Wrought iron balconies - an exquisite home decoration

Wrought iron balconies are a real home decoration. They can be used to decorate the facade of a multi-storey building or a private building. Such designs look beautiful on any background.

Modern wrought-iron balconies have many significant advantages.

1. Strength. They are resistant to sudden changes in temperature and precipitation. As a rule, they are covered with a special anti-corrosion compound. This allows you to extend the life of the material. The strength and durability of forged products have been tested for more than one generation.
2. Easy to care for. In order for a wrought iron fence to look beautiful, you do not need to spend too much time caring for it. It is enough just to wash the forged parts from time to time and, if necessary, tint them. Over time, forged fencing practically does not lose its attractiveness.
3. Versatility. Graceful wrought iron railings look beautiful on both large and small houses. They go well with any material. Therefore, they are used to decorate wooden, stone and brick houses.
4. Aesthetics. There are many interesting design options. You can choose something interesting for any bay window or balcony. In addition, it is always possible to order a fence with some unique details.
5. Security. Metal balconies, unlike plastic ones, are not toxic and do not affect human health in any way.

But such graceful fences also have significant drawbacks. At first, they are quite expensive... Most of the money will have to be paid for a unique hand-made forged fence. Secondly, it is quite difficult to install them... Therefore, you will have to pay extra for the work of specialists.

Wrought iron balconies can vary greatly in their appearance and method of creation.

When choosing a balcony railing, you must first of all decide on its shape. There are several options for such balconies.

• Straight. Balconies with classic railings look very nice. You can choose both a fence with a minimalistic design and a luxurious design with a lot of decor.

• Corner. Such barriers are perfect for non-standard balconies. They consist of several separate sections that are connected at an angle. When decorating such a balcony, special attention is paid to the shape of the rods. They can be either flat or curved.

• Curved. Such forged fences are used to decorate buildings with unusual designs. A beautiful blown balcony of a small size will perfectly complement a private house.

• Semicircular. For a radius balcony, you can pick up a beautiful semicircular fence. She looks elegant and stylish. Very often it is these balconies that are complemented with forged decorative elements or colored inserts.

• Mini balconies. Miniature wrought-iron balconies are used to accommodate hanging flower beds. You can place vases, boxes or pots with live plants there. As a rule, such designs are decorated with a large number of small details.

There are two main metal processing technologies. The first is hot forging. In the process, the metal heats up until it becomes plastic. After that, the master tries to give it the desired shape. Fences created using this technology are of high quality and long service life. In addition, this material does not corrode. The disadvantages include the fact that balcony railings are quite expensive. Moreover, their production takes a long time.

Cold metal processing involves the use of special equipment. All parts are produced on special machines and then connected by welding. These balconies are inexpensive. But they don't look so unique.

There are many options for decorating a balcony. Usually the style in which the metal railing is made depends on the style of the facade.

Balconies decorated in this style look majestic and luxurious. They are decorated with a large number of various additional details and massive monograms. It is best to design a balcony in this style on an individual project.

The Gothic style of forging is distinguished by a certain rigor. Classic fencing consists of highly elongated and pointed elements. It is decorated with small rosettes, crucifers, shamrocks. Fences in this style are usually left unpainted. Even an ordinary house can make such an elegant balcony look like an old castle. It will look beautiful in combination with the same wrought iron bars on the windows and stair railings.

Artistic forging in this style looks impressive and is distinguished by an abundance of rounded massive details. Typically, the patterns that adorn the balcony railing are repetitive. Romanesque wrought iron fences are great for decorating country houses.

This style, which emerged in the last century, on the contrary, is characterized by extreme simplicity and flowing forms. Very often, these fences are decorated with exotic patterns. Also, balconies are often complemented with forged details made in the form of neat flowers. The most popular of these are irises and orchids. Typically, this style is used to decorate large balconies.

This stylistic trend is called the geometric version of Art Nouveau. It is characterized by rounded corners and patterns in the form of triangles, suns and rectangles. The style has long enjoyed popularity among American celebrities. It is still considered the style of the stars. Therefore, this option will definitely appeal to lovers of luxury.

A balcony made in this style can decorate a beautiful wooden or brick house. It is distinguished by an abundance of massive forged elements. Most often, geometric and floral motifs are combined in the Russian style.

Now this Italian style is very popular. Typical elements that adorn the fence are spirals, graceful braids and figure eights. Beautiful balcony rails decorated with floral patterns look good on any building.

