Coastal construction and architecture term for brown, tea-colored staining on stainless steel cladding, balustrades and fittings exposed to chlorides from sea spray or deicing salt. It is shallow surface corrosion, worst on rough finishes, on sheltered areas that rain never rinses, and on lower-alloy grades such as 304. Smoother finishes, higher-PREN grades like 316 and regular washing prevent it.
Balustrades on the beachfront job are already tea staining, should have specced 316 with a polished finish.
Also heard as
- rust bloom on stainless
Related terms
PREN
Pitting resistance equivalent number: an index of a stainless alloy's chloride pitting resistance from its chemistry.
Pitting
Localized corrosion that drills small, deep cavities into metal while the surface around them stays nearly intact.
Crevice corrosion
Localized attack inside tight gaps under gaskets, deposits or lap joints where the solution stagnates.