As a home improver, you’re constantly learning about new ways to work with materials to turn your house into a beautiful, luxurious home. You might know how to work with wood but when it comes to working with metal, you might be at a loss. When it comes to working with metal, whether you’re installing an iron fence around your property or working with a decorative piece inside your home, there are several great metalworking techniques that you should know about so that the metal on your property can look great and last for as long as possible.

Dealing with Outdoor Metal

People use metal for all sorts of things on their properties but fences are the most common metal objects found in backyards. People build fences out of aluminium, iron, and steel. The only problems with building a metal fence are that the colour is often undesirable and untreated metal can easily oxidise, causing it to rust and rot in the open air. When it comes to dealing with outdoor metal, there’s a solution that you need to know about.

There are companies that make a special metal blackening solution for iron, steel, aluminium, and zinc. This blackening solution is extremely useful for homeowners and industrial factories alike. The solution is designed to coat the metal and adds a valuable layer that is useful for two main reasons. First, the blackening solution adds a protective element that makes it much more difficult for the metal to rust. As you know, metal exposed to open air and wet conditions can easily rust. With a blackening solution, you don’t have to worry about oxidisation.

Additionally, a blackening solution can add a nice aesthetic to any metal fence or piece of metal hardware. Because the solution turns the metal a darker colour such as charcoal grey or black, it creates a clean industrial look that is both simple and minimalistic.

If you’re concerned about adding a thick layer to your metal, don’t worry too much. Blackening agents typically add about one micron in thickness to the surface of the metal, which is such a small amount that it’s hardly noticeable.

Working with Decorative Pieces

Now that you understand how to work with metal outside your house, you might find it useful to know about some great finishing solutions for your decorative metal pieces. For example, why not try an antique finish on your door handles? This gorgeous type of finish gives any piece of metal an old-fashioned aesthetic, making it look more valuable and vintage. Contrasting old metal with clean, new wood can really help your interior look more luxurious.

Metal blacking has been around for centuries and while only factory manufacturers could apply blacking chemicals in the past, the use of metal blacking for home improvement purposes is now more popular than ever. With a metal blacking kit, you can safely apply a finish to your metal that can make any average piece of metal more resistant to oxidisation and more aesthetically pleasing to you and anyone who visits your home.