What Message is Your Home Railings Giving Out About You?

The iron railings and gates that are installed around your property and premises mostly send out messages of the type 'No Trespassing', 'Keep Out' and 'Private'. Ornate fencing or railings, interrupted with large fancy gates, are often a symbol of power, status and wealth, especially when combined with a heavily moustachioed gatekeeper.

Railings and gates are installed on the perimeter of the property with a view to appeasing two main functionalities. One is to keep pets and children in and the other is keeping vandals out. Another lesser important reason could be to give the owner a bit of extra privacy.

Since the early stages of human evolution, man has been expressing his emotions and feelings through various means of design and implementation. In the early stages, these have taken the form of cave paintings and then evolved to include carvings, architecture and music as well.

It is no wonder, therefore, the railings and gates, which are meant for public display, should also carry some of the personality and emotion of the owner whose property the railings and gates protect. Most people are expressive of their feelings and would like the design of their railings and gates to be unique at least with respect to the surroundings.

However, it is very difficult to know and say with certainty what the design of the railings and gates have to tell about the owner. Railings and gates are static designs and represent the conditions that existed at the time they were installed. It may also be possible that the present owner has inherited the property from his ancestor, or has purchased the property from its original owner.

To express their feelings and emotions, people use different methods of construction and a variety of materials, in designing the railings and gates. Some prefer to use solid iron, while others use hollow tubes. Some use very simple and plain design, while others use ornate designs made with wrought iron. Some want their railings to merge with the environment, while some like their railings to stand out. Gates are a somewhat a different matter, and everyone wants a gate that is conspicuous.

To this end, the gate may either end up matching the design of the railings, or if the owner so wishes, its design could be entirely different. Even though the railings may have used ornate wrought iron, the gate may be made of iron strips welded together. The reverse could be equally true. The railings may be made of simple tubular steel, but the gate made of an elaborately floral design, in complete contrast to the design of the railing.

Whatever the design may be the railings and gates will need to have the fundamental and physical purpose of offering protection and security. Whether they have any connection with their owner's mental passions and emotions is anybody's guess; most often than not they do, and it is only by conjecture can anyone find out what railings and gates are saying about their owners.