Perforated Steel: What is it, and How is it Used?

There are many different ways that you can use metal in your daily life, whether you work on construction, or you are just looking for unique ways to add beautiful décor to your home and yard. One common type of metal you can find at Wasatch Steel that is often used in a variety of applications is perforated metal. If you’re not sure what it is, and how it differs from other metals like expanded metal, here is an overview of this sheet metal manufacturing process, and some ways you might want to use it in your life.

What is Perforated Metal?
Perforated metal is a sheet metal that undergoes a manufacturing process of stamping to add holes or other perforations to the surface, in a variety of shapes and sizes, to use in your home, business, or building application. It is a functional steel, and comes in a wide variety of different elements, including lightweight applications for decorations around the house or yard, to heavy-duty applications you can use as load-bearing structures. Since it’s made of steel, this decorative metal offers the same combination of strength, durability, and beauty that other steel provides no matter how you are planning to use it.

Defining Perforated Metal Types
When discussing or buying perforated metal at Wasatch Steel, there are a few different terms you should be aware of so you can get the exact sheet and pattern you prefer.

• Staggered pattern, which offer holes that are diagonal or nested in their orientation, so they offer an offset pattern that gives you the maximum amount of open area in the metal sheet. 
• Straight pattern, which has holes aligned in straight rows and columns for a very symmetrical look. 
• Unfinished ends, which has a pattern that is not extended all the way to the edge of the sheet. It can give the ends of your metal sheet a bit of a rough look.
• Finished ends, which takes the pattern to the edge of the sheet in the same form as the rest of the metal so it appears constant and complete.
• Margins are the areas on the top, bottom, and sides that will not have perforations. These margins help preserve the strength and structural integrity of the sheet. 
• Safe side margins allow you to perforate right to the edge of the sheet, while leaving a small amount of metal on the end so the perforation doesn’t go over the edge.
• Perforated tools are the interchangeable die cuts that give you the size and shape of holes that you expect for different patterns. 
• Hole size describes the shape and diameter of the holes you want in your metal sheet. 

Uses for Perforated Metal
There are a wide variety of ways that you can use perforated metal, whether it’s more functional or it is a more decorative use. Construction and other building or facilities projects may use it for HVAC systems, noise control, security ceilings, sunscreens on the outside of windows, building facades, in-fill panels, ceilings, stair treads and risers. If you like it as a decorative piece, you can use it for interior design, furnishings, screens, and fencing. There are also some applications for the chemical and energy industries, mechanical and manufacturing plants, and food production and brewing, for things such as beehives, grain dryers, wine vats, farming, hammer mill screens, silos, threshing machines screens, malting floors, hop screens, vegetable and fruit presses, and more.

These metal sheets offer several benefits, including light weight, containment, heat dissipation, anti-skid, and the best acoustic performance. Whether you’re planning to use it as something functional or simply beautiful, perforated metal gives you a lot of options.