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.

In article ,
Lee wrote:

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 suppose you could splint it with a broomstick, but it could be a
liability issue later. A broken railing could be better than concealed
damage that was improperly repaired.

Why not call your local fence company over for a free estimate to
replace the whole thing? The rust is likely everywhere.

Although the original poster will be interested in getting a cheap railing
since he is selling the house, I recently replaced the wrought iron railing
supplied by my builder. The guy making the new one showed me what a piece
of garbage the original was.... it was hollow and spot welded so no amount
of painting could prevent rust from the inside. His replacement was all
solid including the welding. No breaks were visible in his finished work.


"Smitty Two" wrote in message
news
In article ,
Lee wrote:

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 suppose you could splint it with a broomstick, but it could be a
liability issue later. A broken railing could be better than concealed
damage that was improperly repaired.

Why not call your local fence company over for a free estimate to
replace the whole thing? The rust is likely everywhere.

"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.


Are you trying to save a little money because it's generally good to try
whenever possible? Or, are your finances so awful right now that you have
no choice but to do this repair the cheap way?

I agree with Smitty: You're pushing your luck trying to do this in any way
but the best way. Replace the thing.

I live in a city of about 200,000 people, and if I look for "Metal" in the
yellow pages, there are several pages of listings. Rather than call all of
them, I'd call a mason to get the name of a metal shop than makes and/or
repairs wrought iron fences. The mason works on porches, so he should have a
name or two to give you.

On Mar 26, 9:19*am, "JoeSpareBedroom" 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.

Are you trying to save a little money because it's generally good to try
whenever possible? *Or, are your finances so awful right now that you have
no choice but to do this repair the cheap way?

I agree with Smitty: You're pushing your luck trying to do this in any way
but the best way. Replace the thing.

I live in a city of about 200,000 people, and if I look for "Metal" in the
yellow pages, there are several pages of listings. Rather than call all of
them, I'd call a mason to get the name of a metal shop than makes and/or
repairs wrought iron fences. The mason works on porches, so he should have a
name or two to give you.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The number of "metal" listings in your yellow pages.

I'd be willing to guess that a yellowpages.com search for "mason" is
going to return more businesses than a yellowpages.com search for
"wrought iron".

My point being that you suggested calling "a" mason to find a wrought
iron guy, but there are more masons to call than wrought iron guys.
g

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
...
On Mar 26, 9:19 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" 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.

Are you trying to save a little money because it's generally good to try
whenever possible? Or, are your finances so awful right now that you have
no choice but to do this repair the cheap way?

I agree with Smitty: You're pushing your luck trying to do this in any way
but the best way. Replace the thing.

I live in a city of about 200,000 people, and if I look for "Metal" in the
yellow pages, there are several pages of listings. Rather than call all of
them, I'd call a mason to get the name of a metal shop than makes and/or
repairs wrought iron fences. The mason works on porches, so he should have
a
name or two to give you.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The number of "metal" listings in your yellow pages.

I'd be willing to guess that a yellowpages.com search for "mason" is
going to return more businesses than a yellowpages.com search for
"wrought iron".

My point being that you suggested calling "a" mason to find a wrought
iron guy, but there are more masons to call than wrought iron guys.
g

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


Even if the number is equivalent (masons vs metal shops), a mason is likely
to build porches. They *should* be able to provide a name of a wrought iron
place.

Actually, a metal shop that does NOT do wrought iron should also be able to
assist with a referral.

On Mar 26, 7:05*am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

...
On Mar 26, 9:19 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" 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.

Are you trying to save a little money because it's generally good to try
whenever possible? Or, are your finances so awful right now that you have
no choice but to do this repair the cheap way?

I agree with Smitty: You're pushing your luck trying to do this in any way
but the best way. Replace the thing.

I live in a city of about 200,000 people, and if I look for "Metal" in the
yellow pages, there are several pages of listings. Rather than call all of
them, I'd call a mason to get the name of a metal shop than makes and/or
repairs wrought iron fences. The mason works on porches, so he should have
a
name or two to give you.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The number of "metal" listings in your yellow pages.

