Stainless Steel Fabrication

304 and 316 stainless for kitchens, marine exposure and anywhere rust is not an option.

304 vs 316

304 is the standard austenitic stainless and it covers most interior work — kitchen counters and shelving, splashbacks, interior railings, furniture frames. 316 adds molybdenum, which is what buys resistance to chlorides: salt spray, pool chemistry, de-icing salt.

The price gap is real but smaller than people expect, and it is almost always the wrong place to save. If a railing is going on a deck with an ocean view, specify 316 and stop thinking about it. If it is going in a hallway, 304 is not a compromise — it is the correct answer.

The one thing neither grade tolerates is contamination. Stainless that has been cut or ground with tooling previously used on mild steel will pick up embedded iron particles and bloom orange rust within months. We keep separate consumables for stainless work. Not every shop does, and it is worth asking whoever you are quoting with.

Coastal and Marine Exposure

Metro Vancouver is a marine environment far further inland than most people assume. Salt-laden air reaches well up the North Shore slopes and along the Fraser, and it collects on horizontal surfaces where rain does not wash it off.

For anything on the water — Ambleside, Dundarave, Deep Cove, waterfront Richmond — 316 is the baseline, and it still wants rinsing. Fresh water on the metal a few times a year removes the chloride film that causes pitting. That single habit is the difference between stainless that looks new in a decade and stainless with brown freckles in year three.

We will tell you at the consultation which side of that line your site falls on. It is not always the obvious one.

Finishes and Grain

Finish changes how stainless looks, how it wears and what it costs.

• No. 4 brushed — the familiar directional satin grain. Forgiving, hides handling marks, the default for most railings and commercial work.
• No. 8 mirror — polished to a reflection. Striking on feature work, and it shows every fingerprint. Interior only, and only where someone is willing to maintain it.
• Bead blast — an even matte with no direction. Excellent for furniture and anywhere the grain of a brushed finish would fight the design.

Grain direction matters as much as grade. On a run of railing, the brush should run continuously along the length rather than changing direction at each weld. That is a fabrication decision made before anything is cut, not a polishing decision made at the end.

Cost and Lead Time

Stainless costs more than mild steel per kilo and more again to fabricate. It work-hardens, so it is slower to cut and drill; it needs a shielding gas and cleaner preparation to weld; and welds must be passivated or mechanically finished afterwards or they will corrode before the parent metal does.

Expect a stainless version of a piece to run meaningfully above the steel equivalent, with the gap widening as the finish gets finer. A mirror-polished piece carries a lot of hand labour.

Lead time is longer than steel because stock is less commonly held and the finishing steps cannot be rushed. Tell us your date at the consultation and we will tell you honestly whether it works.

Free in-house consultation

We come to you, measure the site, and talk through options and budget before you commit to anything. No charge, no obligation.

Call (778) 805-5333 or email sales@trussmetal.com