Mattress Tips

Wrought iron furniture is an antique form of furniture design that has never gone out of style. There is a wide range of products available such as beds, chairs and tables, patio furniture, and small accent items such as pot racks, towel bars, shelf brackets, fireplace accents, hat and coat racks, and more. It is possible to decorate with the elegance of wrought iron design everywhere in your home.

There are many styles of iron bed frames available, such as American and European antique reproductions, modern and custom designs, as well as cribs and cradles, childrens’ beds and daybeds.

Some companies specialize in restoring real antique cast iron furniture, since items made of this durable material exist dating back to the 1700s and 1800s. Since bed sizes used to be smaller, original twin and full size beds can be converted to king and queen sizes. Many of these antiques are canopy beds, exotic and stylish, especially if draped in fabrics to match the decor of the bedroom.

The term wrought is the archaic past tense of the verb to work. As the English language changed over time, the word has been changed to “worked”. Therefore, wrought iron literally means “worked iron”. The process of making these products is quite precise and complicated. Some mass-produced, light-weight ornamental metal work is not made of iron, but is actually milled steel.

True wrought iron is a very pure form of commercial iron with a low carbon content. It is tough, bendable and easy to weld. It is too soft to be made into high-quality knives or swords, and rusts easily. For the purpose of weapon-making, societies which discovered how to carbonize iron and mix it with other metals to make steel had a great advantage in warfare over their more primitive neighbors. Because wrought iron is a more basic and universal product, it is the “iron” referred to throughout history.

Archeologists find evidence of iron smelting as far back as 3000 BC in China. Wrought iron was originally made by a method called bloomery. Bloomeries employed small charcoal smelters, often pots or ladles, into which iron ore (iron oxide, or rusted iron) was placed and covered with a thin layer of charcoal. The charcoal was lit and air was blown onto it with a bellows, causing the ore to melt partially. During this process, the oxygen atoms would be released from the iron to bind with the carbon in the charcoal, releasing carbon dioxide which would bubble away. Therefor, little of the carbon entered the melted iron.

Using this old method, the fire does not get hot enough to melt the iron completely, so a spongy mass is produced containing iron and silicates from the ore, called iron bloom, which is how the technique gets its name. The bloom is then manually worked to remove the slag and impurities, giving rise to the term “wrought”, as the iron was pounded, twisted, and folded. Hammering a piece of wrought iron compacts the fibers, increasing the strength of the product, though it lacks the carbon content necessary for heat-tempering. During this process, many thin layers of slag are mixed into the metal, producing a distinct “grain”, and a fibrous appearance when broken or bent. Old, rusted pieces of wrought iron have a very distinct grain and resemble reddish-brown wood.

Producing iron by hand in a bloomery was a slow, small-scale and labor-intensive process. Iron production began on a much larger scale with the introduction of blast furnaces, which date back to approximately 1100 to 1300 in Europe. These furnaces produce bars of pig iron, a brittle compound with a high carbon content. By the 1750s, a number of oxides had been discovered to remove the carbon as carbon dioxide, similar to the process in a bloomery. Because blast furnaces completely melt the iron, the metal can be molded into cast iron products at this stage. However, cast iron is too brittle to be worked into shapes as is possible with wrought iron.

Wrought iron would be further processed by faggoting, a method whereby the iron bars would be bundled together like sticks of firewood and hammered into one piece, just as iron was worked by hand in medieval times. Each time the iron was folded and stretched, it became a bit stronger. Wrought iron which had been faggoted twice was referred to as “Best”, and had a tensile strength of 23 tons per square inch; if faggoted again it would become “Best Best”, then “Treble best” with a strength of 28 tons per square inch. With each processing, impurities would form as long thin inclusions, just as with hammering.

Due to the unique grain of wrought iron, it is difficult to work with; like wood, if stressed too much, it will split along the grain. Working with wrought iron is an art form that can take years to perfect. Unlike mass-produced milled steel items, a wrought iron product is a piece of art.

Wrought iron can be painted in any color, and many manufacturers do custom painting and design. Cast iron can be formed into any shape, so if you have a design or picture you want replicated, bring it to a cast iron shop and they will work the image into your furniture. Buying wrought iron will give you a unique piece of furniture, and helps support local artisans and industries.

About the Author:

J Schipper loves iron beds Washington DC Storage Luxury Toronto Real Estate

Written By: J Schipper

Buying a bunk bed should not be a window shopping type purchase. You must do your research before handing over your credit card number to the store. Be sure to shop many different stores both online and brick and mortar.