I'd be willing to guess that a yellowpages.com search for "mason" is
going to return more businesses than a yellowpages.com search for
"wrought iron".

My point being that you suggested calling "a" mason to find a wrought
iron guy, but there are more masons to call than wrought iron guys.
g

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

Even if the number is equivalent (masons vs metal shops), a mason is likely
to build porches. They *should* be able to provide a name of a wrought iron
place.

Actually, a metal shop that does NOT do wrought iron should also be able to
assist with a referral.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Of course you _could_ look under "wrought iron". I just did for
Spokane, Wa and it is there

Harry K

In article
,
Harry K wrote:

On Mar 26, 7:05*am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

...
On Mar 26, 9:19 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:





"Lee" not my real wrote in message

news:SPidnW4O6uWrInTanZ2dnUVZ ...

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.

Are you trying to save a little money because it's generally good to try
whenever possible? Or, are your finances so awful right now that you have
no choice but to do this repair the cheap way?

I agree with Smitty: You're pushing your luck trying to do this in any way
but the best way. Replace the thing.

I live in a city of about 200,000 people, and if I look for "Metal" in the
yellow pages, there are several pages of listings. Rather than call all of
them, I'd call a mason to get the name of a metal shop than makes and/or
repairs wrought iron fences. The mason works on porches, so he should have
a
name or two to give you.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The number of "metal" listings in your yellow pages.

I'd be willing to guess that a yellowpages.com search for "mason" is
going to return more businesses than a yellowpages.com search for
"wrought iron".

My point being that you suggested calling "a" mason to find a wrought
iron guy, but there are more masons to call than wrought iron guys.
g

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

Even if the number is equivalent (masons vs metal shops), a mason is likely
to build porches. They *should* be able to provide a name of a wrought iron
place.

Actually, a metal shop that does NOT do wrought iron should also be able to
assist with a referral.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Of course you could look under "wrought iron". I just did for
Spokane, Wa and it is there

Harry K

Or "fences" as I suggested. Wrought iron is a fence material and any
decent fence company will have it and install it.

On Mar 26, 10:05*am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

...
On Mar 26, 9:19 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" 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.

Are you trying to save a little money because it's generally good to try
whenever possible? Or, are your finances so awful right now that you have
no choice but to do this repair the cheap way?

I agree with Smitty: You're pushing your luck trying to do this in any way
but the best way. Replace the thing.

I live in a city of about 200,000 people, and if I look for "Metal" in the
yellow pages, there are several pages of listings. Rather than call all of
them, I'd call a mason to get the name of a metal shop than makes and/or
repairs wrought iron fences. The mason works on porches, so he should have
a
name or two to give you.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The number of "metal" listings in your yellow pages.

I'd be willing to guess that a yellowpages.com search for "mason" is
going to return more businesses than a yellowpages.com search for
"wrought iron".

My point being that you suggested calling "a" mason to find a wrought
iron guy, but there are more masons to call than wrought iron guys.
g

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

Even if the number is equivalent (masons vs metal shops), a mason is likely
to build porches. They *should* be able to provide a name of a wrought iron
place.

Actually, a metal shop that does NOT do wrought iron should also be able to
assist with a referral.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Even if the number is equivalent (masons vs metal shops),

But why wouldn't you search for "wrought iron" instead of metal or
mason?

You'd probably be one step closer to a person who would be
knowledgeable in both the repair and replacement of the railing.

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
...
On Mar 26, 10:05 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

...
On Mar 26, 9:19 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" 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.

Are you trying to save a little money because it's generally good to try
whenever possible? Or, are your finances so awful right now that you
have
no choice but to do this repair the cheap way?

I agree with Smitty: You're pushing your luck trying to do this in any
way
but the best way. Replace the thing.

I live in a city of about 200,000 people, and if I look for "Metal" in
the
yellow pages, there are several pages of listings. Rather than call all
of
them, I'd call a mason to get the name of a metal shop than makes and/or
repairs wrought iron fences. The mason works on porches, so he should
have
a
name or two to give you.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The number of "metal" listings in your yellow pages.

