When you’re ordering a custom corrugated steel tank, one of the first decisions you’ll make is the finish. Do you go with a Colorbond colour, or stick with the classic galvanised look? Both are made from Bluescope Aquaplate steel and both are built to last, but they suit different properties and priorities.
Here’s what you need to know to make the right call.
What’s the difference?
Both finishes start with the same base material: BlueScope Aquaplate steel, which has a food-grade polymer lining on the inside and a zinc-based coating on the outside for corrosion resistance. The difference is what happens to the exterior.
Galvanised tanks have that raw, silver-grey metallic finish you’ve probably seen on farm properties for generations. The zinc coating is the finish, no paint, no colour. It’s a utilitarian look that suits rural and agricultural settings.
Coloured tanks have a factory-applied paint layer bonded over the galvanised base. The colour is baked on at the manufacturing stage, which means it won’t peel, crack, or need repainting over the life of the tank. It’s the same technology used in Colorbond roofing and fencing across Australian homes.
When galvanised makes sense
Galvanised is the traditional choice for a reason. It’s well-suited to rural and semi-rural properties where the working, agricultural look fits in. It’s also a practical choice when the tank is going somewhere it won’t be seen much, such as behind a shed or tucked into a corner of a large property.
If you’re running multiple tanks on a farm or rural block and aesthetics aren’t the priority, galvanised does the job without the added consideration of colour matching.
When Colorbond makes more sense
For most residential properties in NSW and ACT, Colorbond is the better choice. The reason is simple: it looks like it belongs.
If your home has a Colorbond roof, Colorbond gutters, or Colorbond fencing, a tank in a matching or complementary colour sits naturally in the yard. A galvanised tank beside a modern home can look like an afterthought.
Colorbond is also the stronger performer in coastal and near-coastal environments. Salt air accelerates surface wear, and the painted finish on Colorbond provides an additional layer of protection over the zinc base. If your property is within a few kilometres of the coast, Colorbond is worth the consideration.
The Colorbond colour range
This is where custom tanks from a manufacturer really come into their own. At gmTANKS, you can order your tank in any standard Colorbond colour, so you’re not limited to a handful of options from a catalogue. Popular choices for residential tanks include Ironstone, Monument, Woodland Grey, and Basalt, but whether you want something that blends into the bush or stands out as a feature, there’s a colour for it.
The benefit of ordering direct from the manufacturer is being able to have that conversation before anything goes into production. You tell us the colour, and the tank is made to spec.
A note on the internal lining
Regardless of which exterior finish you choose, every gmTANKS tank uses Aquaplate¹ steel with the same food-grade polymer lining on the inside. The finish you choose doesn’t affect water quality or tank performance. It’s purely about the exterior.
Not sure which to choose?
If you’re ordering a custom tank and want to talk through the finish options, get in touch with the team at gmTANKS. We manufacture to order from Maitland and deliver across NSW and the ACT, so we can help you think through what suits your property before we start building.
Get in touch with gmTANKS to discuss your tank requirements.