What is my gate made of?
There are a number of different metals that can be used to make a gate wrought iron is not the only one. But it is a very durable metal and one that is used very commonly in gate replacements. For instance, if your gate has some damaged bars due to an accident. Those bars can be replaced with wrought iron fencing or wrought iron bars. Whether if it’s a sliding gate or a swinging gate the bars are more than likely wrought iron.
So what is a wrought iron fence?
Wrought iron has been used since ancient times and is categorized as such. If the metal contains less than .1% of carbon then it is considered wrought iron steel. Wrought iron steel is what we use to make your fences thought it’s not the only metal that can be used. It is used mainly because there is so much of it produced making it an easily obtainable commodity.
How can I maintain my wrought iron fence?
Wrought iron fences when produced by professionals can be unbelievably beautiful. There are some examples here on this post. Maintaining your fence is just as simple as other forms of maintenance. Here’s a list of ten steps you can take to keep your fence in tip top condition:
What you will need:
- Tarps
- Wire brush
- Nonionic detergent
- Rust converter
- Metal-grade oil-based primer
- Oil-based finish coat
- Similar fasteners and gate hardware
- General-grade lubricant grease
What you will do:
- Remove all plants including vines that could be growing around your fence. You don’t want the moisture of the plants to cause any rust. The less rust your fence has the better.
- Remove any oxydization that might have been caused with a fine wire brush. Do not under try to use a heavy corded wire brush or just heavy corded wire. That will scrape parts off of the metal and ruin the integrity of the wrought iron. Finish by rinsing the fence with a nonionic detergent and water letting it sit until dry.
- If your fence already has some rust build up then use the a rust converter on the parts where rust is visible. For wrought iron we reccomend using phosphoric-acid-based or tannic-acid-based rust converters.
- Applying a thin coat of primer on to your gate preferrably oil-based and made for metal application will be the most useful in this case. Sprays will spread more easily and will get into ornamental designs a lot easier than a brush.
- After having applied the primer a final coat of oil based paint for metal work will give it the finish and shine you want from your gate!
- Replace any missing part. Your gate will have to function contantly so keep in mind that having all the parts will definitely keep your gate in working shape. Most parts can be found in your local hardware store or in the big chain hardware stores.
- Keep it clean! Once you have followed all the steps then just cleaning your fence from vines and a small wash will help keep it clean and shiny!
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