Are you looking for a creative way to modernize your home? What about a way to make your business look clean, professional, and industrial? Or maybe you're thinking about sprucing up your RV before your next road trip.
What if we told you there's something that can help you with all the above? That "something" just so happens to be diamond plate, a sleek and modern decorating option that many overlook. Metal diamond plate is a versatile accent you can use on car and truck bumpers, cabinets, tables, walls, and more. It can imbue any space with a cool and stylish feel.
But how do you tell if diamond plate is what you need? To help you determine whether diamond plate is right for you and your home, business, or vehicle, here's everything you need to know about diamond plate.
What Is Diamond Plate?
Diamond plate, also known as checkered plate or tread plate, is a metal plate product featuring a raised diamond pattern on the surface. Diamond plate is commonly made of aluminum, but you can also find plastic, vinyl, steel, or stainless steel diamond plate. Different materials have different perks. Plastic is light but weak, and steel is heavy but durable. Aluminum is the optimal choice for those who want the best of both worlds—it's both light and decently sturdy.
How Is It Made?
The intricate pattern on diamond plate might make you think that creating it is complicated. But the process of making diamond plate is quite simple.
The process starts off the same way as the standard metal plate production process. At some point during the process, the metal passes through a series of rollers, which roll it to the desired thickness. The final set of rollers that the metal passes through features the iconic diamond pattern, which it embosses onto the plate.
The way this pattern is embossed onto the metal varies depending on the material. With steel, manufacturers use hot-rolling to heat up the metal before passing it through the rollers. Thicker aluminum is produced the same way, but with thinner, cosmetic plate, the pattern is simply "stamped" on.
What Are the Types of Diamond Plate?
As mentioned previously, diamond plate comes in various materials. Let's look at some of the most common materials, as well as the pros and cons of each one.
Aluminum
Aluminum is the most common material used for diamond plate. Aluminum is structurally sound and corrosion resistant. It can also be polished to a reflective surface or painted different colors.
Low to Medium Steel
Like aluminum, steel is both structurally and mechanically sound. It's also much more affordable than other metals, which makes it both a reliable and cost-friendly option for diamond plate material.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel diamond plate is durable and corrosion-resistant. This kind of diamond plate is typically used in the industrial and food and beverage industries, but its appealing appearance also makes it a popular, albeit costly, choice for homes and businesses.
Plastic
Plastic diamond plate is inexpensive and brittle, but it does have a few pros: it's affordable, stain-resistant, and waterproof. If you want to decorate low-traffic areas of the home, plastic is a decent option. But if you want an extra layer of protection, we recommend decorative aluminum diamond plate instead.
What Can You Use Diamond Plate For?
You can use diamond plate for a lot of things! The various uses depend on the type of diamond plate in question.
Some diamond plate is made for industrial use. Industrial plate is extremely durable, and it is typically used for shipping decks, trailers, and trucks. Because the diamond pattern improves traction, industrial plate is especially useful for reducing the risk of slipping in moisture-prone areas and areas with heavy traffic.
On the other hand, decorative diamond plate is used primarily for aesthetics. Decorative diamond plate is sturdy, but it’s not nearly as durable as industrial diamond plate. It won't hold up if you ram into it with a forklift, but it'll look incredible as a statement piece in your home! Decorative diamond plate is also great for:
- Embellishing tabletops
- Creating a sleek backsplash in the bathroom or kitchen
- Decorating the walls of your basement, garage, gym, or mancave
- Sprucing up the face of stair treads
- Accessorizing trailers and recreational vehicles (both inside and out)
- Being used as cabinet panels or inserts
The list goes on and on! Peruse through our Idea Gallery to discover other fun and creative ways to incorporate decorative diamond plate into your home or business.
Does It Only Come in One Color?
Traditional diamond plate comes in various shades of gray, from smoke to pewter to gunmetal. But gray isn't the only color available to you. Though it takes a bit of prep work, diamond plate is paintable. At CutsMetal, you can find diamond plate in various colors—polished silver, black, red, gunmetal gray, glacier gray, and white. Get the colorful diamond plate you need for your next project without the hassle of preparing and painting it yourself.
What Do the Numbers Mean?
When you're ordering diamond plate, you may notice a number associated with the plate (.025, .045, .125, etc.). This number refers to the thickness of the plate. The larger the number, the thicker the plate will be—and vice versa. For example, a .125 plate will be thicker than a .025 plate.
Another set of numbers you'll notice is the diamond plate’s dimensions. These metrics illustrate how wide and tall the plate will be. They can be shown in either inches (ex. 48”x120”) or feet (ex. 4'x10').
And that's everything you need to know about diamond plate. Now that you understand what diamond plate is, how it's made, and how to use it, you can confidently incorporate this excellent material into your decorating.
Are you looking for decorative diamond plate for your home or business? CutsMetal has what you need! We carry diamond plate in various sizes and colors, so whether you're modernizing your kitchen or decking out your gym, you're sure to find the right fit for your project. We can even create custom cuts if needed—just give us a call and ask! We're happy to be the one-stop shop for all your diamond plate needs.
