural cold-formed steel stud market, and meet or exceed International Building Code requirements. Although many in the construction industry have embraced EQ coating technology, others have been slow to do so. The following is a look at why contractors should feel confident when selecting EQ coated studs for their nonstructural steel framing projects.
EQ coatings, also referred to as organic, inter-reactive, reactive polymer coatings or conversion coatings, are added to zinc-coated steel coils to enhance the corrosion resistance of the existing base coating. This additional coating is applied to the steel used to form the metal studs through a reverse roll coating process and is then cured at an elevated temperature to ensure completion of the bonding process.