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New independent analysis commissioned by Mila has revealed that not only is stainless steel door hardware more durable than zinc diecast, but it also has a lower carbon footprint.
That, Mila says, is a powerful message for fabricators and installers to take to all those retail customers who want to buy more sustainably, and to the commercial market, where there is so often a requirement to achieve carbon reduction targets.
The analysis, carried out by consultants Tunley Engineering, revealed that annual carbon emissions for a Mila stainless steel door handle are only 17% that of a Mila zinc die cast equivalent.
In part, that is because stainless steel products have a lifespan which is typically five times longer than zinc, meaning that the carbon emissions can be averaged out over a longer period. But, more significantly it comes from the fact that the emission factors for producing zinc are 60+% higher than they are for steel, and there are more energy intensive processes required to manufacture in zinc rather than in steel.
Richard Gyde, Mila’s Managing Director, says the figures support the company’s ongoing efforts to encourage as many customers as possible to migrate from buying and fitting zinc to buying and fitting stainless steel. He said:
“We’ve massively expanded our range of Supa™ stainless steel hardware products over the past three years and we’ve seen sales almost treble as a result, to a point where they now account for more than 45% of all the door hardware we sell.
“Obviously, stainless steel has long been the first choice at the upper end of the retail market for composite, timber and aluminium doors, and increasingly in the commercial and social housing sectors where the enhanced durability can guarantee fewer costly remedials, But we’d like to see it become the default option for all doors so that remedials and hardware replacements because of failures in finishes essentially become a thing of the past.
“As well as the environmental and durability benefits, we’ve worked hard to bring down costs on our Supa™ range. As a result, for lots of customers, the price differential between this and zinc will be negligible.”
Mila’s Supa™ stainless steel hardware includes door handles, letterplates, pull bars, escutcheons and door knockers – the vast majority of which are available in either SS304 extreme or SS316 marine grade material for coastal and high pollution areas. The entire range has been independently performance tested for corrosion resistance to BSEN1670 Grade 5 and has sailed through more than 1000 hours in a salt spray test, enabling Mila to offer a 25-year surface finish and mechanical operation guarantee.
The choice of suited finishes includes polished or brushed stainless, and polished or brushed PVD gold to suit virtually any contemporary or traditional door design.
For details and a quotation on Mila’s Supa™ range, click here.
