We paint metal gates, handrails and railings in Parklands, in NN3, 2.5 miles out on the north-east side of Northampton. At home this is usually a side gate or handrail, while longer railing runs belong to the schools and the Coppice Drive parade, and quotes are free.
How much metalwork Parklands actually has
Parklands is an estate of semis, detached houses and bungalows along Parklands Avenue and Crescent and Coppice Drive, built in brick with timber or uPVC joinery. Unlike Victorian streets in Northampton with cast-iron railings along every front wall, metal here is limited. At home it usually means:
- a metal side gate between the house and the boundary
- a handrail beside front steps or a sloping path
- gate posts, hinges and latches on timber gates
- garden features such as arches or a metal bench
Longer runs of railings belong to the non-domestic sites: Parklands Primary School and Parklands Nursery School on Spinney Hill Road, and the shop parade on Coppice Drive. Small jobs are worth doing well, because a rusting gate stains the path and wall below it and gets harder to save the longer it is left.
Because domestic metal is a small part of most Parklands properties, it often makes sense to add it to a wider outside job. If Dean is already painting fascias, a front door or a timber side gate, a metal handrail or gate can be prepared on the same days with little extra setting-up time.
A small job done properly
Most failures on a home gate start at the welds, the hinge pins and the bottom bar, where water sits. Our process for a domestic item in Parklands:
- wire-brush and abrade back to sound metal, taking flaking paint and loose rust off completely
- treat remaining rust with a rust converter or go straight to a zinc-rich or anti-corrosive primer on bare steel
- seal open joints so water cannot collect inside hollow sections
- apply two topcoats of a metal paint, gloss or satin, paying attention to edges and the underside of rails
Galvanised gates are a different case: new galvanising needs a mordant wash or a specific primer, or the paint will lift in sheets. We check what your gate is made of before we buy any materials.
Spinney Hill Road schools and the Coppice Drive parade
For the larger sites, the practical issue is timing. Spinney Hill Road is a bus route past both schools, and the school drop-off and pick-up make parking and pavement space tight. Railing work at a school is usually scheduled for the holidays or with an agreed working area away from pupil entrances, and wet paint signs and barriers stay in place until the coating is dry.
At the Coppice Drive parade, any railings or handrails sit close to the Tesco Express, the pharmacy, the fish and chip shop and the coffee shop. We plan with the business owner or landlord to keep the entrances usable and to do the noisy wire-brushing when footfall is lowest. For wider commercial painting on these premises, see our commercial painting service.
Colour and finish
Nothing in planning terms restricts gate colours on the estate, so you can choose any colour for a gate or railing. Black remains the most common choice and hides marks well, though a dark green or grey can suit the brick of the estate. Gloss sheds water and dirt better; satin hides surface imperfections on older, pitted metal. Homes facing Kettering Road, the busy A5123, will see traffic grime build on the gate, so a hard-wearing, washable topcoat makes sense there.
The main metal gate and railing painting page has more on primers and coatings, and the Parklands page lists everything else we cover on the estate.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
