How to Repair a Rusted Wrought Iron Railing | This Old House

[@Somenite]

Did a similar repair a few years back except I knew a welder who welded new legs on the railing for me. Worth doing because replacing the railings was going to cost a fortune but I still remember how brutal it was spending hours in the hot sun with a hammer drill getting the metal pieces out of the concrete and preparing the holes. Not sure if all concrete is created equal but for anyone doing this job, be prepared to work on that piece.

[@junkstough6622]

Hydralic sment

[@DelMastro1984]

Sment lmao

[@DelMastro1984]

4:31

[@jimduganhard]

@@DelMastro1984 w the time stamp😂🤣

[@Group_Anonymous]

😂😂😂

[@RealGame101]

TOH is so gangsta. I could watch this all day

[@ManuelHernandez-ug5sh]

Great job!i have the same issue in my old home! Thank you for showing how to fix it!.

[@GetToThePointplz123]

The homeowner wanted it fixed so that's what he did...it will last a good long time, there's all ways more than one way to fix things

[@bblakester69]

If he cut the railing off, why not have the shop weld new tubing on? Probably would have been cheaper than fabricating those hokey extensions.

[@selfishlyintrigued]

Actually probably not. He had those extensions "Made" i.e. probably an off the shelf part that might just be cut to length with a chop saw or band saw, where a company puts of thousands of them a day in different shapes and sizes.

[@jordancliff]

Because this is a TV show that shows up just for the day the shoot on. The new legs would have been fabricated before they cut off the railing. And No, they are not “off the shelf” parts.

[@mojoman2001]

Could you get a whole new off-the-shelf hand rail for the price of custom-fabricated replacement parts which are not a perfect fit?

[@RalphSampson...]

@@jordancliff Yes, the stock IS "off-the-shelf". All that had to be done was cut them to length. The rest is in the video. Simple. My only gripe is Tom said "masonary" bit. It's "masonry". There is no "a" after the "n". That drives me nuts, along with hot water heater. You don't heat hot water. It's just a water heater.

[@catfeline1530]

@@mojoman2001 yes, but that's not what this show is about, the show is about getting consumers to overspend their money on housing industry.

[@misteramerica5893]

I'm a bit confused at the rivet part. Why not a rivet nut? How does the rivet actually grab the inner iron pole? I'm attempting the same repair and I just don't understand how the rivet is supposed to lock both parts into place.

[@coreytierney4078]

They rivet was to hold it while that black adhesive he used cured

[@VC-Toronto]

Why not put the hydraulic cement into the hole (half way up) first then set the railings into it, that way all air pockets are eliminated? Personally I would have used a tube or two of PL premium instead of cement, that way the water is sealed out, as oppose to concrete which is porous. Agree with the other posters to have the metal shop simply weld on the extensions.

[@xXxmlg_vacxXx]

Vern C ii

[@xXxmlg_vacxXx]

Vern C kk

[@xXxmlg_vacxXx]

K

[@skaizun]

Hydraulic cement is very brittle and not meant to hold any weight. It is, primarily, for filling gaps/leaks, and not for structure/load-bearing. It also wears away fairly easily in open-to-natural environments.

[@jasonzupke1474]

Because the cast iron stairs are hollow inside. If you push the railing in after the cement, then all the cement would fall to the ground.

[@SlawKingOG]

This Video is Great. a different method for those who don't weld.

[@raycarr9124]

Everyone is an expert in their own mind... Great repair, thanks.

[@TNtoolman]

You would be better off taking the railing to the metal shop and have them weld the extensions on.

[@Chuck59ish]

Tommy's trying to keep the costs down.

[@garthqueen]

It doesnt need it.Maybe he hasnt got any welding gear.

[@TNtoolman]

animal79thecat The metal shop doesn't have welding gear??? That's like saying maybe McDonald's doesn't have a deep-fryer...

[@garthqueen]

Porsche924Tim I meant maybe TOM didnt have welding gear.I get the impression he was doing the job "on site". I have almost every cordless power tool going,but no welding gear.

[@TNtoolman]

animal79thecat Tom had to go to the metal shop to have the extensions made... just have them weld the extensions on for a more professional and secure railing.

[@rawbacon]

As long as you can get the extensions for a reasonable price this will be fine. Some steel shops will try to soak you though.

[@jamesanthony5681]

What would be a reasonable price range from a steel shop?

[@nathanmarchant2175]

This guy is a craftsman!

[@dlamarsobotor4573]

We just switch to Trex Fibrex railing kits and recycle the scrap metal. Fresh new look.

