Blog

The Perfect Staircase for a Modern Home

If you need a new staircase in your modern home, you might be wondering what the perfect addition would look like. For some people, knowing exactly what kind of staircase they’re looking for is easy. For others, it takes some creative suggestion. That’s what Pro Weld is here for today. We want to make your search for a new staircase easy, and that starts with knowing what you’re searching for. Let’s get started!

Contemporary Vs. Modern

To start off, we have to clear up some confusion. Many people get the terms contemporary and modern mixed up quite often. To ensure we’re all on the same page, we want to make sure you’re using these words right.

A lot of people use the word modern as a way of referring to the most recent design trends. However, modern design is not recent. The confusion comes from the name of the design style itself. The term “modern” does mean recent, or up-to-date. However, the type of interior design – modern design – was named “modern” in the mid 20th century. It was a modern design at the time, but it is no longer modern despite still being named as such.

If you’re looking for designs that fit the most recent design trends, you’re probably looking for contemporary. Contemporary design is what you see frequently that has a lot of light and dark contrast colors. Black, white, and silver are common in contemporary design. There’s often a lot of metal involved, paired with cold-toned fabrics. 

Modern Glass

A type of staircase that definitely fits in with modern design are those with glass railings. The truth is, glass railings go well with both modern and contemporary. Glass fits well with contemporary because it has no warmth from wood tones and it allows a lot of light flow. However, glass fits in with modern design for different reasons. With modern design, glass actually fits in because it contrasts with wood tones. 

Modern design is always looking for contrasts. That can mean using a warm, orange upholstery on one chair while choosing a bold blue for another. That can mean using a pale, white carpet and accenting it with a striking, saturated area rug. In this same way, combining saturated wood tones with the crystal clear expanse of glass works well with modern. 

Spirals

Modern design experiments a lot with shape contrasts as well as color contrasts. You can see this by looking up mid-century modern design photos online. There is a wonderful contrast between angles and curves. Modern design does, however, tend to put a little more focus on curves. That’s why we think a spiral staircase would fit well in a modern home. Saturated, wooden stairs with some simplistic iron railings would look great in the corner of a modern room.

If you have any questions about the kind of railings we have to offer at Pro Weld, give us a call. Our friendly staff always looks forward to answering your questions.

Shield Your Doors with Crafted Iron Canopies

Tired of rain having unrestricted access to your front porch? Looking for a way to boost the curb appeal of your home? Both of these conundrums have the same solution! You should consider investing in crafted iron canopies from Pro Weld.

Block Rain

Buying a crafted iron canopy can do a lot of things for your house, but the most functional change is that it blocks rain from the entryway. Rain has a tendency to get the entirety of a front porch wet if it isn’t covered already. This can be really frustrating for a number of reasons. 

  • For one thing, you can’t put out a welcome mat without it getting soaking wet. No one likes stepping on a soggy mat and it makes more water get tracked in than if there was no mat at all.
  • Another thing is, if you need to open the door while it’s raining, rain can easily get inside and get your floor wet. No one likes having a wet floor.
  • Anyone who comes up to the door to knock will have to stand in the rain if there’s no canopy. If this is someone who you need to talk to briefly but aren’t prepared to invite in, it’s nice to have somewhere they can stand where it’s dry.
  • The same goes for you. If you have to stop and unlock your door, it’s easiest to do that when you’re not getting soaked from the rain.
  • And, last but not least, having a dry spot by your door is a great idea if you ever receive packages. Because packages are often left by the front door, ensuring they don’t get damaged from rain is important. Too often, packages will get soaked by rain before the homeowner finds that one has even been left. 

Boost Curb Appeal and Resale Value

While there are many kinds of coverings you can put up over your porch, a crafted iron canopy has most of them beat for a number of reasons. Those reasons are only just starting with curb appeal and resale value.

Crafted iron canopies can be incredibly ornate and will usually add a great deal of curb appeal to a home. This is especially true if your home is made of stone. Brick and stone buildings look fantastic when paired with wrought or cast iron. The dark metal really accentuates the rich tones in bricks and add a sense of artistry to an already-beautiful building.

