COLORSTEEL Maxam replaced both COLORSTEEL Endura and COLORSTEEL Maxx systems, offering a single-substrate solution with superior durability and simplified specification for harsh conditions.

COLORSTEEL Maxam is underpinned by patented Activate technology, a breakthrough metallic coating, an aluminium-zinc alloy that introduces magnesium to enhance corrosion resistance, especially critical in salt-laden, high-humidity zones. Thanks to this innovation, COLORSTEEL can now offer corrosion warranties of up to 50 years in Mild environments — and in very severe marine environments, up to 20 years. In some projects, this may avoid the need for premium COLORSTEEL Altimate (on aluminium substrate), delivering significant cost savings without compromising performance.

To ensure confidence in the right material for your project, COLORSTEEL provides an online guide on environmental locations at colorsteel.co.nz/resources/warranty.

Some locations such as the Kapiti Coast, Mount Maunganui and geothermal areas like Rotorua may need additional consideration due to localised conditions. The COLORSTEEL team can quickly confirm whether COLORSTEEL Maxam is suitable or if a shift to COLORSTEEL Altimate is required. A rule of thumb: if your site is within 100m of open surf, contact COLORSTEEL's team directly at [email protected].

COLORSTEEL offers a universal paint system, engineered to perform across the board, from residential housing to high-traffic commercial and heavy industrial settings like airports. While other manufacturers may suggest different paint coatings for different project types, COLORSTEEL is designed to do it all, helping you simplify specification without compromising durability or compliance.

Infrared (IR) reflective technology is integrated into the COLORSTEEL paint system, helping reduce roof surface temperatures by up to 8°C in darker colours. This leads to lower cooling demands, improved thermal comfort, and year-round energy savings.

COLORSTEEL can be confidently specified, even in visually sensitive environments, thanks to the combination of IR reflectance and a range of visible light reflectivities (LRVs). This makes COLORSTEEL a high-performance, low-reflectance solution ideal for projects near coastlines, nature reserves, or design-led developments where visual harmony is essential.

If you're looking to evaluate thermal performance, Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) is a helpful measure. It combines both total solar reflectance (TSR) and thermal emissivity to indicate how hot a surface is likely to get under sunlight. SRI values are available for all COLORSTEEL colours. If you'd like to learn more about SRI, TSR, or light reflectance values (LRV), feel free to reach out to our team at [email protected].

COLORSTEEL brings together cutting-edge material science and a deep understanding of New Zealand’s environmental extremes, helping architects confidently specify smarter, more resilient buildings from coast to crest.