Structural Steel Restoration
Same beam. Same building.
72 hours apart.
We strip decades of rust and corrosion from structural steel — bridges, warehouse frames, fire escapes, water towers — and restore them to mill-finish strength.
01 / The Promise
If the coating fails, we come back.
Five years. Written. No asterisks. Every job we touch carries a warranty that means something — because our process makes it safe to offer.
Written warranty on every zinc-prime and topcoat application
Full photographic record and coating thickness reports on delivery
Most structural steel jobs completed within three working days
Every surface prepared to Commercial Blast minimum — no exceptions
02 / The Process
Three stages. Zero shortcuts.
The warranty is only as strong as the process behind it. Here's exactly how we work — and why the sequence matters.
Strip — Down to Bare Metal
We begin with abrasive blasting — angular steel grit at 90–100 psi — removing all mill scale, rust, old coatings, and surface contamination to SSPC-SP6 Commercial Blast minimum. On tight sites we use vacuum-blast containment; open sites run open-blast with full sheeting. No grinder shortcuts. No wire-brush finishes. The surface profile is measured and documented before anyone opens a primer can.
Treat — Zinc-Rich Primer Within the Hour
Bare steel oxidizes within minutes of blasting. Our crews prime within 30–60 minutes of blast completion — no exceptions. We apply inorganic zinc-rich primer (85%+ zinc by weight in dry film) directly to the bare profile. This galvanic protection layer is the reason our coating systems outlast paint-over-rust patches by a decade. DFT is measured at every panel before the crew moves on.
Coat — Inspection-Ready, Every Time
Intermediate and topcoat are applied per the project spec — epoxy mastic intermediate for build, polyurethane or alkyd topcoat for UV and chemical resistance depending on environment. Every coat is DFT-checked, holiday-tested on immersion zones, and photographed. You receive a full coating report: surface profile, DFT readings by panel, product data sheets, and batch numbers. That documentation is what backs the five-year warranty.
03 / The Work
Residential railings to municipal bridges.
Every job backed by the same process. Every coating system documented and warranted.
Rte. 9 Overpass Girders
Springfield, IL
Section loss >15% on lower flanges, DOT compliance deadline 90 days out.
Midland Distribution Center
Gary, IN
Insurance adjuster flagged corroded W8 columns. 30-day cure-or-vacate notice.
14-Story Residential Tower
Chicago, IL
City citation. Pitting corrosion on all 28 landings, through-rust on 3 stringers.
Harwick Municipal Tank
Harwick, PA
Interior coating failure. Rust bloom on 40% of shell. EPA potable water recoat standard.
04 / The Proof
The guarantee held. Every time.
We had a 30-day cure-or-vacate notice from our insurance carrier. Forge showed up on day two, blasted and primed by day four, topcoat done by day six. The adjuster cleared us with zero punch list. I've never seen a contractor move that fast without cutting corners — and I've seen the documentation to prove they didn't.
The DOT gave us 90 days to bring the overpass girders into compliance or face closure. We'd already had two other contractors walk after seeing the section loss. Forge assessed on Monday, mobilized Thursday, and handed us a full coating report with DFT readings by panel. First-attempt pass. I keep that report in my desk drawer.
I've been running GC work for 18 years. Steel prep is always the thing that delays the next trade. Forge gave me a firm three-day window, hit it, and handed off a surface that our coating sub called the cleanest profile he'd seen in a decade. That's the kind of sub you put on every bid.
Not ready to book a crew?
Send us photos of your steel and a brief description. We'll tell you within one business day whether it's salvageable, what spec we'd recommend, and a rough cost range. No commitment required.
05 / Get Started
Let's see what's
under the rust.
We do site assessments at no charge within 50 miles. You'll leave knowing exactly what the steel needs, what spec we'd apply, and what it'll cost — before you commit to anything.