And, in part due to the boost in curb appeal, your home’s resale value goes up as well. People love crafted metal goods. An addition of a crafted iron canopy can make a home worth the extra money to purchase.

Customize Your Order

The best part about ordering your crafted iron canopy from Pro Weld is that you can customize your order. If you have preferences for exactly how your canopy should look, you can request those preferences. Not only that, you can also order railings for your front stairway that match your crafted iron canopy.

If you have any questions, give us a call at Pro Weld and we’ll be more than happy to explain the ordering process.

Maintain Your Privacy with Iron Fencing

Maintain Your Privacy with Iron Fencing

Living on a big property can have its drawbacks. For one thing, sometimes it’s hard to keep people from trespassing. Especially if you have a pool, you risk local teenagers helping themselves. There are also the same annoyances that come with smaller properties, like solicitors. Are you tired of people inviting themselves onto your property? Maintain your privacy with iron fencing.

Reclaim Your Privacy

Taking back control over the privacy your property should be giving you makes a world of difference. A lot of us move onto larger properties to give ourselves space – a bubble. Keeping some distance between our living space and the public allows us to feel more at ease in our homes.

The problem is, without any kind of barrier between our property and the rest of the neighborhood, sometimes the boundary is ignored. This can be from people cutting through the yard, soliciting, or even sneaking into the pool on a Friday night. Regardless of how you feel your space is being disrespected, you can reclaim your privacy by installing fencing. Without access to your gate, solicitors will be forced to skip your house. Your yard will look less inviting to someone seeking a shortcut. And finally, your pool will remain off-limits to someone seeking out a thrill.

Iron Fencing

The thing is, large properties call for a certain kind of fencing. You don’t want to ruin the curb appeal of your home by putting up wooden fencing around your yard. Large properties need a barrier that’s as attractive as it is functional. That’s where iron fencing really shines.

Wrought iron fencing makes the perfect line between your private property and the outside world. It allows plenty of visibility while still keeping people out when they’re unwanted. Plus, wrought iron fencing also functions well as a gate to your driveway. If you want your fencing to be effective, it needs to be closed. A sliding wrought iron gate can remain closed until you have to pass through. Using a button from your car, the same way you open your garage, you can make your gate open. Simply shut it behind you and your property remains closed to the public.

Hire Quality

If you want quality iron fencing, you have to go to quality craftspeople. Pro Weld is the best railing company in the GTA. We’ve serviced countless houses, outfitting them with the best wrought iron fencing Toronto has to offer. If you’re going to invest in a barrier for your property, you’ll want something that lasts. That’s why you should put your trust in a company with a great history.

If you want to inquire about the products we have to offer at Pro Weld, give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you with your custom fencing order. 

Elegant Wrought Iron Railing Choices You’ll Love

Elegant Wrought Iron Railing Choices You'll Love

If you’re in the market for a new wrought iron railing for your home, you’ve come to the right place. Pro Weld has the best selection in metal railings in the whole GTA. If you’re in Toronto, this is the place for you. Today we’ve handpicked some elegant wrought iron railing choices for you to look at. After all, what better way to pick your own than take a look at the railings that brought joy to so many others?

Glass and Iron Combo

This beautiful glass and iron combination makes your railings decor in and of themselves. If you love a touch of art nouveau, these railings are a great choice. Because these railings come paired with glass, they give you the elegance of wrought iron without letting the designs overwhelm your interior. You’re given plenty of visibility alongside your iron designs.

This is a fantastic design for bordering lofts, as shown in our picture. Because half the appeal of having a loft is visibility from one floor to the other, the glass really brings a lot to the table here.

Outdoor Refinement

If you’re looking a decorative and refined railing for your outdoor stairway, this is an unmatched design choice. This beautiful railing takes detail and simplicity and matches them up perfectly. It’s incredibly tasteful. The angular transition from stairs to plateau in combination with the curved ending creates an artistic end result. This mixture of curved and angled goes well with other contemporary features. Plus, the decorative part of the railing isn’t overdone, giving just enough to admire that it doesn’t detract from the rest of the entryway.

