Like any property owner making considerations about a large purchase for their home, it’s important to consider the features and characteristics of different building materials, and how suitable they’ll be for your needs. Things to think about include how long a certain material is likely to last before it needs to be repaired or replaced, and what you’ll have to do to maintain it and keep it looking and functioning like new.

Being the specialists in aluminium windows and doors, one question that we are asked frequently in the showroom is: “Will aluminium rust?”

Aluminium does not rust, it corrodes

Hoorah! If you’ve been considering windows and doors made from aluminium for your home, you may be pleased to find out that aluminium is indeed resistant to rust, due to its specific chemical composition. Usually iron and steel are prone to rust, and so they need to be kept away from any kind of moisture or painted to provide a barrier over the metal surface itself.

This being said, something that can happen with aluminium is corrosion, which is a chemical reaction that essentially causes the surface of a metal to oxidise. Corrosion can often look quite similar to rust, although it usually has more of a white colour rather than brown. But there’s good news again here – There’s a special process that can be applied to aluminium to stop corrosion from happening as well.

Aluminium corrosion. (Image source)

Anodising to protect aluminium from corrosion

In order to protect aluminium from corrosion, it can undergo a special treatment called anodisation. Without getting too technical, anodising is a process by which aluminium is passed through an electrically charged, acidic liquid solution made up of a number of special chemicals that essentially change the aluminium’s surface texture on a microscopic level. The purpose of all this is to thicken the surface of the aluminium, and create a physical barrier between the aluminium itself and the outside elements. You can read more about anodising in our Glossary.

Colour options for anodised aluminium

The process has an extra benefit in that it also allows the aluminium to be “dyed” different colours, either by incorporating the colour directly onto the surface of the aluminium, or by coating the aluminium with a special “paint” to achieve the desired colour during the anodisation process.

Aluminium pieces undergoing the anodising process. (Photo credit)

Anodised aluminium windows and doors from BetaView

All of BetaView’s aluminium windows and doors are fully anodised, to ensure that they’re resistant to damage from corrosion. Since windows and doors tend to get a fair bit of use and are prone to be knocked and bumped around a little, the anodising process also protects them against scratching, denting, and other physical damage. Of course, another benefit of anodising is that it allows us to provide a wide range of colour options, to better suit the style and decor of your home. 

BetaView offers standard aluminium anodising as a free finishing option, alongside 13 powder coat colour finishes.

Need any more information about the benefits of using aluminium as a durable and rust-proof material for windows and doors? Let us know by asking a question in the comments section below, or simply get in touch with our friendly team on 1300 44 64 44.