Hot-dip galvanised steel for padel courts: what it is and why it matters

What hot-dip galvanising is

Hot-dip galvanising means immersing finished steel parts in a bath of molten zinc at around 450 °C. At that temperature the zinc does not simply sit on top like paint: it reacts with the iron to form zinc-iron alloy layers metallurgically bonded to the steel, topped by a layer of pure zinc.

Because the whole part goes into the bath, the zinc reaches everywhere: the inside of the tubes, corners, drill holes and weld seams. Those are exactly the spots where corrosion usually starts on a frame that has only been painted.

How a padel court frame is galvanised

The order of operations matters as much as the bath itself. First the profiles are cut and welded, as we describe in how padel courts are made; then galvanising begins:

• Degreasing to remove oils and residue from cutting and welding.
• Pickling in an acid bath to strip rust and mill scale.
• Fluxing, which prepares the surface so the zinc reacts evenly.
• Immersion in molten zinc and controlled withdrawal.
• Cooling and inspection of the coating before painting.

Galvanising after welding is the key: it leaves the joints as well protected as the rest of the profile.

Why it keeps protecting even when scratched

Zinc protects in two ways. The first is as a barrier, sealing the steel off from water and oxygen. The second is less well known and more valuable: zinc is more reactive than iron, so if a knock or scrape exposes the steel, the surrounding zinc corrodes sacrificially and keeps protecting that area. This is called cathodic protection, and it explains why a small scratch on a galvanised frame does not turn into a spreading rust stain.

Hot-dip galvanising versus other protection

• Paint only: protects while the film is intact. As soon as it cracks, water gets in and rust spreads underneath.
• Pre-galvanised tube: the tube arrives with a thin zinc layer, but cutting and welding leave edges and joints unprotected.
• Hot-dip galvanising: a thick, continuous coating, inside and out, applied after welding.

When it is essential

On any outdoor court it is the recommended option, but some settings make it non-negotiable: coastal sites with salt air, tropical climates with high year-round humidity, industrial areas and indoor venues next to swimming pools, where chlorine makes the atmosphere highly aggressive to steel. That is why our frames combine hot-dip galvanising with a C5 anti-corrosion treatment, the category for very high corrosivity environments.

Durability, warranty and the next layer

Good galvanising can protect steel for decades. That does not change the warranty, which on our courts is 5 years, but it does change the realistic service life of the frame and the maintenance you will need.

Over the zinc we apply oven-cured powder coating, which adds colour and a second barrier. This combination, known as a duplex system, is explained in powder coating for padel courts. To see the process first-hand, visit our factory page.