A Wrought Iron Buyers Guide that actually helps you make the right purchasing decision, rather than just trying to sell you something! It may be a rare find but it’s a valuable one none the less!

“You Get What You Pay For,” it has been said, repeated and proven and it couldn’t be truer in the home furniture industry, specifically in the wrought iron furniture and home decor segment. Before you go and shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars on your next wrought iron furniture and home decor purchase take the time to educate yourself on how to make the most of your investment, by knowing what to look for.

Find all of the helpful information you need on making your next wrought iron investment in the “Wrought Iron Buyer’s Guide”

Here is a little sample of what you’ll find in the Buyer’s Guide:

How To Know If It’s Authentic Wrought Iron

Look for pieces that are truly forged or wrought and not cast. You can tell if the iron décor you are purchasing is authentic by examining the scrolls, finials, welded joints and other decorative parts for the tell-tale signs of cast and machined iron.

On cheap items you will find seams from the case and half welded joints, prone to fatigue and moisture damage. If you look closely, the texture will be faint like the way cheaper pressed window molding looks vs. the elegant and much more durable carved trim.

Finials or decorative pieces on cast items will have a light, mass-produced look and feel to them, many will have noticeable seams. Trace over sections of the wrought iron to check for rough spots, splits, breaks or flaws that compromise the tensile strength and invite rust.

Artist Reputation & References

Check the references of an artisan hired to create custom railings, fencing or gates. Ask to contact previous clients and to see photos of the work. Visit the artisan’s forge, if possible.

If you are conscious of the environment and enjoy shopping on-line, make sure you buy from a reputable dealer who carries quality products. Take a look at the videos and pictures the site has.

Reputable websites have extremely detailed images highlighting the unique design characteristics, finishes, and the attention to detail of each item. This allows you to see and feel the texture and quality. If it looks good close up in a picture, it will take your breath away in person!

Where to Buy

Specialty shops, ones that carry iron and only … read on…

Read the entire Wrought Iron Buyer’s Guide click here.

While browsing through one of my favorite places to buy wrought iron I ran across a wonderful article on how to care for your wrought iron furniture and decor. Now even though quality wrought iron furniture will last for generations, the iron frame will out last the finish… unless you take care of it. And its not only the iron that should be cared for, its the accents like copper, wood, and glass that come with some styles of iron tables and chairs for example that need to be taken care of as well, to keep them looking like new for generations to come.

Simple cleaning and care can extend the life of your wrought iron furniture for generations, I clean mine not everyday but it gets cleaned and maintained so that the luster and beauty are still there when I pass my table and chairs on to my kids.

Here is a sample from the “How to Care for Wrought Iron Furniture” article I found, it should be very informational for you as it was for me. They even suggest what types of chemicals to use in this article. The text is a little like a sales pitch since it is from a site that sells wrought iron furniture and decor but its very useful information, here’s a sample from the article on how to keep your finish looking new:

(Finish: All of the finishes we offer have a standard durable natural black finish unless otherwise specified. Hand-applied premium finishes are applied over a baked on powder coat base finish and are slightly more delicate but can be maintained in the same way. To maintain your finish we recommend a regular dusting with a soft lint-free cloth and the occasional application of furniture wax to keep a clean protective coating on the finish. A few products we recommend are; Lemon Lite – a cleaner and polish that is simply sprayed on and wiped off, more product info… Shield – is a high gloss multi surface polish that is non-abrasive and creates a protective coating more product info…; Brilliance – is an all-purpose surface cleaner that will not leave a high gloss coating on your finish if a natural mate finish is what you prefer, more product info… One Touch Wonder Wax, is a simple to use spray on wax that creates a durable and protective wax coating on your wrought iron furniture finish, more product info…,” Written By: Timeless Wrought Iron)

Hopefully you find this as useful as I did! Click here to read the full article…

P.S. If you have any questions about caring for your iron decor that has not been answered in the article, they have a simple form where you can submit your questions. I tried it and they got back to me within the 24-48 hrs. that they say it may take. It actually only took them 3 hr to get back to the question I submitted.