Just because Bunk Beds look great doesnt mean that they will be safe and secure and built with quality materials and craftsmanship. After all, it is our children that will be sleeping and playing on them so you need to educate yourself on what to look for.

The first decision you need to make is what type of bed you want your children to have, a bunk, loft, triple, twin, wood or metal. Second is the safety of the bunk bed. After you have reached your bedding type then consider the following safety checklist when shopping:

Find a dealer you can trust. Make sure they stand behind their products and can answer any questions regarding the safety of the bed.

Find out the weight limits on the bunk bed you want to purchase. Last thing you need is to get the bunk bed home and assembled to later find out that the bunk cant handle the required weight.

Find out if the bottom of the bed frames has enough room for a box spring mattress to go under the childs mattress or if the beds have wooden supports for the mattress to sit on. Having a box spring mattress provides more comfort and support.

Make sure that the bunk beds have plenty of room on the bottom bunk for the kids to sit on comfortably. This will also help keep the kids from always playing on the top bunk where it can be more dangerous.

Look to see if the bunk beds have a safety sticker outlining the safety guidelines for the bed.

Make sure the bunk bed is made of strong, quality materials. You can shake the bed to see if it is durable and stable. Ask or look to see if the bunk bed is made out of solid wood or if it is made using particle board. Particle board isnt as strong as solid wood.

Make sure the corners and edges on the bunk bed are smooth and rounded. Sharp or blunt edges can serve up many bumps and bruises.

The ladder should be securely attached and be wide enough for your child to climb. The ladder should also not be removable by children. Also, make sure the rungs on the ladder are properly spaced; they should not have to take a large step up to step on the next rung.

Make sure the bunk beds have guardrails all the way around the bed and cannot be removed by children. The guardrails should have to be removed by removing a fastener device or some type of combination pressure lifting.

Following these steps when shopping for bunk beds will help ensure your childrens safety when playing or sleeping in their new bunk bed. And it will also give you a peace of mind when making the purchase.

About the Author:

Kryssa Lighthall is a writer for http://www.bunkbedsandplans.com – Bunk Beds

Written By: Kryssa Lighthall

The style of bed can make a big impact on your bedroom redecorating project. Being the centerpiece of the room, you want your bed to match the overall theme as well as add a bit of punch to the dcor. Wrought iron beds can add unique interest and go with many decorating themes.

Wrought iron beds can come in different styles – from fancy and ornate to one with plainer lines. These types of beds can go with many decorating themes from Victorian to French to Italian to Shabby Chic. Wrought iron beds can be romantic and add great texture to a room.

Quality wrought iron beds can also be a practical choice as well. A good wrought iron bed can be very durable and last years or even generations. You can buy some very nice new beds but there are also some interesting antique wrought iron beds that can add an elegance and charm to your bedroom that no other type of will. Some great antique beds have nice chippy paint that adds to their look and if you are concerned about rust you can use a special anti rust coating on the metal of the bed.

For a really elegant look or a look that is perfect for your girls bedroom, you can buy a wrought iron bed that has a canopy overhead. The canopy adds interest to a room with tall ceilings and creates a cozy feeling when you are in bed.

Modern wrought iron bed frames are designed in such away that it is vital for the support of the bed. The frames are specially designed for the innerspring mattresses and airbeds. If you prefer a soft side waterbed then you may have to order a custom iron bed as the traditional beds are not designed to hold a waterbed mattress.

Iron bed frames are typically strong and durable. You can buy them in most any size from twin to king and they are very easy to assemble and they can be assembled quickly. Iron beds have the capacity to hold a significant amount of weight. If one does not know what frame size is required then the tag on the mattresses should be checked in order to get the correct iron bed frame size.

The stylish look of a wrought iron bed can enhance the look of any bedroom but you will need to take care to match the style of the bed to the style of your bedroom dcor. A simplistic bedroom will go best with an iron bed that has straight unadorned lines. A Victorian or Shabby Chic bedroom might benefit from an iron bed with chippy paint. A romantic or little girls bedroom might be made even more special with a canopy bed. For a French or Tuscan style bedroom try an iron bed with an ornate scrolly design.

About the author:

Lee Dobbins writes for bedroom decorating where you can read more of her bedroom decorating articles.

