Source for Victorian fencing

[Sinoed]

I currently have an old mason doing a ton of repairs to my brickwork and chimney. He's replaced the chimney and several broken and crumbling patches and started to work on my garden wall so I'd like to fix it properly if i can.

I have a low cement wall about 12" tall that runs the length of the house on two sides. There is an entry way with two posts which would have originally had a gate and you can see the remains of round metal uprights that were cut off on the top of the cement. Originally, the house had a small decorative wrought iron fence about 18" tall that was set on top of this wall. I've been digging through websites but most of the fencing I find is 3' or taller.

Does anyone have a source (preferably in Canada) for short decorative fencing? I'm looking for something that would be consistent with the timeframe of the house c. 1895.

[lovesickest]

Try Legacy Salvage in Coburg. They previously had large lots of wrought iron fencing from Eastern Europe. They might have something appropriate ?

If you are in Eastern Canada, do a weekly search of Kijiji and Craigslist for anywhere within a 3 hour driving radius. I have seen antique cast and wrought iron fencing come and go, though the location/price/linear feet can be very unpredictable. I have not seen much antique iron fencing in western Canada, with the only exception being Ukrainian cemeteries.

While Ebay can be pricey, it can also be affordable or a real bargain, of course depending on luck and timing. Some US sellers are flexible about shipping or even delivering, though others act like Canada is a strange place they have never dealt with, that is impossible to ship to. Ask shipping questions before you buy ! I have had very good experiences with some CL and Kijiji sellers who delivered for gas money or a small fee, even when they lived a couple of hours away.

Try searching Ebay for "cast iron cresting". There may be short fences misidentified as cresting and vice versa.

There is SalvoWeb in the UK, with lots of antique cast iron fencing for sale from various sellers. Some may ship to Canada ?

Steptoe and Wife used to sell reproduction fences and railings. I just checked their site and it seems they are only focussed on stairs and railings now. Personally, while much of their fencing was fancy and decorative - it was not consistent with what had previously existed in eastern Canada. I suspect much of it was cast from antique panels from France or places like Louisiana, where things were heavier and more ornate.

It's out there, you'll find it.

[Gothichome]

Sinoed, was just at Legacy salvage, they have lots of wrought iron fencing in the shorter height. Pack a lunch, and bring lots of money, upper management and I spend a strong two hours just looking at all the great stuff. Even got a lesson on the evolution of the mortise door set. Drooled over (well almost) over a fancy Victorian high tank toilet. Almost bought a couple of wrought iron trim pieces for our roof peaks. Be aware though there are no steel of a deal's to be found.
http://legacyvintage.ca

[Gothichome]

Oh, one other suggestion, wear your grubby jeans.

[Sinoed]

Thanks for the tip about "cresting" I didn't know they can be mislabeled. I actually live and work in Alberta and rent this home out to my uncle so I'm not in Ontario all the time. You just don't see the same stuff out west so it's a bit tricky to hunt through Kijiji but I'll give it a shot.

I remember looking through the piles at Legacy last summer but didn't see anything interesting at the time. Maybe they've got some more since then but I also remember it being quite pricey.

My only issue with the some of the salvage stuff is that a lot of the old iron fencing is in pretty terrible condition. I'll need at least 30' feet and I just don't know how I'll be able to work on restoring and fixing it while I'm out here. Last year when I hunted through the Legacy piles I saw a lot of twisted pieces and rust. Rust is an easy fix but straightening out the pieces is harder - I don't really have the time for that. I've been contracting out the bigger jobs - family is helping with the smaller stuff like painting.

I've been thinking about a "new" replica as a compromise but haven't found anything yet. Maybe it's just not popular anymore?

[Sinoed]

Well.. I can't thank you enough for the tip about "Cresting" and I think I've finally found a source. It's an easy drive down to Milford, PA for a pick-up and there seems to be quite a few lovely options:

http://www.capitalcrestings.com/

I'm going to keep up the hunt for a Canadian source - the US exchange rate is terrible. :/

[lovesickest]

Keep your eye on Ebay. If you are patient there are deals to be had, esp. if you are willing to drive to the US for pick-up. You may have to buy an entire lot - but having more than you think you'll need is better than "almost enough". That way you won't feel badly if you need to harvest bits and pieces to fill in broken or damaged areas.

If the fence or cresting has scaling paint you can always media blast it, then paint and prime it. Alternately you can blast the old crud off then let it rust.

The next challenge will be to find the person to do any necessary welding for the fence. It sounds like you've got the mason lined up.

[Sinoed]

Well I had my aunt measure the length of the walls for me and unfortunately I have to locate at least 72' - which is a lot. I might have to be patient and wait for a good deal to come up on eBay or Kijiji.

I did send an email to Legacy and they had some beautiful fence but only about 35' of it - and its $60 per foot. I think before I spend $4300 on a decorative fence I'd be much better off to replace windows, fix the porch etc. Sadly I think the fence will have to wait.

[Gothichome]

Sinoed, cresting, yes that is a great option for a shorter fence heights. I was looking at that site a few months ago while thinking about our new roof. But like you soon abandoned the thought, a future project just not now. Same with our trip to Legacy, found one fence pattern, and they just had enough panels (if I spread thenm out a bit) to do the front of the Gothichome. But like many of here in the
District, if not for the lack of money, we'd be rich.

[phil]

I'd look around for genuine vintage stuff to modify but if the prices are like what I've seen here it's difficult to find a bargain AND the right dimensions at the same time.

Why don't you find out where they teach welding? You could probably find someone who is into metal art or blacksmithing.
If you have clubs with old farm machinery, stationary engines, try those groups. They collect and appreciate things like that and many are just nice people who would care enough to put pride into a project like that.

Check the scrap metal dealers. They often have piles of suitable bar stock and maybe old gates and things too. Usually they hoard a few things like that because people will pay more than the scrap price so they might have a huge pile of steel with a set price per pound

If you make one or have an artist do it for you you could use some castings and things from other old ones , and some new steel where you need to

Most of the repro stuff is just cheap made in China garbage castings.

Sometimes the search is half the fun