[@fiberzip]

This railing was rusting in few places and needed to be painted, why not paint at the same time when its out and easier to paint.

[@kellerrobert80]

That was left to the homeowner after the film crew left.

[@rickhuff3617]

How do you pop rivet into solid stock?

[@rawbacon]

It just expands tight, it doesn't mushroom over. it will keep it from sliding out while that adhesive sets up.

[@doggonemess1]

This is not wrought iron. Wrought iron is an amazing material that is seldom seen these days. This is a cheap $100 railing made with tubular steel from Home Depot.

[@Mihogan]

Right? Like I dont think all of this work and effort was worth saving it at all

[@jordancliff]

Correct, it is not true wrought iron. It is steel fabricated in the style of traditional “wrought iron”. Good luck ordering custom fabricated rails like this for $100 though! I run a metal fab business and build lots of railings. This repair saved the home owner about $1200 in my estimation. If you don’t have the tools or skill to repair this with proper welding equipment, this method should work just fine! Not sure what kind of adhesive they used, but I’d probably use an epoxy.

[@bransta81]

I have an original wrought iron railing from 1951 i need to repair and paint

[@thatoneguy323]

Great video, not sure that I would be satisfied with the rolled edges on the new legs vs the original squared edge. Other than that, great way to fix the issue. I wonder how he cleaned out the cemented in legs that he cut off.

[@5star141]

@@jordancliff $1,200 you said in your estimation? Dam! ... remind me never to go to your shop

[@biomedlib]

How I wish you would come to Richmond, VA.🤔🤔😢😢

[@johnathanbahna7495]

At this point I hardly even focus on the videos. I just come to the comments for all the 13 year olds who have somehow been master masons for 34 years and decided they are railing jesus

[@VegetaIsBetterThanGoku]

Hahaha i know right. Hysterical, where is their tv show thats been on for almost 40 years, millions of dollars in revenue, youtube series, and world famous names that millions recognize?? Not to mention he’s a carpenter which is more of a jack of all trades master of none in other words he’s not a railing expert or metal worker but he can do everything. I’m a carpenter myself and wish I had his 35+ years experience, they don’t make modern craftsman as skilled or knowledgeable anymore that can look at any problem and fix it on the spot. (Maybe not perfectly correct, but it will be fixed guaranteed)

[@egonmilanowski]

"railing Jesus" Umm, phrasing. Are we not doing phrasing anymore?

[@bransta81]

😂😂😂😂

[@iPickBadUsrnames]

Railing jesus? 😳

[@tombryan1]

Thanks, a lot of us are much better qualified, being on TV doesnt make you a genius. Masonary bit? Masonary? Not even a word. Hes using aluminum rivets on steel. Google it Einstein, and see how long that will last.

[@joshuabennett723]

Great job really would have liked to see some welding but I'm sure this solution will hold just fine

[@jasonjohnson1556]

This video is awesome. Can you please tell me where you got the railing legs

[@Adam-zw1ck]

He said it in the video...

[@johnathanbahna7495]

90% of comments - people who have never repaired more than a nail hole in a wall complaining about the way he fixed it. 9% of comments - in defense of the repair method 1% of comments - no relevance to the video whatsoever

[@Time2AnteUp]

Thank You ! Much Appreciated !

[@vanwahlgren8451]

Thank you tommy

[@pa1264]

Nice job

[@TheFritz423]

Wow, I was amazed to see this crazy repair job. Any yuppie could have used a Harber Freight welder and put new square stock on the legs, ground flush and painted.

[@johndelorenzo602]

Agreed, this was like going around your a** to get to your elbow

[@kathyjuola6317]

I'm glad the video exists, though. We're running into a timing issue on our project where we don't have the time or resources to take on a welding project right now, but we can have someone do what is in the video instead...assuming we can find the hollow leg inserts.

[@robertf6344]

You need a welder for that. I wouldn't buy one for a single use job,

[@jackpine4347]

This solution (a)avoided the need to acquire or rent a welder, (b)was thus probably less expensive since those parts he got were just off the shelf parts the shop cut to size for him, (c)the need to spend time learning how to weld, (d)the need to have an angle grinder available to clean the welds. In other words, this solution worked well and solved the problem, without the need to resort to welding.

