The Great Gate Company, Unit 6 First Avenue, Westfield, RADSTOCK BA3 4BS. Registration no 5101583, Call us on 01761 568 084
Supply only or Supply and Fit. Discounts for Trade
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Tel.: 01761 568084 Mob 0781 730 8727
TERMINOLOGY AND JARGON
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAST IRON AND WROUGHT IRON?
Cast iron is a method of production where molten iron is cast in a mould. Many arrowheads and finials are cast iron and some Victorian gates were cast iron, but it is rarely used now for the frames of railings or gates. If something is cast iron it will have a ‘seam’ line where it has come out of the mould a bit like moulded plastic toys for example.
Cast iron can be welded, but it is brittle and will not drill easily. Bear this in mind if you need to modify old gates. If you try and drill cast iron, it may just crack in half.
Many people confuse cast iron with solid sections of wrought iron. Wrought iron is solid steel that has been heated up either in a forge or during the process of welding, which allows it to then be hammered and beaten into a range of shapes using traditional tools such as a hammer and anvil.
Traditional forging (blacksmithing) is time consuming and highly skilled but produces a wonderful result. Hand forged products are never totally uniform, each component part will have been made individually. This gives it both its beauty and uniqueness. Products which are made using traditional forging methods will be more expensive than products which are cast.
STEEL SECTIONS – HOW DO I KNOW WHAT I’M BUYING?
Steel is an expensive raw material. The more steel there is in a product the more expensive it will be. Lightweight small size steel sections are the easiest way of reducing the price of gates and railings and the majority of gates and railings that seem to be incredibly cheap will be made of a lightweight, hollow steel section. It is customary to describe a steel section in terms of its size first and then type. Here are the most common descriptions and what they mean.
SHS or RHS - square or round hollow section, sometimes called box section or tube and is hollow in the middle. The first two measurements determine the overall length x width and the third smaller measurement determines the thickness of the wall. This can be important. The cheapest railings on the market are made of box section which looks quite substantial in the photo but has a very thin wall thickness, meaning that it is lightweight and will bend and buckle easily and can be pulled apart.
Solid – round or square. More expensive railings will be made of 12mm or 16mm solid round or square section. This is solid steel, much heavier than tube and much more substantial. Solid steel sections give a long lasting high quality product that is durable. Victorian railings are all made of solid substantial steel sections which stand the test of time.
Flat – is also a solid steel section, but is rectangular in shape. Flat can vary in width and thickness. There is a lot of difference in look and feel between a steel section 10mm x 3 mm flat and 30 mm x 8 mm flat. Cheaper gates will generally have thin frames, more expensive gates will generally have a higher material specification.
The type of material used in a gate or railing will generally be specified in a quote and allows you to properly compare quotations.