Custom vs Pre-Manufactured

Pre-manufactured iron products are really the way to go if you are on a tight budget and are not concerned about design. You can buy pre-manufactured fencing or gates that are basic in design for much less than custom. The reason for this, is when you buy a pre-manufactured product you are limited in the type of materials used. The product is made in a plant, somewhat like an assembly line, powder coated at the same facility, and shipped to the iron shop. The size of the materials that are used generally range from tube steel 1/2", 5/8" or 3/4" square, with a 18 ga. wall, for the pickets and tube steel 1" or 1-1/2" square, with a 14 ga wall, for the top, bottom rails and gate frame. There's nothing wrong with this type of product and when you need a lot of it this can really save you money over custom.

On the other hand, custom designed iron is completely different from pre-manufactured. Although the same size tube steel is used the wall thickness is usually much greater. When custom designing iron, you can also incorporate many iron components like scrolls, circles, picket collars, arched or inverted arched top and more. The wall thickness of iron is very important and if it’s in your budget ask your fabricator to use the thickest materials available.

Another benefit of a custom design is the finish. A standard finish for a pre-manufactured product is black powder coating. If you choose a custom design, you can opt for a patina, specialty paint color, or powder coating with an array of colors to choose from. The different designs and finishes for a custom product are really limitless.

Choosing custom iron design over pre-manufactured is like choosing to purchase a track home verses a custom home, neither is better or worse, it’s all about what fits the budget.

What is a picket?

Have you ever heard the term "Picket Fence" before? This type fence is normally made from wood and has vertical wood slats that are referred to as pickets. Iron fences, gates and railings are made on the same premise; the rails that run vertically are also referred to as pickets. I've heard them called all kinds of things from posts, rails, and those up and down things, to long rods and pointy things,  but normally they are called pickets, newels, and sometimes even balusters.

Pickets add a nice dimension to an iron project. They are always part of a pre-manufactured design. If you don't like a design that uses  only an iron frame and pickets, with no other ornamentation,  you can always jazz it up with the addition of pickets collars, scrolls, circles, spears or a kick plate . . . and much, much more.

If the "pickets" on a project run horizontally, are they still called pickets? I think that's probably a matter of opinion. I might be inclined to call them rails, but that of course depends upon the materials used. If we are talking about cable railing, then the term pickets won't apply, it's cabling. If we are talking about a railing that has horizontal flat bars, I might call those rails rather than pickets.  The terminology for horizontal pickets is probably best left to opinion. 

No matter what you want to call them, pickets are a lovely addition to any iron project.

Repair or Redo

Do you have an iron gate, fence or railing that is in need of repair? Maybe it's rusted, dented, or has been hit by something. When you have an iron design that needs fixing, it's usually more cost effect to simply replace it instead. We don't normally get involved with repairs unless it is something that we can easily remove and reinstall. When you're dealing with a repair, it more times than not isn’t worth the money you'll have to pay for it. There is a lot of work in repairing an iron design; it has to be removed, transported back to the iron shop, the repair needs to occur, the iron has to be cleaned, the damaged iron has to be removed and new iron reinstalled at the damaged area. There is no way to mimic the finish that’s on the existing iron because the finish has probably faded and there is no way to know what color finish was used on the original design. The best way to re-finish a repaired item is to strip and then repaint the entire project. You can only imagine how time consuming that is.

After the repair is complete the iron design has to be transported back to its original location and reinstalled. That's a lot of work for a repair and the charges can really add up quickly. When you are contemplating a repair, consider all new, think seriously about the costs involved and weigh your choices. For a little more money, you can more than likely have yourself an entirely new design with a finish that matches.

Security Barriers

What can you do to make your home or yard more secure without making it look like a prison? There is a simple solution, add an iron fence and gate. There are ways to make your fence look more secure by adding spears at the top. I know, when you think of a spear you envision a really sharp, ugly pointy thing, but that's just not the case. There are numerous styles of spears to choose from, some very ornate, some that are fleur-de-lis style and some that are just classic. You can even create a more industrial look by using pinched spears. Those are the spears that are part of the fence picket and come to a sharp point at the top.

A non climbable fence is another option. Keep the design simple, don't add a lot of interior rails or lattice. A plain iron fence, with spears at the top, and maybe a circle design, can create a secure but attractive barrier. Don't forget about securing your iron pedestrian gate by adding a deadbolt or mechanical push button lock.  There's no perfect solution to protecting your property but you can certainly make any intruder think twice before entering your premises.  .

Driveway gates can also be secured by adding automation.  It is very difficult for an intruder to push open an automated gate; they tend to be very tough.  It’s also nice not to have to leave your car to open a manual gate, you just have to click a remote and presto your gate opens automatically. 

Security doesn't have to be ugly, just practical. With a little creativity and help from your local iron designer you can have it all!

Cable Railing

Clean lines and a lustrous look, that’s what can be accomplished by installing cable railing. There are many different types and sizes of cable, it's all dependent upon the design you're trying to achieve. The cable is installed through the posts of the rail and attached to the outside of the post with a clevis type attachment. When there are several posts, the cable railing is simply threaded through the middle posts creating the look of floating cable.

Choosing cable railing is a wonderful choice, it's sleek and stylish. It's perfect for a contemporary home or a home with a nautical theme. The cables are made from stainless steel, so cable railing is not an inexpensive option, but it's so worth it. The posts can be made out of many different types and sizes of material. Many people opt for stainless steel posts and top rail, but by using these materials the price of the project adds up quickly. Another option, is to use plain tube steel or flat bar for the posts and top rail and then have them powder coated. There are many lovely powder coat colors to choose from and there are even some that mimic the look of stainless steel. Another great finish for the posts and top rail is plain steel that has been polished and then coated with Penetrol oil, this creates a more industrial look.  The different textures of the steel really shine through when using this process. If you want to add an interesting look to your railing design, one that shows off the different hues of the steel, then finishing with the Penetrol finish is for you. If you opt for the last option, this type finish can only be used on indoor railing because it will not hold up outdoors.  Keep in mind that when using the oil finish, it needs to be reapplied every so often.

Most steel fabricators can assist you with choosing the correct cable rail for your project. They can also provide you with examples of the different types of materials that can be  used for the posts and top railing. Ask your fabricator whether cable railing is the right choice for you.  If you have children, and they are climbers, you may want to reconsider using cable railing.  Cable railing will sag so keep that in mind.  If you want a fresh, clean look that won't readily go out of style then cable railing is the perfect choice!