Wrought Iron Arbors

Wrought iron is easily joined together when it is heated enough to bend in the shape that is desired. The word “wrought iron” means iron that has been worked, or heated and bent. It has been used for hundreds of years. Today the word “wrought iron” is not meant for wrought iron metal, but instead it is used when referring to a finished iron. So when you hear someone mention “wrought iron’ today, they are referring to iron fixtures, such as benches, and other types of furniture.

Wrought iron fixtures are used both inside the home and outside. On the outside of the home, you can find wrought iron fences surrounding someone’s property. It is also used for security bars on windows and doors. Many arbors give an ancient look to patio’s and gazebos. The more detail in the metal, the more money you will have to pay for that particular item.   

On the inside of the home, you can find all sorts of wrought iron fixtures all through the house. Many people use beds, chandeliers, lamps, chairs, and lawn furniture made from wrought iron. Another place that you can find this type of furnishing, is the bathroom. One of the most unlikely places that is not usually thought about, where you can find metal towel holders, towel hooks, and light switch plates. They have even been used for handy cap rails in some places.

Many people use what is called “cold forged bars”. This is simply a piece of iron that has been cut to a specified length. Many times the smith will hammer the bars to create a decorative look. This hammered look is very popular and is probably the reason for the popularity of wrought iron. The iron is not always hammered, some iron bars are decorated with roses, leaves, spears, circles, and many other popular types of glyphs.

The use of this metal has virtually no limits as what it can be used for. Smiths (people working with this type of metal), have used it for forming hinges, wheels, fasteners, bolts, locks, collars, and much more. A very popular form today is called twisted bars. This is when the smith uses a bar approximately ¼ inch thick and heats it up until he is able to twist the bar into a spiral shape. You will also find some iron bars have been made into hollow tubes. This gives the metal more strength and durability. The smith can make all sorts of designs, such as twisted balusters for the vertical parts of hand railings and door fixtures. Tubing also comes in round as well as square, and can also be hammered or stamped with designs. 

Wrought iron fixtures can be found anywhere in a person’s home, from foyers and hallways, to bath vanities and patios, wall clocks and grills. It has become so useful in our everyday lives that we really do not even think about how it was made. Just imagine your patio with iron as a theme. Your friends and relatives will stand in awe, as they see flowers growing through the metal bars of the arbor, gazebo, and fence, while you start the iron bar-be-cue grill and they set in the iron chairs at the table, which is also made with iron.