Artistic Paneling

This railing design is a great choice for those interested in artistry who are trying to avoid overdoing it. Some wrought iron railings are a bit overwhelming with the amount of detail they hold. There is a time and place for these elaborate railings, but in the home isn’t always one of them. The railing pictured, however, combines the elaborate artistry in other art nouveau railings with the simplicity of classic railings. This detailed wrought iron panel in the railing draws the eye in without being too much.

Classic and Simple

Not everyone is a fan of art nouveau. That’s alright! You don’t have to like art nouveau to have a taste for wrought iron railing work. Here’s an example of a beautiful, yet simplistic railing made of iron. This railing gives a nod to victorian style without making too loud of a statement. Reclaim a historical style by making it all new in wrought iron fashion.

If you’re interested in any of Pro Weld’s wrought iron railings, give us a call and we’ll be happy to set up a consultation. We also offer a number of other railing types such as cast iron, stainless steel, and even glass. All of our railings have a unique design use. Take a look around our gallery until you find something to fall in love with. We’re sure you’ll be pleased with the variety in our selection.

The Best Railings for Rooftop Terraces

The Best Railings for Rooftop Terraces

If you’ve got a house with a rooftop terrace, you surely want to outfit it with things that will allow you to enjoy it to the fullest. One thing that can easily ruin the experience of a rooftop terrace is a badly chosen railing. Check out how Pro Weld can make your rooftop terrace the place to be!

What’s the View?

The first thing you need to take into consideration when picking a railing for a rooftop terrace is what kind of view you’re dealing with. Surprisingly, the view from your roof has a huge impact on the best railing choice.

  • A city view or something coastal does best with better visibility. You can achieve the maximum visibility with a glass railing. This type of railing makes use of glass panels. You can get these with metal framework or without. The glass allows you to see your surroundings even while lounging. No need to let metal bars get in the way of you enjoying your surroundings. 
  • A nature view, especially when living somewhere with a lot of trees, needs less visibility. Your railing won’t be covering anything you couldn’t see above the bars anyway. Not to mention, getting glass railings for an area filled with trees could pose a problem. That’s because this could lead to leaves sticking to the glass and the glass railings are more likely to get dirty and need regular cleaning. Iron railings will look fantastic in this environment, however. The dark of the iron railings will fit in well with the rich and earthy tones of nature.

Picking Glass

If you decide to opt for a glass railing, you should know what your options are. Not all glass railings are created equal. Here are some different types:

  • There are full-framed glass railings. These railings are made up of a full metal frame with glass panels fitted into each section. These are great for areas with a lot of traffic like stairways, but may not be suitable for a terrace. It’s also a matter of visual preference.
  • Some glass railings have metal dividing posts. These posts are where the glass panels are secured. While these involved more metal, these actually involve less separate anchors than a frameless railing.
  • Frameless glass railings are secured with anchoring points. These usually have small pieces of metal holding each glass panel together at the top and some kind of anchoring point at the base. While these minimize the bulk of the metal used, they also aren’t necessarily as sleek looking as glass railings with the dividing posts.

Picking Metal

Metal railings come in all kinds of designs. Plus, you can choose which kind of metal suits you. We’ve got our black wrought and cast-iron as well as stainless steel. Check out our gallery to see the variety we have. You won’t be disappointed.

Give us a call at Pro Weld if you have questions about our products or would like to discuss a potential order.

Make Your Pool Family Friendly with Glass Railings

Make Your Pool Family Friendly with a Glass Enclosure

If you’ve got children and are looking into having a pool installed – or vice versa – you might want some tips on safety. Pro Weld is a company of the leading experts on railings in Toronto. That means we know a thing or two about safety. We’re here today to tell you how you can benefit from glass railings around your pool. Let’s see how you can make your pool family friendly with glass railings.