This style is often confused with the Baroque style. But they are quite different from each other. So, balconies made in the Baroque style are decorated with large and massive elements. Rococo, on the other hand, is light and elegant. The patterns resemble thin steel lace in their appearance.

Many people also like classic-style forging. This direction is characterized by underlined severity and simplicity. Despite the fact that the balcony is decorated with floral or geometric patterns, it looks much more restrained than a baroque or rococo fence. All elements are usually repeated and arranged symmetrically.

As a rule, the following details are used to decorate balcony railings.

1. Balusters. They not only decorate balcony and stair railings, but are also used to support them.
2. Volutes. These are versatile decorative details that are very often used by craftsmen. They are S-shaped or spiral-shaped.
3. Rings. Such details can be part of a larger composition or act as a separate decorative element.
4. Cones. Small wrought iron elements look beautiful on small balconies for flowers. As a rule, they are combined with ornate patterns and leaves.

Separately, it should be said about the colors. Plain unpainted metal fences are black. Very often they are left in this form, treated only with an anti-corrosion coating. In some cases, balconies are covered with white, silver or gold paint. Vivid colors are used much less frequently.

When choosing a wrought-iron balcony, you need to pay attention to its height, strength and safety. The size of the handrail plays an important role. If they are too low, it will be unsafe to be here. It is very important to think about this if a small child lives in the house. At the same time, you should also not choose too high balcony railings. They will make the balcony uncomfortable. In addition, such a design is too expensive, because it takes more material to create it. The optimal height of the balcony railing is 80-90 centimeters.

A wrought-iron balcony railing must be strong enough to support the weight of the person leaning on it. If the structure is too weak, it can deform or break over time. It is also very important that there are no sharp elements on the balcony railing. Seams and decorative elements must be well finished. In this case, there will be no risk of injury from sharp corners.

There should be no more than 12 centimeters of free space between all elements of the fence. If the holes are large, the balcony will be an unsafe place for pets and children.

Before painting the balcony, you must carefully sand its surface with sandpaper and cover it with a layer of primer. There are several options for such coverage:

• red lead, which provides high protection of metal against corrosion;
• zinc primer that protects the fence from rust;
• insulating primers that protect against moisture.

Paint is applied over the primer. You can paint the balcony only after the first layer of the coating is completely dry. It usually takes 4-5 hours. For painting wrought-iron balconies, you can use a spray gun or a spray gun. It is best to select acrylic paint. The main thing is to process all corners, lines and small curls with high quality. It is necessary to paint the balcony railing in dry and calm weather.

Before painting new forged products, they must first be cleaned of residues of oil stains or factory grease. You can wash them off with a common solvent, as well as a solution of powder or liquid soap. After that, the forged parts must be wiped dry with a rag and only then proceed to staining. In order for wrought-iron balconies to retain their visual appeal as long as possible, it is worth adhering to the following rules.

1. The metal must always be regularly cleaned of dust and foreign particles. You can wipe the forged elements with either a dry or a wet cloth. This should be done every few months. To do this, you can use a regular soap solution. But abrasive powders and pastes are not used for processing forged material.They can scratch or even destroy the metal surface.
2. Additionally, the surface of the fence can be waxed. It will protect the metal from dust and dirt. It will be much easier to clean forged parts after such processing.
3. Once every 1-2 years, the railings are tinted, after removing the old layer of paint with sandpaper. It is best to paint a balcony railing in the summer.
4. If rust does appear on the forged parts, it must be removed very carefully. The metal must be carefully cleaned, sanded and treated with a surface degreaser. After this preparation, the forged parts can be recoated with a coat of paint or anti-corrosion agent.

Choosing an original balcony railing for yourself, you should use interesting ready-made examples as a source of inspiration.

A beautiful black fence makes a great backdrop for plants. A graceful corner balcony can be decorated with twisting green plants and potted flowers. In the warm season, it will look like a real fairy forest. This balcony will be a great place to relax.

This option will appeal to lovers of minimalism. The fence is made up of thin and beautifully curved parts. Such a fence with a wide visor does not need any additional processing. Against the background of the classic red brick, it looks very good.

The large balcony can be used to organize an excellent seating area. A simple vertical fence, adorned with neat curls, harmonizes perfectly with the brick walls of the house. In warmer months, the balcony can be decorated with green plants. In this case, it will be possible to create an ideal place for relaxation and gatherings with friends.

For wrought iron balconies, see below.