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3 Reasons to Choose a Wood and Iron Entry Gate

Choosing the design for your entry gate is an exciting yet daunting task. Do you select a handmade wooden gate with a rich, rustic finish? Or should you go with a custom wrought-iron dual gate with delicate scrollwork and eye-catching symmetry?

It’s possible to have both materials combined in the same gate so you don’t have to make the agonizing choice. In fact, there are some good reasons why a custom gate made with both iron and wood is a wise, solid investment.

Below, we’ll explore these reasons and let you know why you should consider installing a gate that contains both iron and wood components. Read on to learn more. Then, when you’re ready, get in touch with us to start the designing process. We’re happy and able to help you create a beautiful gate that adds privacy, security, and appeal to your property.

Your Gate Stands Out From the Crowd

When you combine wood and iron in a custom gate, you have creative license to design a completely unique landscape feature. Your gate may be constructed of a bright, sturdy wooden frame inset with wrought-iron branches and leaves. You may prefer a wooden privacy arrangement with a dual gate of upright planks encircled at the arched top by a delicate row of iron filigree.

If you want a modern, minimalist gate, have a simple iron frame made that holds plain wood planks. Clean, spare gates like this one we described let the rest of your property shine. For a stately gate, have your family crest or initials rendered in iron and set in the center of a castle-worthy, thick wooden gate.

Ideas are limitless when you combine wood and iron. Check out online images of wood and wrought-iron gates […]

Choosing the Right Wood to Meet the Design Goals of Your Staircase

A staircase can be the focal point of any room, which is why they feature so prominently anywhere that a grand entrance is required. While the architectural elements of the banisters and railings, whether they be of wood, glass, or wrought iron, draw the eye, the actual staircase treads, risers, and stringers are just as vital to the design.

Wood can be just the thing to make a statement, whether it’s used on its own or with other materials, such as wrought iron or glass. The following guide can help you choose the right wood to make your statement.

 

Design Goal: Quiet Sophistication

The sophisticated staircase fits well into the idea of the grand entry. Whether it’s a highlight in a hotel lobby or the sight to greet your guests in your home’s entryway, this staircase provides a traditional view. The wooden treads are sometimes left bare, but are often covered in plush carpeting to help cushion footfalls.

Wood options

For the sophisticated staircase, there are a few options that really stand out:

Carpet grade. Knotty pine is the least expensive wood option, but it is only suitable if you plan to have the treads and risers completely covered in carpet. You will need to choose a more attractive wood for the visible risers.
Mixed grade. A hardwood, poplar takes stain well due to its visually interesting grain pattern. This makes it a good choice if you plant to run a carpet runner down the stairs, which leaves some of the treads and risers visible.
Stain grade. The hardwoods, including cherry, oak, and maple, are too beautiful to be hidden beneath carpeting. These make an excellent choice for the visible stringers on a carpeted staircase, or as the treads […]

4 Ways You Can Take Care of Your Wrought Iron

You’ve decided to add a bit of Old World charm and elegance to your home-you’ve incorporated wrought iron into the design. Whether you have wrought iron outside or inside, you couldn’t feel prouder of how it looks. It looks old-fashioned, solid, and ornate.

On the other hand, you know what the elements and the unkempt fingers at your home can do to that wrought iron. So, you need some way to protect your new decorative elements and keep them looking as impressive as the day you bought them.

Below, you’ll find four tips that will help you keep your wrought iron in like-new condition for decades to come. Of course, if you don’t feel up to the maintenance yourself, you can always hire an expert to do it for you.

1. Dust Your Wrought Iron Daily

With the other steps in this list, you don’t have to do them daily. However, dust collects in your home every day, and you should wipe dust away from your surfaces with a microfiber cloth to keep your home and air clean. This daily routine matters especially if you have wrought iron because the iron has a texture that can hold onto dust if debris sits on the metal too long.

Don’t neglect this part of your daily upkeep. Dust your wrought iron so the debris doesn’t build up and become a semi-permanent feature of the metal.

2. Use Warm Water and Mild Detergent to Remove Household Debris

Maybe you have wrought iron in your kitchen, dining area, bathroom, or bedroom. In any of these areas, you could accidentally get food, toothpaste, or other contaminants on your metal décor. And again, the longer the debris sits there, the harder you’ll have to work to get it off. Additionally, some things, like toothpaste, might eat through the primer on […]