Electrical parts
Pump, LEDs, cables: when your piece has them, its electrical parts are packed separately, in plastic, sheltered from water.
CORTENYS · PACKAGING
How we package our Corten steel pieces
Protected from knocks, never shut in. Every Corten steel piece travels held in place by cardboard, corner protectors and polystyrene, yet open to the air: its patina breathes until the piece reaches you.
NEVER IN PLASTIC FILM
A patina that needs to breathe
The patina of Corten steel lives in contact with the air. Under plastic film or inside closed packaging, moisture is trapped around the piece and condenses against the metal.
That trapped water makes the surface rust unevenly: stains, streaks and marks that then remain in the patina for good. That is not how a Cortenys piece should begin its life.
That is why we never seal a Corten steel piece in plastic film or closed packaging. It travels protected against knocks but open to the air, so that its patina can breathe.
AGAINST KNOCKS
Cardboard, corner protectors, polystyrene
Each piece is held in place and padded for the journey. Three forms of protection work together, and none of them cuts the piece off from the air.
01Corner protectors
They fit over the corners and edges, the parts of a steel piece most exposed in transit.
02Polystyrene
It holds the piece in place and absorbs knocks, so that it does not move during the journey.
03Cardboard
It protects the piece against knocks until delivery.
04Open air
Nothing seals the surface: air circulates around the steel, and the patina breathes throughout the journey.
KEPT DRY
What must stay dry is protected separately
Corten steel needs air; the electrical parts and the certificate, on the other hand, must stay dry. So we protect them separately, in plastic.
The certificate
The certificate that accompanies your piece is protected in the same way, in plastic, so that it reaches you intact.
IN EVERY PARCEL
The certificate, always included
No parcel leaves without it. The certificate accompanies every one of our pieces: it is as much a part of the delivery as the piece itself, and we make sure it reaches you in perfect condition.
WHAT ABOUT ALUMINIUM?
Powder-coated aluminium is a different case
Everything we describe here is specific to Corten steel. Powder-coated aluminium develops no patina and does not have this problem, so our aluminium pieces can be packed differently, including in film. The care we put into their packaging stays the same.
ON DELIVERY
A few simple steps
Let it breathe
Once your piece is unpacked, do not cover it with a tarpaulin or plastic sheeting: for the same reasons as in transit, trapped moisture would mark its patina.
Protect the floor
Before installing a Corten steel piece, protect the floor: small feet or spacers, or a drip tray, no direct contact with light surfaces, and wipe away any run-off promptly.
Find the certificate
It is in the parcel, protected separately in plastic, like the electrical parts when your piece has them.
Our care does not stop at the workshop.
Every Corten steel piece is made to order, then patinated and inspected one by one in our workshop. Its packaging continues that work: we design it so that the piece reaches you just as it left the workshop, accompanied by its certificate.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Understanding our packaging
01Why is Corten steel never packed in plastic film?
Because film or closed packaging traps moisture: it condenses against the metal and makes the surface rust unevenly, with stains, streaks and lasting marks on the patina. Our Corten steel pieces therefore travel protected against knocks, but open to the air.
02Can a varnished piece be packed in plastic?
No. Our protective varnish seals a good part of the surface, but a varnished piece must not be shut in plastic either: it travels open to the air, like the others. The varnish greatly reduces rust run-off without ruling it out: even varnished, Corten steel can still stain the floor, so we recommend protecting it (small feet or spacers, a drip tray, no direct contact with light surfaces).
03How is the piece protected in transit?
With cardboard, corner protectors over the corners and edges, and polystyrene that holds the piece in place and absorbs knocks.
04Where are the electrical parts and the certificate?
The pump, LEDs and cables, when the piece has them, are protected separately, in plastic, sheltered from water, and so is the certificate. The certificate is included in every parcel.
05Are aluminium pieces packed the same way?
Not necessarily. Powder-coated aluminium does not have this moisture problem, so it can be packed differently, including in film.
Delivery to the United Kingdom
Our retail prices in pounds sterling include delivery to the United Kingdom, VAT, customs duties and import taxes. Each piece is made to order and reaches you within 2 to 5 weeks.