Let's start with the advantages of wrought iron fencing:

Strength and durability

When it comes to sturdy fences, wrought iron is hard to beat. The steel structure when properly coated (like our galvanized and high quality powder coatings) should be longer than you! Many other types of fences degrade over time, and while they are cheaper, they have to be replaced every 5 to 10 years. Good quality iron fences should last for decades. This is why many of the iron fences built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries can still be found today.

A timeless and beautiful look

Many types and styles of fences have emerged over the years, but wrought iron fences and gates have been around for over 200 years and have never really gone out of style. Even the most modern houses can be decorated with iron fences and doors in the appropriate style. The appearance of the wrought iron fence fits the look of an old historic home like a glove. There's nothing worse than a beautiful turn of the century house looking completely out of place with a sticky vinyl fence in front of it. Wrought iron fencing is ideal for all types of applications and home styles, and it can be used all around.

This condition is closely related to strength, but since iron fences and gates help as a safety barrier, it's really worth using alone. This strength helps prevent vinyl and cheap aluminum phones from falling victim to simple damage. Upright fences and track structures make it more difficult to climb fences, unlike chains and many wooden fences that provide easy hands and footing. The steel and iron construction also allows the optional soldering of the plates to the posts for an extremely strong and robust fence. Finally, the open perspective design of most iron fences can provide a better view. A solid wood or vinyl privacy fence may keep people out, but it will also provide hiding spots for intruders if they get inside the fence.

Higher end look

While I may be a little biased, iron fences and gates give an air of refinement and beauty that many other types of fences don't. While fence types such as chains, vinyl, and wood do provide barriers, they are better looking than they look. In some cases, these fences can give a low-end look to a home, while iron fences can compliment and make a home more attractive while having a better curb feel. We sell as many iron fences as we can to people who want to beautify improvements and compliment the look of their home, just as we do to people who want barriers for pets and children.

As with everything in life, for every upside there is a downside. Here are some disadvantages to be aware of when using wrought iron fencing:

Trading

I hesitate to add this one to the control list because of how much rust you can experience over time with the coating of iron bars. However, to be fair, I wanted to include it because people often worry about rusting wrought iron fences. We've had fences for over 25 years with no completed problems and only minor repairs in that time. I also saw cheap steel fences completely rot in less than 2 years. It really comes down to how your job is coated, warranty tied to the iron fence line and warranty after the company. I tell people that through our Stronghold Iron series, it's best to think about fences in terms of car paint. If you have exposed metal shards on your hood, you must touch it. Whether it's old brittle vinyl, corroded and pitted aluminum or rotting wood, every type of fence on the market will suffer from some kind of degradation.cost

If the price of a wrought iron fence seems too good to be true, it probably is. There is no denying that properly constructed and painted wrought iron fences or doors cost more than discounted aluminum, vinyl, or wood fences. However, when you measure the strength and longevity of iron fences and gates, the price gap over time really isn't as wide as you might think. However, if you are on a tight budget, a good quality iron fence or gate at a low price may be hard to come by.

Uncertain rank

While the welded solid construction of an iron fence is indeed how powerful it is, this also limits its use in hilly or severe rating codes. While mild slopes can be easily handled by mounting iron fences in steps, steep slopes can present problems without the need for customization. Some companies have made decorative steel plates that are decorated/offset/angled to follow the grade, but they all end up compromising strength and often cause rust stains on panels that bend or pivot parts. We chose to stick with the welded solid construction that wrought iron has always had, rather than a quick fix that could have affected the fence. A hilly yard is not a deal breaker using iron, but you have to make some extra considerations.

availability

Those of us who are still making quality wrought iron fences and gates are getting harder to find this year. That's because many of the factors that make iron fences great also make them more expensive and labor intensive to produce. I could throw a rock and hit 20 companies making aluminum fences and only one or none making iron fences. Is it because aluminum is better, more desirable? Not really. Because to become an aluminum fence manufacturer, all you need is an extruder and some cheap labor. It's easier to sell lots of cheap aluminum fencing than it is to sell higher quality wrought iron fencing at a higher price.