Railings

[Workingman]

I would like the link, John.

However, what is to stop a group of you donning your Marigolds and doing the wash? Twenty minutes and a few of you could have the job done.

[Suff]

Regarding my opening post, it now seems that one is never too old to learn something new.
I have just searched the web for "maintenance of railings" and was most surprised to find a
website recommending that wrought iron fencing should be washed down every 12 months

I wonder who decided that. Cast iron is much more stable with rust than steel. Whereas steel will rust right through, cast iron self limits and with modern paint coverings, no rust is needed at all.

I tend to find todays society has changed "want" for "need" and "pretty" for "function". Then "pretty" becomes "need" and there you are, clean every year.

In the Army, back in the 80's, we had trucks which were 50 years old. They only had 5,000 miles on the clock but had been serviced 50 times. We all knew it was insane but the "manual" said to do it so like good green robots we did it.

[Aggers]

Frank - The website was WWW.anchorfenceonline.com.

And the relevant section is ..Recommended Time Frame for Cleaning a Metal Fences:

•For maximum results, we recommend that you clean your metal fences once a year or as needed.

If you want to give your children a chore to do around the house, now is the time. Cleaning a chain link, steel or aluminum fence is very easy and can be performed by almost anyone. Most of the time you can clean your metal fence by simply spraying it off with a water hose. However, if you come across some tough stains or areas that need a little scrubbing, the following advice should do the trick.

First, you will want to prepare a bucket of soapy water. To do this, simply fill a bucket with warm water and mix with any cleaning solution that will not increase chances of rust development. You will then want to take your soft bristle scrub brush and dip it in the soapy water. After the brush is wet, simply scrub the areas of the fence that need cleaning and rinse by spraying off with a water hose... It's that easy.

[Kaz]

Well, that looks perfectly 'do-able' by anyone of moderate ability, and certainly not something that needs a professional company!

[Suff]

Ah but if you get a professional company you then have a certificate and your warranty is valid and your insurance is all in order...

How we get to that with a bunch of railings is... Mind boggling.

Although, in France, if you do not have a certificate for your chimney being swept and you have an electrical house fire, they won't pay... Work that one out.

[Workingman]

John, it is a sensible article ... but I would keep it well hidden from the Maintenance Manager and hit him with probing questions about the need and cost of the job.

[molly]

Ah but if you get a professional company you then have a certificate and your warranty is valid and your insurance is all in order...

How we get to that with a bunch of railings is... Mind boggling.

Although, in France, if you do not have a certificate for your chimney being swept and you have an electrical house fire, they won't pay... Work that one out.

And your certificate may well have been in the house when it burnt down……...