I'd be willing to guess that a yellowpages.com search for "mason" is
going to return more businesses than a yellowpages.com search for
"wrought iron".

My point being that you suggested calling "a" mason to find a wrought
iron guy, but there are more masons to call than wrought iron guys.
g

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

Even if the number is equivalent (masons vs metal shops), a mason is
likely
to build porches. They *should* be able to provide a name of a wrought
iron
place.

Actually, a metal shop that does NOT do wrought iron should also be able
to
assist with a referral.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Even if the number is equivalent (masons vs metal shops),

But why wouldn't you search for "wrought iron" instead of metal or
mason?

You'd probably be one step closer to a person who would be
knowledgeable in both the repair and replacement of the railing.

=========

This is all academic anyway for some people. I know a few young people
who've never had a land line phone - just cell phones. The yellow pages
phone book may become an archeological relic, and a lot of people may not
have a good online equivalent for their city.

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.

"PaPaPeng" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:49:16 -0800, "SteveB"
wrote:


"Lee" wrote in message
m...
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.


Steve doesn't need a railing repaired.

"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

On Mar 25, 11:14*pm, Lee wrote:
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.

It's probably not really "wrought iron" but is in fact a cheap steel
railing made to look like wrought iron. Hollow is a dead giveaway.

The railing could probably be welded back together, but it will be
cheaper to replace with something from Home Depot than to repair.

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I was asking about the "stent" repair
because that had been the real estate agent's suggestion. I'm a little
leery of trying to have the whole railing replaced unless I really have
to. Both ends are buried in cement, and all of the bolts or whatever is
holding it in place have several layers of paint over them. And I just
finished paying for a kitchen update, new paint, new carpet, bathtub
reglaze etc, and would like to minimize costs where possible because I'm
currently paying two mortgages... and want to get this one on the market
within the next two weeks! Oh, and trust me when I say, I am NOT a DIY
type. I'd be dangerous with a welder thingie.

I have looked up welders and fence repair (online, because I was doing
it from work G) and all I can find is companies who advertise huge
ornate fences, or whose business is 30 miles away so I'm guessing they
wouldn't be interested in a "small" job.

OTOH, I do have a mason coming in a few weeks (after the house will be
listed, but he's been out of town) to fix a few chipped brick steps, so
I can email him to see if he has any suggestions. I figure I can show
the house with a few chipped bricks more easily than I can with a wobbly
railing.

Thanks again.


wrote:
On Mar 25, 11:14 pm, Lee wrote:
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.

It's probably not really "wrought iron" but is in fact a cheap steel
railing made to look like wrought iron. Hollow is a dead giveaway.

The railing could probably be welded back together, but it will be
cheaper to replace with something from Home Depot than to repair.

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:50:32 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:


I live in a city of about 200,000 people, and if I look for "Metal" in the
yellow pages, there are several pages of listings. Rather than call all of
them, I'd call a mason to get the name of a metal shop than makes and/or
repairs wrought iron fences. The mason works on porches, so he should have a
name or two to give you.

What I've done when I needed a dentist was call another dentist for a
recommendation.

When I needed a gastro-enterologist, I called a gastro-enterologist.
I know him personally, and he said to me, Well, I'm a
gastro-enterologist. I said "I know, that's why I figured you know
others, but I can't go to you just because we're friends. That's no
way to choose a doctor."

The number of "metal" listings in your yellow pages.

I'd be willing to guess that a yellowpages.com search for "mason" is
going to return more businesses than a yellowpages.com search for
"wrought iron".

My point being that you suggested calling "a" mason to find a wrought
iron guy, but there are more masons to call than wrought iron guys.
g

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:26:44 -0400, mm
wrote:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:50:32 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:


I live in a city of about 200,000 people, and if I look for "Metal" in the
yellow pages, there are several pages of listings. Rather than call all of
them, I'd call a mason to get the name of a metal shop than makes and/or
repairs wrought iron fences. The mason works on porches, so he should have a
name or two to give you.