[@johnnyperucca1434]

He's got that extension bottomed out in the hole and up a good distance up that's never going anywhere that was good how he founded up the cement for water they do make a bottom trim piece like an apron that sits on the bottom over the mounds caulk both edges w silicone that railing will be there another 50yrs

[@Rusty_Gold85]

Got an idea for cracked brickwork on the Verandah columns

[@TPM1424]

Does anyone know what type of bonding adhesive that is??? It's in the black tube

[@RaunakThomas]

But this would still leave it a little rough to touch right even after the paint. Is making it smoother all about sanding more? Apologies if that's a dumb question

[@nikkibrooks613]

I love a handy man

[@davidmiddleton2751]

why wouldnt you use exterior epoxy better attchement

[@manycela6962]

hi where can I find those steel legs to fix the railing

[@Venom5260]

said it literally right in the video

[@theamerican4609]

To extract the metal base from the cement he uses a masonry bit? I don't understand. So cutting into the cement underneath the metal base frees the metal base?

[@foxfiresidechats5227]

The American he used the drill to basically excavate the area around* the hole (and subsequently, area containing the rusted metal), to free everything up. Then you can just put your hand in the hole and pull out the rusted part (along with rock)

[@foxfiresidechats5227]

The American what’s confusing , but oh so genius, is he first set the bit inside the hole to *only gauge the depth of the rust metal bit under the slab. Point= no sense in demo-Ing *any deeper than he had to to get to the rusted metal

[@viviangiang8239]

Can you let me know where you bought the steel leg extension? Because due to Covid we have a hard time finding the metal fabricator in our area. It would be nice if you could let me know where you purchased yours.

[@Adam-zw1ck]

😂

[@fredbach6039]

I would much rather have seen the extensions welded on. Just how hard and secure is this fix going to be over time and hot and cold?

[@submetropolis]

what’s the cost of replacing the rail and plates? having stuff fabricated and all this labor seems like it would outweigh the cost of just replacing the whole thing.

[@juliof970]

Why doesn't Tom and Mark use a disposable pastry type bag for frosting to inject the cement in the holes?

[@twotone9908]

Where can I get the steel

[@Lyfehurts66]

I wanted to see you guys match the color smh. Great Video..

[@kirkalley3469]

I sure am glad he didn't have someone weld new feet onto rusty tubing. Solid bar inserts are much stronger than brittle tubing welds and the epoxy will help to reduce water contact rusting the tubing further from the inside. That repair will outlast the railing. But...I thought just using the tape to hold the railing straight was a little sketchy. 😮

[@comedy_gold1]

Can’t you just weld the square piece and the rail together?

[@degenwow]

you can, if you're a welder

[@aaronsoto629]

what if its the other parts of the gate that are rusted and damaged? guess you have to use a welder? right?

[@Yophillips3272]

That's how I fixed mine, you can get flux core welders for around $100, it's paid for itself fixed a fancy bed frame, lawnmower, railing, mailbox.

[@singhA1968]

sir, we Indian not understand very much American English . so please always give subtitle and name of the item like iron name like glue you use . please give the cost of material also.

[@sharkdezil2917]

Cheaper solution would have been to have solid extensions welded. Two different metals cause Galvanic corrosion at the hole even though its temporary for holding.

[@jackpine4347]

Why? The rivets are steel, and the rods were steel.

[@donsmith9081]

Normally I anchor a wider plate over the hole then cut off rotted post and re-weld new in

[@JonDingle]

I would have welded new post ends on and then "smented" the railing back into place.

[@shaidyn8278]

Which is probably a great solution, but most home owners doing DIY projects aren't going to bust out a welder. The show's producers are focused on the target demographic.

[@ffdd6102]

Why don't you just have the welding shop just weld on new feet

[@Adam-zw1ck]

The video was 8 years old when you posted this comment that you stole from others, moron 😂

[@mike2scott2]

This railing repair video was extremely overwrought.

[@reallyhappenings5597]

How would you make it wright?

[@Davidlisa-su3bt]

How

[@Davidlisa-su3bt]

How

[@VideoNOLA]

Irony at its finest.

[@Blox117]

mind explaining this joke to me? my humor is a little rusty

[@alexyoutube8377]

Sment?

[@winstonsmall4845]

What happens when the rivets start to rust?

[@degenwow]

they rust

[@wurly164]

They are aluminum

[@TG0408]

You could have gotten the same railing to drill and pin in the concrete

[@gunner49er]

Do it the easy way to half sticks of dynamite board roughly a foot from the edges stand back light the fuse wait till it goes boom clean up the debris and start with a new one

[@ziqianli8057]

master

[@kennethiman2691]

Cool!

[@ionlyplayps5530]

Tell em, “LARGE MARGE SENT YA’ …..💀😂💀😂

[@rsz90182]

You will have galvanic corrosion at the rivet site.

[@jackpine4347]

Why? The rivets are steel, and the railings are steel/iron.

