Common questions on our painted and unpainted products:

Q. What type of paint do you use?

A. We use an "industrial strength" machinery enamel for our paint.

Q. What type of painting process is involved?

A. First we clean the material to get all of the oils off, leaving bare metal for a very clean painting surface. We then professionally electro-static spray the surface with two coats of the enamel paint.

Q. Do you prime paint your products first?

A. We do not prime paint unless special ordered, or if a custom color requires a primer, such as white shown here in the photo.

Q. How long will the paint last?

A.  Factors such as the climate, keeping them inside or outside, rubbing by the animal and manure exposure are just a few things that will affect the longevity of the paint on the product. Animals are tough on products, so typically a little touching up will be needed every one to three years to keep the paint looking good on worn or heavily scratched areas.

Q. Do you protect the painted product before shipping?

A. Because of the size and bulkiness of this type of product, the expense of boxing and crating these items is prohibitive. When shipped using commercial freight companies, most of the time it is hauled in a box type trailer and can only be loaded and unloaded one piece at a time. On full truck load orders, the product is shipped on a flatbed trailer. Either way, scratches and/or scraps can and do occur during shipment with our painted products, although most of the time very minimal.

Q. If the products are purchased unpainted, will they rust?

A. Yes, they will get a surface rust, but because we use heavier gauges in our products (i.e. thickness of material) , they will last for years and years without ever painting them at all. Some people prefer the "rustic look". It is all a matter of personal preference. Some of our products are sold painted and can not be ordered unpainted.

Q. If products are purchased unpainted, what is the best way to prep and paint them?

A. There are a few different ways to prep our products for paint. The most costly would be sandblasting the product. Second, would be to wipe them down using a thinner or other solvent to get the metal clean. Or finally, letting the products sit outside and weather for 3-6 months. We recommend the last way if you elect to paint them yourself. 

If you choose the 3rd solution, once the oil has weathered off, simply wipe them down or use a wire brush to get any loose surface rust off the metal before painting. If you have a sprayer, that would be the best way to paint the surface. If not, another way is to use a painting mitt to apply the paint which is very time consuming.

There is no really easy way to paint them yourself. That is why most customers that want them painted, order them already painted from us, or hire a third party to paint them once the product is received.

Q. Do you offer galvanized products?

A. We do not offer or have the ability to galvanize our products. If you want to have our products galvanized once you receive them, you will need to prep them for the galvanizing process. Check with your local galvanizing facility for details on prepping the material. Note: Just because a product is galvanized, does not make it superior. Most galvanized products on the market are made from thin gauged tubing. Even when left unpainted, our heavier gauged products will outperform and outlast others. In fact, many of the very first corral panels we manufactured over 25 years ago are still in use and in great shape today, and they were never painted!