Is COLORBOND® better than ZINCALUME®?

Neither is simply better. COLORBOND® adds a baked-on paint system over the same alloy-coated base, giving you colour choice and an extra protective layer, at a higher cost. ZINCALUME® is an economical, durable choice where appearance and colour matching matter less.

Which is better near the beach in Bundaberg?

It depends on how close you actually are to breaking surf. BlueScope specify minimum distances for each product, and coastal sites often need COLORBOND® Ultra - BlueScope's highest-durability coated steel, designed for severe marine environments. We check your address and specify accordingly as part of the quote.

What is COLORBOND® Ultra steel?

COLORBOND® Ultra is BlueScope's premium coastal-grade coated steel. It uses a heavier metallic alloy coating system than standard COLORBOND®, giving it the highest corrosion resistance in the BlueScope range. It carries the same colour range as standard COLORBOND®, so you get full colour choice without compromising on durability. It is the product BlueScope specify for sites close to breaking surf where standard COLORBOND® is outside its suitability zone.

Does COLORBOND® fade?

COLORBOND® steel uses a baked-on paint system designed for Australian conditions and is tested for colour retention, but like any painted surface it is affected by exposure over time. Washing down areas that rain does not reach helps, and is also a warranty condition.

Yes, and plenty of people do. A common combination is a ZINCALUME® roof with COLORBOND® walls and trims, or COLORBOND® on the visible elevations only. We can price the combinations you are considering.

Buyer's guide

COLORBOND® orZINCALUME®?

Both are genuine BlueScope® Australian steel and both make an excellent shed. The choice comes down to appearance, how close you are to the surf, and what you want the building to look like in fifteen years. For beachside blocks there is a third option - COLORBOND® Ultra. Purpose-built for severe marine environments.

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The difference in one paragraph

ZINCALUME® steel is an aluminium, zinc and magnesium alloy-coated steel with a bright metallic silver finish. COLORBOND® steel is that same base, with a baked-on paint system applied over it in a range of colours. COLORBOND® Ultra takes the same paint system and puts it over a heavier metallic alloy coating, giving it the highest corrosion resistance in the BlueScope range - the product BlueScope specify for sites close to breaking surf.

So the three products are not different steels. They are the same BlueScope base, built up in layers - ZINCALUME® with the alloy coating alone, COLORBOND® with an added paint system, and COLORBOND® Ultra with a heavier alloy coating plus the paint system. Which one suits your shed depends on how close you are to the coast and what you want the building to look like.

ZINCALUME® steel compared with COLORBOND® and COLORBOND® Ultra steel
	ZINCALUME®	COLORBOND®	COLORBOND® Ultra
Finish	Bright metallic silver	Baked-on paint in a full colour range	Baked-on paint in a full colour range over a heavier metallic coating
Colour choice	One — unpainted metallic	Wide range of 22 standard colours and 6 matt colours.	Same wide range of 22 standard colours and 6 matt colours.
Cost	Lowest	Higher	Highest - premium coastal grade
Corrosion resistance	Alloy coating only	Alloy coating plus a paint system over it	Thicker metallic alloy coating plus paint system - BlueScope's highest-durability coated steel
Best suited for	Rural sheds, farm buildings, industrial	Homes, garages, carports, patios - anything visible from the street	Sites close to breaking surf and severe marine environments
Heat and glare	Reflective but bright in full sun	Lighter colours reflect more heat; dark colours absorb more	Same thermal behaviour as standard COLORBOND®
Matching a house	Difficult	Straightforward - match roof, gutter and trim	Straightforward - same colour range as standard COLORBOND®
Common use	Rural sheds, farm buildings, industrial	Homes, garages, carports, patios, anything visible from the street	Beachside homes, coastal garages, carports and sheds within breaking-surf distance

Living near the coast

Bundaberg, Bargara, Elliott Heads, Burnett Heads, Moore Park Beach, Woodgate and Agnes Water all sit in a marine environment, and salt is the single biggest factor in how long a steel building keeps looking good.

