What is Wrought Iron?
Wrought iron came into vogue after cast iron had shown its deficiencies as a medium for gates and fences, besides furniture, utensils and a host of other household items. Wrought iron is 'worked iron', iron that is made to undergo a process of purification to make it more resilient to compression and tension. This means that it takes loads without deforming.
Where is it used?
Wrought iron is typically used for gates, fences and garden furniture and in classical European styles. The fences could be high with spikes, thus providing a good amount of security, though not much privacy. The high fences do not normally boast of ornate curves and patterns in the design. They are normally straight rods, curved on the top. More ornate designs can be forged, of course, but that would increase the effort of maintenance considerably. What cannot be disputed is that it adds tremendous elegance to a well-manicured lawn.
Installation Concerns
An outdoor material, wrought iron faces constant exposure to the element, the cruelest among them being water. Dampness settles on curves and crevices and in areas that is in constant contact with vegetation. These special areas would need additional treatment with polyurethane during installation. The entire fence would always be well coated with paint, generally a lead based one. If it is a gate, one has to decide whether to have it on metal hinges, which makes it easy to disassemble or to have it embedded in stone posts.
Periodic checks
Rather than ignore the fence for long periods and then go in for expensive refurbishing, a good idea would be a six-monthly check. The period following heavy precipitation is a good time to do this. Check for cracks, rust and peeling paint and repair locally. A major renovation job, such as stripping the paint chemically, removing the rust with the application of heat and then repainting the structure can be undertaken every three to four years. Care must be taken not to let the lead from the stripped paint seep into the soil and contaminate the surrounding vegetation.
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