Grating corrosion - Grating corrosion on block paved drive

[Andrea]

Hello

Soon after installation of our block paved driveway, I noticed some corrosion of the grating covering the drainage along the front of the house. This has grown worse and is now rusty in several places. I think it's as a result of the salt or lime deposits from efforesence.

I've contacted our supplier a few times and although they promissed to get back to me they didn't. They even suggested I speak to their supplier of the grating directly! Not my job!

I'm now writing to them and want to warn them that I will escalate to the appropriate body if I don't get a response. They're a member of interlay, so is it them I would contact?

Thanks for any advice.
Andrea

[Dave_L]

Can you post up some pictures of the corrosion or at least a link to where the pictures are hosted?

Very difficult to pass comment without seeing the problem Andrea.



Edited By Dave_L on 1258581837

[Andrea]

Ah yeah, sure. Good idea for evidence too. I'll get onto it tomorrow when it's light.

[Suggers]

Welcome Andrea - what's the grating made of (stainlesss, aluminium, wrought or cast iron) ?
Bugger all to do with paving - eff or no eff.
Corrosion takes ages - looking forward to your photies...
Best.

[Dave_L]

Here's Andreas corrosion problem - sorry for the delay in posting the pic - it's been one of those weeks!



Looks like a cheap grating to me that is just painted and not galvanised.

How many metres have you got of this channel drainage?

[seanandruby]

as it is just on the one side maybe a chemical reaction, acid or something. have you had any cleaning done local to them?

[Dave_L]

Hmmm good point sean, could be a cleaner or sealer reaction, good thinking.

Only option I can see is to replace the grilles, but they aren't [generally] available seperately.

Remove them and send for galvanising? £££ though.

[Tony McC]

That's the sort of thing you see when acid has been used to clean paving.

Apart from that, it suggests a cheap tinny grating with the bare minimum of galvanised coating

[lutonlagerlout]

was any attempt made to remove efflorescence with acid or such?
LLL

[Andrea]

Hello

Thanks for all your emails. The paving was completed in June this year. We decided not to have it sealed and wait until at least next year.

We have not used any products to clean the paving nor the grating. The only liquid that has been in contact with either is the rain which is why I thought it might be the white residue (efforence?) from the bricks.

Not sure what the gratings made of but its not heavy. I'm going to write to the people who installed it and demand they do something about it.

Andrea.

[Dave_L]

Good, the correct course of action.

Do let us know how you get on.

[rab1]

looks like a bad galvanizing job, water is getting in between the layers. that's why you get the bubbled effect. were they really cheap?

[Andrea]

Hi rab1
No idea how much, we had a total job price, no item cost breakdown. The bricks were bowland which I gather from this forum are a good product...I guess they go cheap with other stuff to keep their margins as high as possible.
Dave_L
Will do

[lutonlagerlout]

before you go "demanding " stuff remember that the contractor probably bought the grates in good faith
realistically he should be able to get the grates replaced at no cost to himself by his supplier as they haven't lasted a year.

as long as they were british standard when he installed them he has done nothing wrong
LLL

[Andrea]

Yes, polite and to the point, requesting they respond.