[@monkeyboy4746]

I think Mr. Rebar and his friend Epoxy could have teamed up on this one.

[@thelifeandtimesofjason8177]

Wow, can you do my old house

[@Doomzdayxx]

Welding would have been a much better (and cheaper) option here.

[@Sacapuntas69]

Old video, but I am still here to read all the comments from the KZbin pros! Let me guess at some....JUST BUY NEW. SHOULD HAVE WELDED. HE USED GLUE? HE PUT TAPE ON THE HOUSE! A RIVET?

[@richardinmaryland6197]

The tape on the house had me scratching my head. I don't know how it kept the post vertical and didn't hurt the house paint.

[@jasonzupke1474]

Look at all the know-it-alls who are criticizing the method but don’t offer any helpful information,

[@marionuscaa]

I'm completely in shock that he decided to fix it that way

[@Sweetheartbabez]

Wow very detailed vid! New subscriber here

[@lovefaith1714]

Epoxy adhesive

[@LOUDsigh]

Interesting

[@johnnyperucca1434]

Its one way to do it everyone stop trying to figure out how to outsmart a genius I did a whole bunch of these I had to fix all the cement around the rotten metal it was all crumbling and broken off in huge chunks the adhesive he used is doing the work and the rivet is just holding it til it sets up

[@Riverstorm440]

2:53 her: did you pull out? me:

[@PsychHacks]

Am I mistaken? The video title mentions wrought iron, but you consistently refer to it as steel. Aren't the two materials different?

[@adeptronic]

Almost all of those railings are steel, that one most certainly is. Wrought iron would be a solid piece not a square tube. In the common lexicon, steel railings are called wrought iron railings to distinguish them from wood or other materials. For true wrought iron it would have to be a heritage home or someone shelled out big bucks for custom work from a blacksmith.

[@Tracker5111]

Ok, but what if the metal raling goes all the way up and holds up an awning the width of the house... AKA huge

[@michaelcarroll991]

I would have put the hydraulic cement in first before the handrail. Then came back and add more.

[@SpringScapes]

I don't understand why you would have extension legs manufactured, instead of taking the railing to the fabrication and have him weld on new legs. would've been faster and better. ?

[@Robsay01]

I think the bill would be about the same to get new ones as it would be to go though all of that.

[@cesear123456]

Bond it and rebar works too 💪

[@holyghostpower938]

Dont need to cut the rusted ends flush to the rail like he did?

[@lebronjameslol3521]

Riveting, no pun intended.

[@gunner49er]

Chances are a whole new railing wouldn’t have been much difference in price

[@travonjackson3170]

And I says to him, "Orville, elephants can't install stair railing - they don't have hands."

[@zackthebongripper7274]

Okay repair job. As long as it is strong and safe. Not as good as welding watching posts.

[@leanardflow8194]

THE RIGHT WAY IS REMOVING THE RUSTED METAL AND WELD NEW METAL INTO PLACE.

[@degenwow]

thanks for letting us know.

[@rantingcullinarian]

His accent is iconic.

[@nunyabiznis817]

Don't want any gaps between the hole and the pole! hahahhahaha

[@efjefe]

What was the caulk?. Non fab ppl crack me up.

[@elevate32767]

this is one prime example of when he actually says 'SMENT'

[@nookioool]

aluminum rivets with iron... lol

[@danp3068]

+nookioool I think they make them in steel too, but if they are aluminum, I completely agree.

[@xvx4848]

Aluminum doesn't rust like Iron so it's actually a good idea. The rivet isn't actually holding anything together it's just holding things in place until the adhesive cures.

[@kellerrobert80]

Arrow rivets come in aluminum, steel and stainless steel. It's hare to tell what he actually used here.

[@renodeify]

The problem is galvanic corrosion. You never want dissimilar metals touching.

[@harrishpersad3643]

I do alot of welding that suppose to 1x1 solid bar

[@PROJECT_936_dot_NET]

Fine Presentation You have inspired me to work on my channel, thanks. 🐼

[@augustreil]

The extensions were fine and actually were a lot stronger than the original. I just wish he had brought the railing pieces with him and had them weld them on. Also fill the holes half way with the hydraulic cement and then top off and for Gods sake man, use some tape !

[@josephcade3541]

You should have used telescoping stock instead of that round stock and glue bad choice

[@МаксимУдовиченко-ж2з]

Bad job. Like the first master who made this, you forgot to make holes in the condensate drain pipe. Now the pipe will rot above the rod inserted into it. For normal fixation of the railing in concrete, notches are needed on the bar that enters the steps. In general, for a woman who does not understand, this is a job well done.

