Aluminum

Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.

RAILING MATERIAL

Aluminum is the Right Material for Lighter Weight Handrailings

Aluminum works well for lighter applications like balcony picket railings. It has less structural capacity than steel or stainless, so additional supports, larger sections, and mechanical connections are typically required, and it cannot be field welded to the structure. It is, however, more cost-effective than other handrailing materials.

A note on anodizing: Livers Bronze does not recommend it for commercial handrailings because color variation between pieces and at welded connections is common. Powder coating is a better alternative for a similar appearance and more consistent results.

Aluminum picket railing by Livers Bronze

Some of the most common steel finishes in architectural applications are:

Blasted Finish

Produced by the impact of a hard, inert medium onto the stainless steel surface resulting in a non-directional, uniform matte surface with low reflectivity.
Should be done only with a fabricator familiar with the process, samples obtained and a control sample put in place for the final work.
Should receive a clear coating once the blasting is completed to seal the material against corrosion.

Powder-Coated Finish

Available in a wide variety of colors, textures and finishes.
Perfect solution for long term durable finishes for steel.
Retain the raw steel appearance with clear matte and glossy powder-coat finishes.

Patina Finish

Chemical finishes that change the color of the raw metal.
Ideally applied to bead blasted or sand blasted materials and are clear coated once the desired color has been achieved.
Includes blackened steel finishes.
The final color can be slightly different from piece to piece and visible streaking will be part of the final finish.

Field Painted Finish

Generally preferable to provide a completely shop finished product for final installation.
Generally reserved for products that have been welded and constructed on site.