Stainless Steel Corner Guards

There are different gauges and grades of stainless steel. Each grade is based on the amount of nickel and molybdenum in the steel — the more nickel and molybdenum, the more stainless and rust-proof the end product is. TheCornerGuardStore stainless steel corner guards are available in a variety of gauges, grades and finishes.

We have noticed extremely low “teaser” prices for metal corner guards on many of our competitors’ websites. There are two very important things to be aware of when comparing stainless steel, aluminum or diamond plate corner guards:

1. Gauge (thickness)

1. The gauge is the thickness of the metal. Stainless steel and steel are measured in gauges; aluminum is measured in inch decimals.
2. The higher the gauge, the thinner the material. For example, 16ga is approximately 1/16", 7ga is approximately 1/4", and 22ga is approximately 1/46". (Aluminum and diamond plate are measured by decimal, so it works the opposite way — the higher the decimal, the thicker the material.)
3. Many competitors advertise a “teaser” of 22ga material — the same gauge kitchen-appliance manufacturers use. It is almost paper-thin and will dent on the first encounter.

2. Grade (type) of material

1. Stainless steel is not rust-proof in general. Grades are based on the amount of nickel and molybdenum in the steel — the more nickel and molybdenum, the more stainless and rust-proof the material is.
2. The most common type is Type 304 — a middle-of-the-road stainless steel used for just about anything, with very good rust-proof properties. This is the stainless steel TheCornerGuardStore uses in about 80% of the products we make.
3. The “teaser” grade many of our competitors use is Type 430. It is a substandard material and will begin to show rust almost immediately.
4. In a corrosive environment (pools with chlorine, outdoors where road salt is used, or anywhere near the ocean) you need Type 316 stainless steel — the type used by NASA and in medical devices. It is extremely stainless and rust-proof, and also the most expensive of the three grades. Anything less than 316 in those environments will result in a very disappointed customer — something we bend over backward to avoid.

When you know both the grades and gauges of stainless steel, you are prepared to compare apples to apples. Once you do, we are convinced you will not find a better-quality, less expensive corner guard. Toss in our unbeatable lead times and there is no better place to buy your corner guards than TheCornerGuardStore.com.