What I've done when I needed a dentist was call another dentist for a
recommendation.

When I needed a gastro-enterologist, I called a gastro-enterologist.
I know him personally, and he said to me, Well, I'm a
gastro-enterologist. I said "I know, that's why I figured you know
others, but I can't go to you just because we're friends. That's no
way to choose a doctor."

I should have said that after I said that he gave me the name of a
good doctor, whom I was happy with.

I can't remember the details of the dentist story.

if you opt to fix disclose it was repaired.

if someone grabs the railing in the future and it breaks apart
somewhere else, you wouldnt be liable.

its easy to replace that railing 5 minutes with a propane torch will
get all the paint off the bolts, the parts in concrete are cut off and
taken out piece by piece, epoxy concrete sets the new posts securely.

years ago i tried a patch like your talking about, my mom came out the
door on a very windy day, lost her balance, grabbed the railing and
fell 10 or 12 feet, railing broke apart. luckily she wasnt seriously
injured, i was right behind her and watched in horror as she
disappeared in the dark.....

fix railings right or leave them be................

On Mar 26, 10:09*pm, Lee wrote:
Thanks everyone for the ideas. I was asking about the "stent" repair
because that had been the real estate agent's suggestion. I'm a little
leery of trying to have the whole railing replaced unless I really have
to. Both ends are buried in cement, and all of the bolts or whatever is
holding it in place have several layers of paint over them. And I just
finished paying for a kitchen update, new paint, new carpet, bathtub
reglaze etc, and would like to minimize costs where possible because I'm
currently paying two mortgages... and want to get this one on the market
within the next two weeks! Oh, and trust me when I say, I am NOT a DIY
type. I'd be dangerous with a welder thingie.

I have looked up welders and fence repair (online, because I was doing
it from work G) and all I can find is companies who advertise huge
ornate fences, or whose business is 30 miles away so I'm guessing they
wouldn't be interested in a "small" job.

OTOH, I do have a mason coming in a few weeks (after the house will be
listed, but he's been out of town) to fix a few chipped brick steps, so
I can email him to see if he has any suggestions. I figure I can show
the house with a few chipped bricks more easily than I can with a wobbly
railing.

Thanks again.



wrote:
On Mar 25, 11:14 pm, Lee wrote:
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.

It's probably not really "wrought iron" but is in fact a cheap steel
railing made to look like wrought iron. Hollow is a dead giveaway.

The railing could probably be welded back together, but it will be
cheaper to replace with something from Home Depot than to repair.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I was asking about the "stent" repair because that had been the
real estate agent's suggestion

Ask the real estate agent if (s)he'll cover your costs when the new
owners sue you after the railing breaks and they realize you sold the
house with a hidden defect that you knew about.

The agent just wants to close the deal and move on and may suggest
shortcuts.

Ohhhhhhh. I wondered how it was done, and envisioned some hugely
complicated ordeal. So is this something a handyman type would be able
to handle? Like a 1-800-handyman company? I do have one of the "we make
really fancy railings" companies coming for a repair estimate, but
suspect they're more interested in a big sale or more expensive repair
job. I appreciate the help. I'm getting flustered getting this house
ready to sell because not being the DIY type, I'm always worried that I
could be scammed or at least overcharged. (For anyone else in the same
boat, I've had a fair amt of success with consulting Angie's List, at
least for services like painting and carpets, although I couldn't find
any references there for railing repairs in my neighborhood).

Thanks. I'm feeling better that this won't be as big (or expensive!) as
I was afraid.

wrote:


its easy to replace that railing 5 minutes with a propane torch will
get all the paint off the bolts, the parts in concrete are cut off and
taken out piece by piece, epoxy concrete sets the new posts securely.

