If you want to learn about the construction process and the steps that are taken to complete a project, you should read my blog. My name is Darren White and I've always been fascinated by the way that a construction crew can erect a building so fast. I work in an industrial park and there's always new buildings being built and I see the progress every day. A few months ago, I was at a neighborhood picnic and I started talking to a neighbor that lived down the street. It just so happened that he was a contractor that worked on the buildings in the industrial park. I asked him how the construction crew could build a huge building so quickly and he explained the whole process to me. That's when I had the idea to write a blog to explain the building process to others who are also interested.
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An old wrought-iron gate that's rusted or unhinged isn't doing your curb appeal any favor. Getting beautiful, new custom gates put in will enhance your home and property, and with a little imagination, so can your old gate when you put some effort into repurposing it.
Prep the old gate
You need a relatively small, manageable piece of the gate to work with; that will typically be the door. To prepare the gate for reuse, clean it with a wire brush and treat it with a sealant. You can also paint it to suit your tastes, but the natural patina on most wrought-iron gates only adds to their charm.
Reuse it as a headboard
Some gates work beautifully as headboards. You just place the gate behind the bed, with the gate leaned slightly against the wall. If it's a tall gate, it's wise to use brackets to attach the headboard to the wall for added security. Garden gate headboards look at home in any room that has a garden theme, but they lend an old-world charm to every decor.
Create a garden mirror gate
Garden mirror gates create an enchanting optical illusion. For the most polished look, have a glass company cut a mirror to size so that the mirror matches the shape of the gate. The mirror should be glued with glass adhesive to a sheet of plywood. Then the gate should be attached to the plywood with the mirror sandwiched in between the gate and the plywood. When the mirror gate is leaned against a wall and reflects the surrounding greenery, it creates the illusion of a doorway into a secret garden.
Birds don't tend to fly into a ground level mirror the same way they fly into high windows, but if that's a concern, you can place spider-web stickers on the glass to prevent birds from flying into the mirror. This type of decoration can look lovely indoors as well.
Use it as a support for climbing plants
You can lean the gate against a house and grow climbing plants on it. The clematis vine, with its white blooms, does well in the shade. In sunnier spots, cottage roses, honeysuckle vines, or morning glories would also look stunning climbing over an old wrought-iron gate.
If you like these ideas but don't have an old gate on your property to reuse, you can find gates for sale at architectural salvage stores.
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