As one might have assumed, the primary difference between hot and cold rolled steel is the temperature at which the manufacturing process occurs. Hot rolled steel is processed at over 1,700°F and is easier to work with because, although steel gets red hot at 900°F, it recrystallizes between 750°F and 1,300°F. This means it can be reshaped and altered before it hardens again. Requiring less processing and force to manipulate the material means that it’s less labor-intensive and more cost-effective – but, there are some drawbacks.

　　Steel will shrink as it cools and because this is unpredictable, the amount and direction the steel shrinks can mean that final sizes and dimensions are difficult to plan for. In addition to the measurements, hot rolled steel will also have flaky scaling on the surface that needs to be removed through grinding, sandblasting, or acid-bath pickling to get a clean finish.