On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:49:16 -0800, "SteveB"
wrote:


"Lee" wrote in message
...
Another non-DIY question. The house I'm getting ready to sell has a
wrought iron railing on the porch steps - about 3 steps worth from the
sidewalk to the cement porch. Sometime last yr the end upright piece broke
(square hollow piece, not one of the twisty spindle things). The two ends
still "touch" but it's apparently broken through.

Obviously I'm going to need to repair it before showing the house, so that
it doesn't scream deferred maintenance. And it's not something I can do
myself, so I'll end up calling one of those 1-800-handyman places.

So here (finally) is the question: several people have told me that "they"
sell some sort of insert that goes inside the hollow upright to hold it
together, like a stent. Any idea where I'd find that, or what it's called?
I'd like to get one ahead of time. The problem I ran into the last time I
called the 800-handyman type place was that, although he did a good job,
he charged by the hr, with a 2 hr minimum, and part of that time was
involved buying supplies. So I'm figuring if I already have the pieces he
might need I can save a little $. Or am I better off having a new railing
ready just in case? And if so, do they have them at HD etc, and how would
I know what to buy? (ie, do I look for a certain size or incline?)

Thanks.

I am a retired welder who still does repair jobs. I've built tons of
wrought iron. Well, not wrought iron, but ornamental metal.

Do one of two things: have a welder fix what's there and pay what he
charges. But shop around. Have a new rail put on there, and pay that they
charge, but shop around. Either way, you get it right. It's an important
item, and needs to be done properly. My estimate ..... repair, $150. New,
$350.

Steve

================================

There are perfectly good railings that are available as a DIY kit for
deck surrounds and deck staircase. See if your existing railing can
be unbolted and replace the whole thing. Or see if you can install
the new railings on a nearby spot on the porch steps and just remove
the old one and patch up the old holes. It may cost more than $150.
But as you suspect calling a local repair guy may cost you a lot more.
A third possibility is buying a small arc welder and do it yourself.
$150 just about gets you there and you are ahead in getting to own a
very useful tool.