Zinc-plated door hinges are commonly used in residential homes and commercial buildings alike. Like all hinges, they act as pivot points. Hinges allow objects to rotate from an adjacent surface to which they are connected. Doors, for instance, can rotate and swing open from the door frame. Zinc-plated door hinges, however, feature an additional layer of material that enhances both their physical and aesthetic properties.
What Are Zinc-Plated Door Hinges?
Zinc-plated door hinges are characterized by a thin outer layer of zinc. They aren’t made entirely of zinc. Rather, they typically feature a carbon steel core that’s covered in a layer of zinc.
How Zinc Plating Works
Zinc plating is typically applied to door hinges via electroplating. A form of electrodeposition, electroplating involves the use of a zinc-based electrolyte solution. Hinges are initially cleaned, after which they are submerged in the electrolyte solution. An electric current is then applied the electrolyte solution, which causes micro-sized zinc particles to stick to the hinge’s surface. The hinge is then rinsed and dried before being sold as a zinc-plated door hinge.
Benefits of Zinc-Plated Door Hinges
Why should you choose zinc-plated door hinges exactly? For starters, they are very strong and able to support heavy doors. Most zinc-plated door hinges are made of carbon steel. Carbon steel, of course, has a higher concentration of carbon than other types of steel, such as stainless steel. The high carbon content of zinc-plated door hinges makes them very strong.
Zinc-plated door hinges offer a superior level of protection against corrosion. Hinges can corrode when exposed to moisture. Even small amounts of airborne moisture can result in oxidation that manifests in the form of corrosion.
Carbon steel is particularly susceptible to corrosion because it has less chromium than stainless steel. However, zinc-plated door hinges feature an outer layer of zinc to protect against corrosion. When exposed to moisture or oxygen, zinc forms a protective layer of zinc oxide and zinc carbonate, which shields the underlying carbon steel.
Zinc-plated door hinges require less maintenance than many other types of hinges. This is because they are protected from rust corrosion and rust. You should still lubricate them to ensure they open and rotate smoothly, but that’s all it takes to maintain zinc-plated door hinges.
You can find zinc-plated door hinges in different colors, such as black and yellow. Colors such as these are typically achieved with a chromate solution. After the hinge has been electroplated, it’s dipped in a chromate solution.