How long does it take for Corten Steel to weather?
Most days, rust is the enemy. But with these fires that bronzy patina is exactly right!
The Hinterlanz Fire is custom cut from Corten Steel sheets, which is a group of steel alloys that were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance over time.
It’s beautiful to watch. We recommend placing a piece of cardboard or lose tiles down under your fire while the weathering process takes place. This will protect your concrete or decking from the orange run off that happens while the steel surface changes.
How long does it take?
It may look a bit patchy at first unless you spray it with a rust oxide solution, but it will even out over time and get darker as the time passes.
Corten steel weathering mix
This mixture will help to speed up the weathering process of the corten.
First the surface of the fire should be clean and free of any dirt or grease.
If you want it to be a uniform coat of rust, pour some white vinegar into the spray bottle by itself and then spray every surface of the fire surround. Let it dry in the sun, and then repeat several more times. Now, your steel will be ready for the main event.
In a spray bottle mix in 8:1 parts Hydrogen Peroxide and White Vinegar and add half a teaspoon of salt. You might already have some of these products in your pantry. We recommend you buy a new bottle of hydrogen peroxide, instead of using an old one. Spray the surface until evenly soaked all over and it will get the rust patina much faster, repeat as desired. Usually it takes about 6 months to fully build up naturally in our weather. This time frame depends on how protected your fire area is from rain and sunlight though.
For safety purposes, you should be wearing goggles and chemical resistant gloves at all times. Remember, you’re going to be combining harmful chemicals, so be careful!
If the rusting doesn’t start happening immediately, you may need to put your fire in direct sunlight for a while. Heat helps the process.
After you spray the metal, let it dry, and then repeat for about 7 cycles, your steel should look like it’s aged years. Make sure you don’t touch the rust until it has fully dried out, because it might rub off. The longer it stays in the sun, the better.