Gates and railings

 

WHY USE WROUGHT IRON?

To the naked eye there is no visible difference between forged bars of Wrought Iron & Mild Steel (its modern day equivalent) however Wrought Iron is not distinguished by its looks but by its working properties and its resistance to corrosion. Wrought Iron is softer to forge, as it is workable at a higher heat than Mild Steel making it more 'malleable' under the hammer. However it is Wrought Iron's superior weathering properties that are most notable.

While Wrought Iron does, in common with all ferrous metals corrode in certain circumstances, (see maintenance), evidence of its durability and long life expectancy is commonplace in our towns and countryside. Victorian town house railings - Wrought Iron two hundred years old. Vast ornamental gateways to eighteenth century great houses - Wrought Iron three hundred years old. Stone cramps on Tudor bridges - Wrought Iron five hundred years old. The simple fact that so much Ornamental Wrought Ironwork survives, often with little or no maintenance, speaks volumes for the material.