BlueScope publish minimum distances from breaking surf and salt water for each of their products, and those distances differ by product and by which part of the building you are talking about. Closer to the water, the specification steps up - and for sites within BlueScope's coastal exclusion zone for standard COLORBOND®, the answer is COLORBOND® Ultra steel.

COLORBOND® Ultra is built on a heavier metallic coating system than standard COLORBOND®, giving it the highest corrosion resistance in the BlueScope range. It carries the same colour range, so you do not have to sacrifice appearance for durability - it is simply the right product when the air tastes of salt.

This is not something to guess at. We specify the right product for your actual address as part of the quote, and we will tell you plainly if your site needs COLORBOND® Ultra rather than a standard product.

Heat, glare and neighbours

In full Queensland sun, a bare ZINCALUME® roof is bright. On a rural block that rarely matters. On a suburban block with the neighbours looking down at it, it can.

Colour also affects heat. Lighter COLORBOND® colours reflect more of the sun's heat than darker ones, which makes a noticeable difference inside an uninsulated shed. If the building is a workshop you will spend real time in, consider a lighter roof colour, insulation, or roof ventilators.

Rural machinery shed, no neighbours nearby: ZINCALUME® is a sound, economical choice
Garage or carport attached to or visible from the house: COLORBOND®, matched to your roof
Workshop you will work in through summer: lighter roof colour plus insulation or ventilators
Beachside block within breaking-surf distance: COLORBOND® Ultra, specified for the marine environment
Coastal block but set back from the surf: talk to us about whether standard COLORBOND® or Ultra is the right specification

Warranty and what it depends on

BlueScope offer warranties on thier entire range, but they are conditional. Distance from the coast, the application, correct installation, avoiding contact with incompatible materials, and washing down areas not cleaned by rain all affect cover.

That is another reason the specification matters more than the colour swatch. We build in 100% Australian BlueScope® steel with genuine COLORBOND® and ZINCALUME® finishes, specified for your site, so the warranty conditions are actually met.

Common questions

COLORBOND® vs ZINCALUME® steel

Is COLORBOND® better than ZINCALUME®?: Neither is simply better. COLORBOND® adds a baked-on paint system over the same alloy-coated base, giving you colour choice and an extra protective layer, at a higher cost. ZINCALUME® is an economical, durable choice where appearance and colour matching matter less.
Which is better near the beach in Bundaberg?: It depends on how close you actually are to breaking surf. BlueScope specify minimum distances for each product, and coastal sites often need COLORBOND® Ultra - BlueScope's highest-durability coated steel, designed for severe marine environments. We check your address and specify accordingly as part of the quote.
What is COLORBOND® Ultra steel?: COLORBOND® Ultra is BlueScope's premium coastal-grade coated steel. It uses a heavier metallic alloy coating system than standard COLORBOND®, giving it the highest corrosion resistance in the BlueScope range. It carries the same colour range as standard COLORBOND®, so you get full colour choice without compromising on durability. It is the product BlueScope specify for sites close to breaking surf where standard COLORBOND® is outside its suitability zone.
Does COLORBOND® fade?: COLORBOND® steel uses a baked-on paint system designed for Australian conditions and is tested for colour retention, but like any painted surface it is affected by exposure over time. Washing down areas that rain does not reach helps, and is also a warranty condition.
Can I mix the two?: Yes, and plenty of people do. A common combination is a ZINCALUME® roof with COLORBOND® walls and trims, or COLORBOND® on the visible elevations only. We can price the combinations you are considering.

See the colours in person

Browse the full COLORBOND® range, or call in to our Bundaberg office and look at real samples against your house colours.

Request a quote Open the 3D Designer View the COLORBOND® colour chart Our Australian steel

Keep reading

Genuine Australian steel

Every Spartan Shed is built from 100% Australian BlueScope® steel with genuine COLORBOND®, COLORBOND® Ultra or ZINCALUME® finishes - backed by BlueScope® steel warranties and our own workmanship guarantee. Ask us for full warranty details on your specific building. More on the steel we build from.