Fencing is an integral part of our home. It keeps burglars and other people with nasty intentions out and keeps our pets and children safely inside. Which makes us ask, what makes a good fence? A good fence is a fence that offers good protection for your family while at the same time be able to please the aesthetic needs of the homeowner. They can be made out of wood, poles, barbed wire, vinyl, walls and even plants, such as ones made from cacti, and other woody species and living shrubs, and many other more fences. However, not all of these are pleasing to the eyes. Plant fences are meticulous and needs lots of maintenance as you need to cut it regularly so as it would not grow too much and make your house look like a jungle. Barbed wire fencing just look stupid and although it offers protection, it just decreases the aesthetic value of your house. And others are the same too. Looking at all of these disadvantages would make you think, what is a good fence nowadays?
Look no further than the historic landmarks of India and Paris; namely, the Iron Pillar and the Eiffel Tower. Remember that both of these landmarks are mainly composed of wrought iron; an iron alloy with very low carbon content, in comparison to steel and has fibrous inclusions, known as slag. It contains grain that makes it somewhat resemble those of wood, which can be seen when it is etched or bent to the point of failure. Evidenced by the strength and durability of the aforementioned landmarks, wrought iron fencing has proven that it is not as corrosive as other metals and is highly tolerant to adverse weather conditions; whether it is extreme sunlight, heavy rainfall and so on and so forth. With that kind of credibility backing it up, what makes people hesitant in using wrought iron fencing?
Unfortunately, through the passage of time, wrought iron fencing has seen a major decline in both use and production. Nowadays, it is no longer mass produced commercially and products that claim to be made out of wrought iron, such guard rails, garden furniture, gates and even fences, are only made of mild steel. All of which were formerly made out of wrought iron or only have the appearance of wrought iron. And sometimes, they are made out of carbon steel. The best way to check, whether or not wrought iron fencing is made from real wrought iron or not is to check if it has a visible electric wield. If such a spot exists, you can be sure that what you’re looking at is not genuine wrought iron fencing. It is quite sad that wrought iron fencing is no longer available commercially; there are still small companies out there that produce it on a smaller scale and it would do you good if you checked them out.
Other articles you might like;