Coring vs. Plating

Customers who are looking to purchase exterior railings often wonder how these rails will be attached when their landings or steps are made of stone or concrete. They naturally want their rails to be secure, but wonder if the installation process will cause any damage.

When adding wrought iron railing to an exterior landing, there are two main methods that can be used in order to secure the rail into cement or stone. These methods are called “coring” and “plating”.  Which one we use depends mainly on what the rail posts are being inserted into.

Whichever method is used however, the most important thing is that the rails are secure and perform the important task of keeping both you and any visitors safe from falls.

In the following article, we will discuss both of these methods, so you can better understand how your new rail will be installed.

Coring for Concrete

If your home or business has exterior concrete stairs or landing, then coring is usually the preferred method for anchoring your rail posts.

The first step is to drill holes, approximately three inches in depth, after which we will clean out any dust and debris. The post is then placed into the hole and sealed with a hydraulic cement called rockite.

Some homeowners are quite shocked when they see the rockite because of its bright white appearance. They may worry that this will hurt the overall aesthetic effect of their railing. Not to worry –  as the rokite dries, the colour darkens until it eventually blends in with your cement.

Coring is a good solution for concrete surfaces, because even though we are drilling into it, there is very little risk of damage. The end result is a railing that has been securely anchored into the concrete for maximum safety.

Plating for Stone

While the coring method of installation may also be used for natural stone, the risk of damage becomes much higher. This is because stone often contains hidden hairline cracks that can break open with the pressure of the drill.

While we at Dufferin Iron have all the tools and expertise necessary for coring stone, we can’t guarantee this method will always work. So when inserting iron railings into natural stone, we recommend a process called plating.

Through this method, we use a base plate and screw the rail into it. In this way, you can still have a safe, secure rail but you won’t run the risk of damaging your stone stairs or landing.

Experience you can trust

Wrought iron railings can be a big investment, so you’ll want to make sure that installation is only done by experts in the industry.  Exterior railings must not only be very secure, but they must be installed in a way that will not damage your cement or stone landing. At Dufferin Iron, we have over forty years’ experience in providing the very best service from manufacture right up until installation and beyond.

Call us today and find out why so many customers trust us to do an expert job in creating and installing beautiful exterior wrought iron railings.