Contractor Tips Blog

Dec
7

Exterior Hand Railings

Whether for safety or purely for aesthetics, hand railings can provide commercial properties with a much needed appeal. Commercial hand railings can be placed on decks, porches, stairs, balcony rails, walkways, and decorative landscape. Many codes have been put into place in order to keep people safe while on commercial properties. Pedestrians should not have to worry about their safety when walking around a doctor’s office, courthouse, or public park. Therefore, exterior hand railings are a common necessity in any commercial building.   

Hand railings can be decorative, useful, or both in all commercial settings. From sturdy basic pipe rails to the most elaborate decorative hand railings, commercial properties have a variety of hand railings to choose from. Skilled welders and craftsmen can create handrails from all types of materials to meet the design needs of a commercial property. Steel, iron, aluminum, and stainless steel are popular choices as they offer strength and can be completed with a wide range of finishes from galvanization to paint to high tech polymer coatings. 

It is important for any commercial property to have an experienced contractor who knows and understands the building codes and structural needs of any property being developed. Hiring a premier metal railing contractor who is licensed and experienced with design, fabrication, and installation is the best way to ensure the highest quality products. Thinking of the safety of those who will eventually be on the property from the very beginning is the best way to provide an atmosphere that will meet necessary building codes and will ultimately invite the desired patrons and visitors.

Posted on behalf of:
LCG Welding, LLC
4625 Church Road
Cumming, GA 30028

Apr
8

Custom Metal Fabrication Craftsmen

While many people understand that metal fabrication companies fabricate steel stairs and railings, many people do not realize the other services that they provide.  These services include the repair and restoration of existing miscellaneous metal structures and products including, steel stairs and rails, as well as general welding services. 

In addition, there are a number of other products that the metal fabricator will fabricate and install including landings, metal platforms, ladders, lintels, bollards, canopies, awnings, trellises, storage racks, cages, cabinets, countertops, and various ornamental iron, aluminum and steel products.  In short, if it is made out of metal, then the metal fabricator’s craftsmen will be able to repair or build it. 

Craftsmen, working with steel and other metal products, use a variety of techniques to perform their craft, with many techniques being in use for centuries.  Although the basic techniques are centuries old, today’s custom  metal fabricators use a number of advanced technologies and tools to fabricate the products that they produce.   In addition, various advanced welding techniques are used to join metals together depending on the type of metal being used, with certified welders being used in most cases. 

Qualified metal fabricators will always use craftsmen, who are certified welders, to perform all welding tasks, as proper welding of metals is key the product being strong and meeting the design criteria.  Welder certification is based upon a series of theoretical and practical knowledge tests required in order to achieve certification.  In order for the finished product to be perfect, qualified craftsmen, who are also a certified welder, must perform the welds!

Posted on behalf of LCG Welding, LLC 

Apr
8

Affordable Custom Railings

Any exterior handrail is basically made up of four separate components, including the newel post, picket, top rail and bottom rail.  The components are typically assembled in a metal fabrication shop and are made to fit a specific area on a specific building.  In the past often rails were kept simple due to the high cost of fabrication of custom parts, especially the newel post, pickets and top rails. 

While very attractive, features such as round newel posts, twisted or basket style pickets and brass top rails were just not feasible from a cost perspective for most property owners.  Traditionally, trained craftsmen have fabricated these components using centuries old metal working techniques.  Often the fabrication process was very labor intensive, resulting in high labor costs to create these custom rails. 

However, today it has never been more affordable to install a custom fabricated metal stair railings on any commercial or residential property. The reason is due to the vast number of available railing components that metal fabricators have access to today.  Now the fabricator has the ability to order individual rail components, which have been mass-produced by a specialized contractor, utilizing state of the art machinery. 

Fabricators and property owners can work together to work to select from thousands of available parts, to create a true unique rail that is both pleasing to the eye, but also meets all applicable code requirements.  The resulting railing is also surprisingly affordable, due to the reduced cost of mass produced custom components!

Posted on behalf of LCG Welding, LLC

Jan
29

Add Elegance To Your Home With Metal Railings

For many people, the word “elegant” isn’t always the first one to come to mind when they think of metal. However, custom made metal railings can be incredibly beautiful and add a certain elegance to decks, stairways and patios. Metal is extremely versatile when in the hands of a talented fabricator who can lend artistic design to what is one of the most durable materials available. 

Ideas For Metal Railings

There are many places where metal railings can be used both for functionality and design in your home. Also, when they’re custom crafted, these railings can reflect your personal tastes and compliment your existing home design and décor. Some ideas on where to add metal railings: 

  • Enclose your deck. Make your deck safer as well as more beautiful with a metal railing. Choose an eye-catching pattern such as leaves or flowers to have incorporated into the railing, or an element which complements your overall outdoor design scheme.
     
  • Stair railings. Add railings to your outdoor steps for safety or to interior stairs for beauty. Metal railings can be easily made for any size or shape of stairway, even spiral.
     
  • Room divider. A decorative metal railing can be a great way to divide a large room, separating without closing off the space. Railings can be ornate, as well as painted to match the existing design. 

Metal railings are not only versatile and elegant, they are easy to maintain and can last for decades. They are easy to clean and take care of, not needing to be polished or constantly stained. Even those used outdoors can be easily protected from rust with paint or other coatings. For your next home project, consider adding a beautiful metal railing to give your home a unique and custom look.

Posted on behalf of LCG Welding, LLC

Nov
21

Custom Metal Work

Despite the availability of tens of thousands individual metal components in the marketplace, a vast majority of steel and miscellaneous metals work remains custom work.  The metals are custom fabricated by experienced craftsmen to fit a specific application on a specific project. 

Examples of custom metal fabrication projects include interior and exterior stairs, handrails, landings, walkways, catwalks, ladders, lintels, bollards, work stands, counters, cabinets, storage racks, storage bins, canopies, awnings, trellises, gates, grating and banisters.  Often the metals used in this type of work include steel plate, ornamental iron, stainless steel and aluminum.  Finishes on these projects typically include paint, powder coating, galvanizing and a variety of high tech finishes. 

The key to properly executing these projects is a highly trained and integrated staff including estimators, designers, shop and field craftsmen and project managers.  In addition a properly equipped fabrication facility is key as well.  The estimator will determine the cost of the work, the raw materials needed, as well as the time necessary to fabricate and install the work based upon the conceptual plans provided.  The designer will take a concept provided by an architect or engineer to develop a detailed set of plans that the craftsmen will use to fabricate and install the work. 

The shop craftsmen fabricating the work will use a combination of modern and “old world” metal working techniques to fabricate the raw materials into the product being fabricated.  Once fabricated, the field craftsmen then install the finished product, while the project manager manages he entire process.  A well-equipped shop is essential to the craftsmen being able to fabricate the product accurately, efficiently and safely.  

Properly done by an experienced licensed and insured contractor, custom metal work is a unique blend of functionality, art, engineering and workmanship that will last a lifetime!

Posted on behalf of  LCG Welding

Most Popular

How Often Should You Service Your Golf Cart?

Just like any other vehicle, a golf cart needs routine maintenance to keep it running smoothly and efficiently. And just like other vehicles, what kind of cart you have depends…

Quality Metal Stairs for Apartments

Metal stairs for apartment complexes come in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes.  And, as with any building that’s accessible by the public, safety is top priority. Apartment complex…

Pros and Cons of Smartphone Insurance

Many people spend more on their smartphones than on computers – a new iPhone can cost several hundred dollars or more. Most wireless carriers and manufacturers offer insurance for a…