Wrought Iron Stair Rails

Wrought iron stair rails have been used for hundreds of years for safety purposes. They were first used in large upstairs houses, such as lighthouses. The spiral staircases in these lighthouses became very appealing to people, and were soon used in their homes.

Wrought means made by hand, and in the past, people who worked with iron were called blacksmiths. Today these same people are known as metal fabricators, and the iron is made much differently. Instead of iron being formed into bars and then re-melted and formed into a pre-designated design, it is now made into hollow tubes and circles, or rectangles. This procedure takes the heavy weight off the stair rails and still gives them all the durability and strength of the solid design.

A stair well can be only one or two steps to have an iron stair rail, such as in a foyer or any place in a home that needs steps. This is due to the building codes that manufacture have to go by these days.

Some iron stair rails have been fabricated using a round top rail, and square tubing for the balusters and posts. However, the balusters can also be prefabricated using a twisting technique, and spheres or hemispheres can also be added. Of course, the more detailed design that is designated the more money it will cost.

Both the stair rail and the balusters can be stamped with many types of designs, such as flowers, triangles, circles, oak leafs, and many other shapes, depending on the specifications on the blueprint. This stamping has been used since the 12th century A.D. and has been perfected over the years with modern tools. The ancient designers (smiths) took great pride in their work, making stamping an art form. This form of iron stair rails can be seen in European architecture, and has been very durable in lasting through the elements of time.