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Beauty takes pain! This project was tedious and strenuous, but we know it has a finish that will last for decades! See for yourself below!

A landscape designer in Virginia was working on a Washington DC suburb property and building a beautiful terrace and outdoor space. As part of the plan, they needed terrace railings to provide safety and beauty for this upscale property. The home had existing porch railings that they wanted to pull inspiration from.

The original iron railings had an inferior finish and was subject to some corrosion. We recommended creating the new terrace railings in an aircraft grade aluminum material. Also, we suggested improving the detail on the forged tapered scroll for more of a craftsmanship detail. Furthermore, we improved the detail at the collars for a better visual.

As part of the project, stair railings were needed on the front and back of the house to provide safety for people as they traverse the stairs. We recommended the same 2 ¼” cap rail as the rest of the house railing. We also suggested 1 ½” square post and to add in hand-forged scrolls at post. This would allow design continuity as well as an artistic effect. The railing areas were measured once the columns were completed. Then, we did the entire terrace railing design in CAD in both plan view and elevation view to make it easier for the landscape designer and the client to review and approve.

Then we individually forged all the tapered scroll ends for the entire custom aluminum railing project. These were then mounted in place and the decorative bandings were put in their location with a special clamping tool.

The railing finish process was initiated with a sandblast process to completely remove all dirt, organic matter and forging material. Then a special phosphate chemical wash, clean water rinse and chemical sealer completed this pieces pretreatment. Next the terrace railing sections were preheated, and a resilient primer was applied. That was followed by another preheat and a top-coat powder-coat. To completely finish it off we applied a second topcoat to really give us assurance that the entire terrace railing project would provide decades of service for this urban Washington DC home.

The beauty of this project far outweighs the pain! Like what you see and want one of your own?
Contact us here:https://www.compassironworks.com/connect/
Not ready yet and need more inspiration? Check out our other work on our socials: pin.it houzz.com

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Thanks to the Compass team. The original work that was done 12 years ago still looks great. Unfortunately, we had to remove the railings to install new pillars this year due to weather related issues with the stones. Compass removed the rails and reinstalled them after the repairs were done. All looks beautiful again.

Thomas Zentz

We were thrilled to work with Compass again on our back porch project! The end result is gorgeous and the process was seem less. In a time characterized by delays, labor shortages and supply chain issues, Compass exceeded our expectations by providing a beautiful product and outstanding service in a timely manner. We look forward to working with Compass again in the future on all our metalwork needs.

Thank you so much again for your help!

Gina Bevan

Compass was very flexible when we changed our design. Quality was so wonderful, and unexpected.
We would never go to anyone else.

Amy Stone

Amos, your team exceeded extremely high expectations. The stairs are the heart and soul of the house, and as the main focal point are a treasure to the owners and architect. Every visit is followed by “come see the stairs”. I know how challenging it was to build and install this masterpiece, having worked as a builder for 50 plus years, and admire how your crew stayed positive and focused throughout. I can’t wait for the next one!

Custom Home Builder~ Northern VA
Front entrance metal gate