Safety First

The first benefit to surrounding your pool area with glass railings is, of course, safety. Glass railings are a great way to keep smaller children out of the pool area without obstructing their view. This allows them to watch over older siblings or parents without getting close enough to fall in.

Splash Guard

If your kids are old enough to play in the pool with some supervision, this next perk is for you. Adults who want to lounge nearby at a table or in a lounge chair can keep dry with glass railings. Because these railings are made of glass panels, water splashing out of the pool is no longer a threat to your dry clothes or sun-warmed skin.

Not only do these glass panels keep you dry, they also keep your things dry. If you want to bring electronics, books, or snacks out by the pool with you, you don’t want them to get wet. Glass railings will protect your belongings from pool water and still allow you to enjoy the view.

Regular Railings

Glass railings aren’t just good for enclosing the pool and blocking out water. If you have a porch or terrace on a higher level of ground, you can use glass railings as regular railings. Keep people safe from getting hurt by lining the edge of your higher lounge area with glass railings. Glass railings will allow you to see down to the pool, even from up in the lounge. Lining the stairs with these rails will also minimize the risk of someone slipping while they’re wet with pool water.

Durability

Aren’t glass railings dangerous to have around a pool in case someone slips and falls into them? The short answer is no. Our glass railings are durable and built to withstand impact from this sort of thing. Glass railings wouldn’t do anymore harm to your child than a regular railing or fence would, should they fall into them.

Appearance

Outside of all of the safety and convenience features of glass railings, they also just look fantastic. Your pool area is going to look great with some of these sleek railings lining it. Not to mention, you can pick exactly what kind of glass railings you want. These aren’t just one-size-fits-all. You can get your glass railings with full framing, partial framing, or none at all.

If you have any questions about our products here at Pro Weld, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help.

The Best Railings for a Minimalist Interior

The Best Railings for a Minimalist Interior

Having a minimalist home means dedicating yourself to a certain interior aesthetic. That can be easy to maintain once you’ve got a routine in place for picking up and keeping things where they belong. However, when it comes to making changes in design or designing a new home altogether, it takes a bit more thought. That’s why Pro Weld is here to help you pick out railings that fit your interior design dreams. Let’s see which railings fit best with a minimalist interior.

Glass Railings

Glass railings are a fantastic choice for minimalist interiors due to their simplicity. They’re such an unobtrusive addition to any interior that they fit right in. These railings are made up of strong, sturdy, glass panels held in place with iron posts. Their features include:

  • The ability to see clearly through the glass, not obstructing your view like other railings do.
  • A lack of color, making them great for minimalist environments. Unlike wooden railings which may add too much of a warm tone to the interior, these are completely neutral.
  • A sleek and contemporary vibe, making them great for up-to-date designs. This sleekness also gives your interior a high-class look, raising your property’s resale value.

Stainless Steel Railings

Stainless steel railings are also great for minimalist interiors. These railings have the benefit of coming in more varied designs than glass railings. They also cater to a different kind of aesthetic. Their features include:

  • The ability to choose between designs with or without glass paneling. Many people enjoy using stainless steel as a framework for glass railings. However, you can also order stainless steel railings that are glass free and more casual in appearance.
  • Being fingerprint free. Glass railings may gather fingerprints and handprints over time and will need to be cleaned, just like windows. This is doubly so if you have children of your own or some that visit with any kind of frequency. Stainless steel railings that don’t include glass won’t need to be cleaned unless you’re looking to disinfect them.
  • A more industrial appearance. Stainless steel railings lend themselves well to industrial aesthetics due to their hardy, cold appearance. If you’re a fan of exposed pipes, concrete, and simple, hanging, light fixtures, stainless steel railings will fit right in.

Making Your Choice

Both of these railing types are great choices. The most important difference between them is the aesthetic they belong with. If you think they would look good with your interior design, there’s no wrong choice.

No matter which railing type you choose, you can find them here at Pro Weld in Toronto. If you have questions you’d like answers to, we’re more than happy to help. Give us a call at Pro Weld and we’ll make sure you know everything you need to to make an informed purchase.

