Iron railings and metal gates in Yardley Gobion (NN12), 9.7 miles south of Northampton, are repainted by DH Painter & Decorator. Dean removes rust, primes bare metal and repaints, taking care of the limestone walls the railings are fixed into. Quotes are free.
Railings as part of the village scene
Metal railings are a recognised boundary type in Yardley Gobion. The most prominent run sits on top of the stone wall in front of St Leonard’s Church, which is raised above the High Street. The conservation area appraisal lists railings alongside limestone walls, hedges and timber fencing as the boundaries that define the village, and suggests railings as a suitable boundary for the conservation area. We also paint smaller metalwork, from garden gates to handrails and short railing runs, on houses in the old village and on the estate to the south.
Where the railing meets the stone
Where a railing is set into or on top of a limestone wall, as at the church, that joint is where the trouble starts. Water sits around the base of each upright, rust expands inside the fixing, and over time it can crack the coping stone and leave orange stains running down the wall. Repainting therefore starts at the bottom, not the top.
- We wire-brush or scrape the base of each bar back to firm metal and treat any rust with a rust-converting primer.
- Gaps at the fixing are checked; where lead or mortar has failed, we point you to a metalworker or mason rather than filling it with sealant.
- The stone is masked so paint and rust residue do not stain the coping, and drips are cleaned off straight away.
Paint system and colour
After preparation, bare metal gets a zinc phosphate or similar anti-corrosion primer, followed by an undercoat and a gloss or satin metal finish. Two full coats on top of the primer matter on this site: Yardley Gobion is up on the Tove Valley ridge, so railings facing north and east across the valley take more wind-driven rain than they would down in the town.
Black is the traditional choice for railings in front of stone buildings and suits the conservation area. Very dark greens and greys also sit well against limestone. Before any change of colour on railings attached to a listed building, it is worth checking with West Northamptonshire Council, as consent may be needed. If you would like help choosing, our colour and finish advice covers this.
Gates, handrails and the steep streets
Grafton Road drops steeply from Elm Green down towards the wharf and the Grand Union Canal, and on streets with changes of level like this a metal handrail or step rail is often the piece that gets the most hands on it. Handrails are rubbed down, degreased and given a hard-wearing finish, and we leave them taped off until the paint has properly hardened. Gates are checked for drop and loose hinges first, since repainting a gate that scrapes the path only lasts until the next time it is dragged open.
Working at the roadside
Railings usually face the street, and Yardley Gobion’s streets are tight. The High Street has a pinch point where it curves west, with houses on the street edge and a narrow pavement, and on the south side of Elm Green the road sits well below the footpath. Painting a street-facing railing means working on the pavement, so we keep a clear route for pedestrians, put up wet paint signs and do not leave tins or dust sheets in the footway. Because metal paint needs dry, mild weather to cure, we plan these jobs for a settled day rather than squeezing them in between showers.
Our main metal gate and railing painting page explains the methods in more depth. We cover Yardley Gobion from our Northampton base; see the Yardley Gobion area page for the other work we do in the village.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