On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:09:16 -0400, Lee
wrote:

Ohhhhhhh. I wondered how it was done, and envisioned some hugely
complicated ordeal. So is this something a handyman type would be able
to handle? Like a 1-800-handyman company? I do have one of the "we make

Will he have references, or is his only reference going to be the
agency? Do your neighbors have a guy they like?

really fancy railings" companies coming for a repair estimate, but
suspect they're more interested in a big sale or more expensive repair
job.

Maybe, but some companies, especially maybe family companies, do small
jobs because it builds their reputation and makes loyal customers,
many of whom will have bigger jobs later. And I think as a matter of
craftsmanship, one should be able to do a small job when that's a
reasonable option. As some say, "No job too big or small".

You'll see when he gets there.

I appreciate the help. I'm getting flustered getting this house
ready to sell because not being the DIY type, I'm always worried that I
could be scammed or at least overcharged. (For anyone else in the same
boat, I've had a fair amt of success with consulting Angie's List, at
least for services like painting and carpets, although I couldn't find
any references there for railing repairs in my neighborhood).

Thanks. I'm feeling better that this won't be as big (or expensive!) as
I was afraid.

wrote:


its easy to replace that railing 5 minutes with a propane torch will
get all the paint off the bolts, the parts in concrete are cut off and
taken out piece by piece, epoxy concrete sets the new posts securely.

I was working on the old house today and the "wrought iron" guy came by.
He was supposed to look at it Monday, but was in the neighborhood and
dropped by. This is a company that makes lots of ornate custom stuff.

AARGH. His quote for a new railing (very plain, two uprights and one
rail) is around $700! He said the metal was too thin to repair, and his
quote is for a made from scratch railing. I also asked about two columns
on the back porch (each has two parallel rods of metal with scroll
things in between, between the brick porch wall and the awning). His
quote for them was something over $600, with no scrolls. I am not sure I
want to spend that much for custom work for a house I'm *leaving*. He
said the railing in the front looked like it came from HD... guess I'll
go look there! sigh

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

Lee wrote:
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.

Follow-up to this problem. I ended up replacing both the hand rail and
two iron columns in the back, the kind with the scrolls in the middle,
used to hold up an awning. The magic word was awning. I found a local
place that installs aluminum awnings, and got them to look at replacing
the columns with aluminum ones. AND they replaced the railing for me
with an aluminum one. They don't normally do railings, but said they
will for a customer if asked.

So, the cost from the expensive custom wrought iron company would have
been $1400 for two plain columns and one plain rail. The cost from the
awning company was $450 for the same items, complete with scrolls in the
columns. It's not the type of neighborhood where people necessarily
expect ornate wrought iron. (Shoot a rail in the next block looks to be
made of pipe), so I'm very happy with this solution.

Thanks to all for the help and suggestions.

"Lee" wrote in message
. ..

Lee wrote:
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.

Follow-up to this problem. I ended up replacing both the hand rail and two
iron columns in the back, the kind with the scrolls in the middle, used to
hold up an awning. The magic word was awning. I found a local place that
installs aluminum awnings, and got them to look at replacing the columns
with aluminum ones. AND they replaced the railing for me with an aluminum
one. They don't normally do railings, but said they will for a customer if
asked.

So, the cost from the expensive custom wrought iron company would have
been $1400 for two plain columns and one plain rail. The cost from the
awning company was $450 for the same items, complete with scrolls in the
columns. It's not the type of neighborhood where people necessarily expect
ornate wrought iron. (Shoot a rail in the next block looks to be made of
pipe), so I'm very happy with this solution.

Thanks to all for the help and suggestions.

It's incredible what they want (notice I didn't say GET) today for
ornamental metal. I won't call it wrought iron, because it's paper and glue
in comparison.

When I got married about five years ago, my wife wanted two new security
doors, about eight feet wide and seven feet high. They wanted $1600 each.
I said I'd buy a welder and some tools and do it for less. I did so, and
made all kinds of other gates and things. Saved money and still own the
equipment. I was a steel erection contractor for nine years. I understand
there's a lot of hidden costs and there still has to be a profit margin.
But on some jobs, it comes down to simple robbery.

And greed.

Steve