Off Site Wrought Iron Restoration

It may be possible to carry out minor repairs on site, but for most of the work, wrought iron piece must be dispersed and cleaned so that a full assessment of its structure can be made in the workshop. However, in the case of railings, gates etc, which may be fixed into stonework or in sockets, which are filled of leads, removal may not be possible without sacrificing expensive stonework.

It is highly essential to remove, repair and re-fix ironwork when it is affixed in humid stonework, because rusting iron expands too many times its original size and in the process of restoration, exerts enormous pressure on the surrounding stonework. Where fixings are let into the stone, the hole is usually filled with molten lead, and it is usually possible to remove it by heating the metal until the lead melts.

Before removing the wrought ironwork, its condition, design and relationship with the rest of the structure should be carefully recorded and documented. The record will be essential for recalling the component later and may prove valuable if further damage ever occurred.