Despite the constant updating of the assortment on the building materials market, the development of new products and technologies, the popularity of forged products remains at a very high level. People always want to have beautiful things nearby, in the manufacture of which the warmth of human hands and a particle of the soul of the master are embedded.
And although the wrought iron railings for the stairs are made of cold heavy metal, their beauty delays the look and makes the environment much more attractive.
Design decisions on the design of individual houses, shops and office buildings quite often include the installation of railings, staircases and balcony fences made of metal elements. They contribute to the creation of the original design of the building facades and the interior of the premises.
Features forged railing
Beautiful forged fences for stairs, platforms and balconies are not only an attractive design element. In addition to their beautiful appearance, they differ:
- Rigid, strong and safe design;
- long operational period;
- a variety of manufacturing styles;
- the ability to create an individual artistic image;
- lack of restrictions in color design;
- ease of installation;
- the need for minimal care to maintain a beautiful appearance.
Thermal and mechanical processing of metal changes its elastic properties and relieves all types of internal stresses. Spot welded and forged joints fasten the design of the fence so that all existing and possible loads are evenly distributed over the entire area, including installation sites and supporting posts.
A truly beautiful individual product can only be created by a master of his craft and therefore it will always be highly appreciated not only from an aesthetic, but also from a financial point of view. Beautiful and stylish wrought iron railings in the house create a cozy interior, combine the architectural decoration ensemble into a single whole.
Where appropriate
Wrought iron railings for stairs in a private house are reliable, durable and do not require additional care. They are fixed on brick, wood, concrete, metal and any other materials having sufficient strength and bearing capacity.
Therefore, with the installation of questions usually does not arise and it remains only to choose a staircase, an observation deck or a balcony, where they will add charm and luxury to the already existing interior. The railings made of forged elements will harmoniously look both inside and outside the building, enclosing a staircase or horizontal platform.
But in certain cases, such staircases will look especially impressive:
- in a large front two-story private house on a wide T-shaped or L-shaped flight of stairs, along which rise to the rooms of the second floor is provided;
- in urban duplex apartments on a spiral or two-flight staircase;
- on entrance groups of office and public buildings, staircases inside and as a fence of the upper areas;
- on the stairs at the entrance to the houses of private buildings and the external stairs of the emergency exit from the second floor;
- as a fence of viewing platforms and approaches to them.
In the hands of the master, forged elements acquire any, sometimes even the most unexpected, artistic solutions. Therefore, a skillful combination of geometric constructions will revive the appearance of any staircase in the house and on the street.
If when designing a house, the architect-designer suggests using such fencing, do not rush to refuse, but first carefully consider the proposed sketches of the forged railings. It is possible that such elements can become one of the key design elements.
Variety of stylistic decisions
Forged staircases, as well as other design elements, can be made in accordance with any well-known architectural style. The most important thing is the observance of lines and the construction of forms inherent in this particular style. You can see various design options in the photo below.
For example, for hopscotch openwork weaves with sophisticated symmetrical monograms will be required. Leaves and flowers of various shapes, elements imitating coats of arms, columns and even sculptures are added in large quantities.
Style rococo differs in a complete lack of symmetry in elegant drawings along the entire length and spatial directions of the composition. On such rails there are practically no straight lines and symmetries. The product in this style resembles a chic and elegant metal lace filled with flowers, wreaths, leaves, vine, butterflies and birds.
Modern combines functional simplicity with decorative austerity of architecture of the early twentieth century. Such railings are distinguished by the clarity of the lines with the required symmetry of the pattern and its periodic repetition. Elements of such fences have a linear arrangement, but the use of small volumetric compositions is also allowed.
Empire - A sample of massive forms and monumental decisions. In the design you can see shields, weapons, elements of armor and laurels. Art forging adds ribbons, flags, and everything else to such compositions that may be related to military themes borrowed from ancient warriors. But in general, the pattern is distinguished by straight lines and army restraint.
Gothic - it is simplicity directed upwards and visual ease. You can easily recognize such a railing by the geometry of the pattern, at the base of which there is necessarily an arrow-shaped completion and a circular construction of the picture. As decorative elements, only lilies, grapes and shamrocks are allowed.
High tech - It is a simple and functional style. Stair railings of this type can be not only forged, but also allow a combination of metal with other materials.
Manufacturing technology
For the manufacture of enclosing railings, two types of forging are used - this is hot forging processing and cold deformation. Very often, these methods are used simultaneously to speed up the production process.
Hand forging with heat treatment of metal is characterized by a particularly thorough finish and a wide variety of possible work operations. Forged products are more elegant. In order to forge blanks, special machines and mechanisms can be used, but the final stage of finishing is always performed manually. It is the final finish that gives such forged fences a unique individual style.
The necessary set of elements is made and after that, by welding, they are assembled into a single design. The main advantage of this method is its relatively low cost and the ability to do such work with your own hands.
The main material for the manufacture of forged railings is rods of square and circular cross section, as well as a strip. Steel grades are selected according to the degree of ductility and the possibility of heat treatment. The surface coating is selected separately and can be multi-layer. Directly on the surface of the material, patination, burnishing or sandblasting is carried out before painting or varnishing.
Patination has a warm pleasant shade and creates a visual effect of antique finish. Burnishing - black or steel-gray coating. Both options not only change color, but are also an effective protection against corrosion.
Railing Installation
Installation of metal railings is a complex and rather specific process, the non-observance of the technological rules of which can lead to serious problems associated not only with the violation of the design of the stairs, but also with the safety of people.
Installation should be done before the start of finishing, since the work of fixing the structure is always associated with the formation of a large amount of dust. In addition, shock-vibration drilling during work can violate the integrity of the finished coating.
In order to simplify the installation of the railing, even at the stage of installation of the stairs in its design, the presence of embedded parts is provided. These are small metal plates rigidly connected to the supporting frame of the stairs.
It is easy to weld any fastener to these plates to fix the baluster or other elements. If the installation of embedded elements is not provided in advance, then you will have to use anchor bolts, the design of which depends on the material of the stairs. The installed guard must be firmly fixed in place without swinging while holding the handrail.
Simple care rules
For the first time after installation, the rails installed on the street must be watched with particular care and their response to temperature changes, sunlight, precipitating dew and precipitation should be determined. If necessary, cover the metal with an additional layer of protective moisture-resistant varnish for outdoor use. This will avoid future global stripping and repainting.
In general, care for the forged railing comes down to regular inspection, rust detection and dust removal. If rust spots appear, damaged areas must be cleaned, treated with an anti-corrosion compound and coated with hammer enamel or varnish.