Written By: Lee Dobbins

Bunk beds are a great way to fit two beds into a smaller space, or to maximize the floor space of a shared room. There are now bunk beds available with storage drawers, roll out mattresses and even some that double as desks and workstations. All the additional amenities that bunk beds now offer are certainly something to be considered, but nothing is more important when purchasing a bunk bed than safety. Know what to look for and you will get a great looking bunk bed that serves its purpose. There are certain things an educated consumer should know to look out for, and it also goes without saying that not all bunk beds are created equal. There are several manufacturers of bunk beds who make quality furniture pieces, and armed with a little knowledge, you can purchase the right bed for your children.

All bunk beds should have rails for the top bunk. Without question, the number one cause of bunk bed related injuries stems from children falling out of the top bunk. A quality bunk bed will never lack rails for a bed so high off the floor. Additionally, parents should always make sure the rails are tight and secure after the bunk bed has been purchased or assembled.

Ladder placement is important. Ladders will either be on the sides or front of the bed. A good rule of thumb to follow is that bunk beds with four feet or four posts touching the ground should have the ladder in front; meaning on the long side of the bed that usually faces out from the wall (provided the bed is set against a wall). You should only see ladders on the short “ends” of the bunk bed if the bed has a solid foundation on both ends, meaning wood or metal all the way across the end that touches the floor. The reason for this is that front side ladders are at an angle while end ladders are straight up and down. If your child slips on a front sided ladder, which is always angled, he or she will not fall straight down, eliminating the possibility of landing on the bottom bunk rails or getting an appendage caught in the bed. This can happen with a vertical ladder, which is why they should only be placed on the ends of beds, preferably with “walled” or “semi-walled” ends that go all the way to the floor. This will prevent your child from getting an appendage caught on the bed should he or she fall on a vertical ladder.

Bunk bed construction, as one might imagine, is also very important. Wood has substantially less compression strength than metal, so while wooden bunk beds are certainly fine, be wary of those that don’t weigh much more than their metal counterparts. Wood bunk beds are just as good as metal bunk beds, but should weigh considerably more.

Being an educated consumer will allow you to get the bunk bed you want while making sure that your children’s safety needs are met.

About the author:

To read other articles about home and office furniture visit http://homeandofficefurniture.blogspot.com/ To purchase furniture visit http://www.ezbuyfurniture.com/

Written By: Kingston Y. amadan

If you are in the market for loft beds or bunk beds, a major choice is wood versus metal. Depending on the overall look and size you desire, you will want to choose a differently constructed bed. Although both materials are both sturdy and safe, many individuals choose either metal or wood when searching for the optimum bed to fit the room.

Most older bunk beds are made of wood, and are generally easier to make safety modifications and enhancements. Also, the price of wooden bunk beds may be more economical, especially if you are shopping at second hand stores or using a bed previously used by a friend or family member. Furthermore, wooden bunk beds can be easily repaired, painted, stripped, or stained to create a completely different look for differing tastes.

Metal bunk beds are usually made of tubular metal and thought to be a classic kid’s type of bedding. How many times have you seen a red or white metal bunk bed in a child’s bedroom? Metal bunk beds made in recent years are built to the set safety requirements, but if any safety requirements are not up to par, emendations are much more difficult to make.

When looking at loft beds, the newer, stylish beds are made of metal. Additionally, metal loft beds take up less space so that tight spaces will not be further infringed by bulky metal creations. Also, metal beds allow a greater amount of decoration than wooden beds, so these are quite popular with the feminine crowd. Additionally, a change in style requires nothing more than a can of spray paint in the new and improved color.

Wooden loft beds are most associated with college dormitories, where loft beds built of raw two by fours are king. These beds can be found around every corner of campus come move-in day, so keep your pennies for things like books and purchase a used loft bed. You may even gain a couple new phone numbers, since most college co-eds use their loft beds as a huge message pad. The plus side of a wooden loft bed is that you will save a great deal of money on paper!

Whatever type of bunk bed or loft bed you choose to purchase, ensure the bed is safe. It does not matter if you are two, twelve, or twenty, safety is still important when entrusting your bodily safety while you sleep. A teenager can roll out of bed just as easily as a toddler, so be sure all beds have the proper guard rails and safety precautions. Generally, the choice between wood and metal bunk beds or loft beds is completely personal and depends on the space and the style.

About the author:

Donna Somerkin specializes in Beds http://www.u-loft-beds.com

Written By: Donna Somerkin