[@loejets]

Should have epoxy resin fixed the posts, much easier and better job

[@miroda73]

can you recommend what i should be looking for at home depot instead of cement? i am doing this to mine, although it was easier for me to have a local welding shop weld leg extensions on.

[@1998artek]

I guess was better solution weld the pieces togeder

[@conanthedestroyer7123]

We just need a welder to attach new metal.

[@justinballard7242]

My thoughts exactly. He probably didn't have one though

[@parkerk7018]

He’s a cahpentar not a wehdar

[@SD-yb5fx]

Why not make sure that you are truly saved by Jesus Christ and practice this way. Remorsefully confess with your heart your sins to Jesus Christ who is God and tell Him that you right now are repenting of your sins and you want to be born again of the Spirit from above. Tell Jesus that you are remorsefully sorry for breaking His commandments and that you are begging for forgiveness from Him. Allow His blood from the cross to wash away your sins. After this is done with your heart successfully the Holy Spirit will come to live within you and He will rebuild you from the inside out. Look for signs that you are saved. Things like spreading the good news from Jesus, getting other people saved, a craving for the word of God, reading the Bible, etc… These things are known as a calling and fruit bearing. If you're not bearing fruit then keep doing it. Sometimes it takes time to get saved. Read Matthew chapter 13 from the King James Bible. God bless!!!

[@oscarmuffin4322]

Next on This Old House - We show a homeowner how to fix a rattling railing.

[@cgracedinkins]

Take it to the shop and tell them to weld 3"by3" base plate and use 1/4" by 3" tap-con to screw it to the concrete a lot more stronger and a lot easy.

[@tho54107]

Crystal Dinkins Thanks guys, followed your advice but didn't work as well as I first thought. Got stopped on the journey to the "Fabrication shop" and received a £160 fine for carrying goods in a vehicle not fit for purpose and my railing was a lot smaller than his. To be fair though, I could not close the boot properly and had to tie the boot lid to the towing bar. I've ordered a new railing at a cost of £135 so all in all the total cost will be £295 plus costs etc.

[@johnarmstrong5953]

Not to mention it would look cleaner than that new patched on concrete that isn't going to dry the same color as the existing cast steps.

[@heavynumbertaco]

Stairs are painted. That’s why he didn’t use tape

[@butchschultz3182]

In the 80's when it was Bob Vila and Norm Abram doing the work I seldom had a problem with the way they did things. Tom Silva does not I repeat not know what he's doing most of the time. My stepfather was a genius when it came to carpentry. He was a carpenter, a contractor, and a cabinet maker. I have yet to see anyone who is as good as he was. I learned from him and watching the show back in the eighties was a pleasure. They showed you the Common Man how to do things around your house. The show is a joke now and has been ever since Vila left the show. Who in their right mind hired this guy?! I have seen multiple videos where he has no clue what he's doing. It's like watching a teenager. this show really has gone way way down hill. If you're going to show someone how to do something show it right!

[@buckhorncortez]

If you don't like what they're doing - stop watching the show.

[@parkerk7018]

Plot twist: that’s actually his wife lmfao

[@winstonchurchill6418]

Seriously, this was a ridiculous way to do it. Low quality repair. He went to a fab shop and got those super heavy pegs made (for no telling how much) then glued and pop riveted them in! Why not just have the shop weld on the same size tubing legs? Way easier and better. Literally 15 minutes work in the shop. Even better would be to weld plates on the bottom and bolt them into the concrete. Overall a good show but one thing I don't like about this show is they seem to take the long way around a lot of the time. A lot of the time they do chintzy repairs too like this one.

[@yaosio]

LOL look at this scrub thinking a weld will hold.

[@addman]

i agree but maybe they were trying to show a way without welding

[@swss12]

if the railing is cast iron, which it probably was, pretty hard to weld steel to iron without cracking.

[@johnarmstrong5953]

the tubing was not cast iron lol

[@insanemustaine111]

even better would have been just to replace the whole thing, did you see the rest of the railing? the whole thing was rusting and paint peeling away.

[@msk3905]

Normally I am impressed with everything that Tom does but not this time. The piece he added isn’t the same and noticeably different, he could have easily found tubing with the same radius in corners. Also, he glued then added a rivet? If he can’t weld then he should have sent entire railing to his friend to weld that piece on…IMO this was a hack job.

[@Seansouth]

Not the way I as taught, we used lead to hold the railing in the hole and lasts much longer that that cement he poured in and works against it rusting out again

[@dirtymac007]

Dissimilar metals with rivet. And waiting a couple days to pull on rail untill hydraulic cement sets. Hmmm