How do I make sure my wire balustrade cable doesn’t rust?

1. Make sure you use a high standard of 316 stainless steel wire rope.
2. Apply Lanotec liquid/spray to it to keep salt and other contaminants off.
3. Clean the wire and fittings regularly.

1. Make sure you use a high standard of 316 stainless steel wire rope:

Not all 316 wire rope is made equal. There are different ways it can be made, some manufacturing techniques will result in excellent performance and some will not.

So what works? Well it is impossible to tell by looking at the wire but certain production techniques can significantly reduce the ability of the wire to resist tea-staining, these include:

• Iron contamination on the stainless steel from factory tooling also used to make galvanized steel wire rope.
• A dull/rough finish which will corrode more easily.
• Over-drawing (stretching) the wire in production can reduce the stainless steel’s corrosion resistance.

2. Apply Lanotec liquid/spray to the wire rope to keep salt or other contaminants at bay.

Lanotec is a Lanolin product from Sheep’s wool which can be wiped onto the stainless steel wire rope as a liquid with a soft cloth.  It will provide an excellent protective barrier helping keep contaminants off.  This is especially important as the wire rope structure naturally provides crevices for salt to get trapped in between the strands.

3. Regularly clean the stainless steel wire cables.

Very simple; give it a wash down with soapy water. Cleaning frequency will depend on your location but if you are anywhere near a surf beach, regular cleaning and application of Lanotec will be essential to keeping the wire well maintained and looking great.

How do different stainless steel wire cables perform with rusting?

To illustrate the difference in performance of stainless steel wires, we have conducted an experiment. Simulating an extreme corrosive environment, we left samples of wire in a highly concentrated salt-water solution for 3 months. The performance of the stainless steel was further tested given the availability of oxygen was significantly reduced (being in water), therefore reducing its ability to produce the protective chromium oxide layer that stainless steel requires to work to inhibit corrosion.

So to the results:

• Item 1 – No tea-staining or rusting – Anzor Ultra 316 Wire Rope – this wire is a quality Korean 316 wire rope which uses ultra-sonic cleaning processes during production resulting in a cleaner shinier finish.
• Item 2 – Almost no tea-staining – Anzor 316 Wire Rope – this wire is a quality 316 wire rope made in Vietnam by a Korean specialist producer and performs extremely well.
• Item 3 – Medium tea-staining – 316 wire rope from a factory not stocked by Anzor – this wire is a Chinese 316 wire rope which has been made shinier with cleaning processes but still does not perform as well as required.
• Item 4 - Significant tea-staining – 316 wire rope from a factory not stocked by Anzor – this wire is a Chinese 316 wire rope.

How do I remove rust from my stainless steel wire balustrade cables?

If washing and cleaning the stainless steel wire rope does not remove the tea-staining or rusting occurring, then you need some more aggressive.  You can use Action Gel or Cream to clean the stainless steel if you are looking to remove any rust spots that may have popped up over time.  Follow safety precautions and use gloves and safety glasses.

So getting the right 316 wire rope is very important – choose a proven/reliable supplier for your product and then with a small amount of elbow grease you can keep it looking great!