What is Non-Prime?
Your First Choice for Second Quality Metal Roofing, Cladding & Panels
So what is non-prime?
Non Prime / Seconds Quality material is available in many categories depending on the nature and/or severity of the fault. A full explanation of each category is given below, however it is perhaps useful to understand the process by which sheets are manufactured in order to understand how non prime material comes about.
The Manufacturing Process
The uncoated steel is shipped from the steel mill to the coating plant as a coil of pre-galvanised steel, ready to be applied with one of the various coloured coatings available.
If, during this coating process a fault develops on the coating line, or the operator detects that the coating has not been perfectly applied, the material will be set aside and classified as 'non-prime'. The reasons for this are many and varied but may include:
- Poor coating adhesion
- Inconsistent colour and/or shade
- Blocked coating jets leading to coating thickness variation
- General surface imperfections, e.g. speckling, particle contamination
Other reasons for material to be classified as 'non-prime' include:
- Surplus material destined for export but is now in the UK marketplace
- Production overruns of special one-off colours
- Production test runs/batches
- Cancelled orders from the coating plant for special one-off colours
- Where coil has exceeded 'roll-by' date for the guarantee to remain in place
It is important to remember that the galvanised substrate is the same whether 'full prime' or 'non-prime', however the difference in the 'non-prime' coating means it will almost certainly have a reduced life. It is impossible to say how long it will be before a breakdown in the surface coating begins and a noticeable difference in the materials' appearance occurs, however it's almost certain to occur quicker than with a 'full prime' sheet. Breakdown could start within just a few years or, it may well take many years.
Of course, the sheets can be over-painted at a later stage as to maintain the appearance where desired, and as the substrate is galvanised steel, the effect on the overall life of the sheet, in terms of perforation, will be marginal in comparison.
What Are The Differences In Non-Prime Classification?As mentioned earlier, non-prime material is classified in many different categories depending on the nature and/or severity of the fault. This is a more detailed explanation.
Category 1
This is the best quality in the non-prime range. These sheets/coils are generally in excellent condition and will often be of almost prime quality. Generally speaking the material will either be an over-run, from a test batch or be a cancelled factory order. The 'fault' will be almost unidentifiable (if exists at all). These sheets/coils are ideal for projects where the customer is seeking a good quality, consistent sheet but does not require a guarantee of coating performance.
Category 2
This is the high-to-mid range in the non-prime market. These sheets/coils are generally in good condition and again the 'fault' will be limited. Generally speaking the material will either be an inconsistent colour/shade, coating thickness variation, or contain coating surface imperfections. The fault will usually be fairly difficult to spot. These sheets are ideally suited for one-off jobs where the customer doesn't expect to have to purchase more of the exact same material in the future. Considerable savings over full prime can be achieved.
Category 3
This is a slightly unusual category insofar that quite often the material is good quality but the colour (usually bright/vivid yellows, reds, blues etc) would generally be unsuitable for roofing and/or cladding applications. Instead we roll the coil upside down such that what would usually be seen on the inside (light grey), would now appear of the outside of the building, and visa versa. Accordingly, the bright colours would now only be seen on the inside, with light grey being the outside colour. Ideal applications include 'over-sheeting' or where the underside colour will never be seen (i.e. the building is lined out with another material), or where the customer is not concerned what the underside colour is.
Category 4
The bottom of the range in the non-prime 'coated' classification. The sheets/coils will most definitely have coating/adhesion problems. This could range from streaks of missing coating, to the coating flaking off, through to no coating at all (but still galvanised). Again, these sheets are ideal for over-painting, for temporary structures or were appearance is not a consideration.
Ungalvanised / Plain Cold Reduced
A category that has a very limited marketplace. The material is NOT galvanised but will simply be plain mild steel with a coating of one sort or another. Originally this material would NOT have been destined for the roofing & cladding marketplace due to fact that it has very poor weathering properties. Generally speaking, this material shouldn't be used for exterior application although some exceptions do exist such as very short term temporary structures (less than 12 months), quick fix patch ups (e.g. after fire damage) or interior applications.
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IMPORTANT REMINDER
What we sell is Non Prime, Seconds Quality and does NOT carry any form of guarantee or warranty. If you require material with a guarantee, visit our sister website Southern Sheeting Supplies.
All the material we offer is non prime, factory seconds, factory rejects, seconds quality, off spec coatings, sub standard material & damaged stock.
