What are Cast Iron Railings and Fences?

Cast iron is made from pig iron, which is the product of melting iron ore in a blast furnace. It is then poured into molds made of sand. After the iron cools off the sand is cleaned off. The Chinese were the first to use cast iron in the 6th century. It was introduced into Europe in the 14th century with its main decorative uses being as firebacks and plates for woodburning stoves in Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. By the end of the 18th century, cast iron was increasingly used for railings, balconies, banisters and garden furniture due to its lower cost. From the beginning of the 19th century it began replacing wrought iron because it was easier to mass produce and was cheeper. It is made out of poor quality metal and is brittle. Today we hand forge or weld ornamental iron railing and fences out of mild steel which takes more skill and is higher quality.