Preserve Your View with Glass Railings

There are a lot of different railing types available on the market these days. From different designs to different materials, it can be hard to figure out exactly what it is that you need for your home or business. That’s why Pro Weld is here to draw light to something unique: glass railings.

What are Glass Railings?

Glass railings are a type of railing made of glass panels. These panels are incredibly strong, making them safe and unlikely to break, should something collide with them. Their durability means they’re a safe and elegant installation for businesses and homes alike.

For Families

If you have small children in your home, glass railings are actually safer and more convenient than their metal alternatives. Children have a tendency to try putting parts of themselves into the gaps of metal railings. If not themselves, then their toys are bound to get pushed through the spaces only to fall to the floor below. This poses a hazard for people on the lower floor. Choosing glass keeps this kind of thing from happening. With no spaces, there’s no risk of an arm getting stuck or someone getting hurt from projectiles.

Outdoors

Glass railings are fantastic for outdoor installations. Because glass is water resistant, rain won’t damage these railings over time. That makes them ideal for lining accessible rooftops, balconies, and even pool areas.

Preserve Your View

Arguably the best part about glass railings is that they’re transparent! That means that, unlike metal railings, they won’t spoil your great view. Want to lounge on the roof and still enjoy your view of the city skyline? Want to protect people on the patio from splashed pool water while still being able to chat? How about being able to look down at your first floor from a loft? You can do all of these things with glass railings.

Design Benefits

The cool thing about glass railings is that, while carrying all of these cool features, they still fit into most designs! Any more contemporary design will carry these railings perfectly. The sleek and unobtrusive appeal of glass will fit right in with any kind of color palette or layout. Glass won’t clash with your decor. You can put these railings virtually anywhere without them detracting from the existing design.

Flexibility

The other neat design feature you gain from using glass railings is that you can put them nearly anywhere. Both outdoor and indoor applications are fantastic. They’re hardy enough to withstand the weather and elegant enough not to look out of place in a modern home. The possibilities are endless.

If you’d like to inquire about our glass railings or any other products we offer, give us a call at Pro Weld. We’re more than happy to answer your questions and help you place your order.

The Best Material for Outdoor Railings

The Best Material for Outdoor Railings

Putting up railings outdoors comes with a great number of considerations. What’s safest? What looks good with with the exterior design of the building? What will stand up to the local weather? Pro Weld, the railing experts, are here to cover the basics of outdoor railings. We know a thing or two about how each railing material stands up to the weather. Let’s take a look.

Avoid Wood

Wooden railings are surprisingly common outdoors. That’s mostly just because wood is such an affordable material. A little paint makes a cheap product last a few years outdoors. The problem with wooden railings is that they won’t last. Rain, snow, and frequent wear and tear from use will make wooden railings deteriorate. The paint will start to curl and chip, leaving the wood beneath vulnerable to the elements. The elements won’t be kind.

The other thing about wooden railings is that each slat or dowel between the top and bottom of the railing is usually only secured with a nail or screw on either end. It’s so incredibly easy for these nails to come loose, leaving a big gap where a railing used to be. Taking the safety risks and the overall quality drop that wooden railings give to your home, it’s best to avoid them.

Consider Aesthetic

Now that we’ve moved away from wood, it’s time to consider how the material of your railings will affect your exterior. There is something to be said for exterior aesthetic. After all, the way your home looks from the outside is the first thing visitors, neighbors, and buyers will see. That’s why curb appeal is so important.

For red brick homes, wrought iron railings look truly amazing. The black iron really stands out boldly against the backdrop of red. It’s also a classic combination. Buyers and admirers alike will love this timeless color palette.

More modern-looking homes made out of lighter stone may look good with glass or stainless steel railings. It depends on the kind of vibe your exterior gives off. Are you looking for something gentle and beautiful, or something sleek and bold? Take a trip outside your house and imagine the different railing types before picking based on guesswork. Try looking up pictures of other homes with a similar design to yours and see what you think looks best on those.

Weather Resistance

When it comes down to outlasting the weather, Pro Weld offers a number of great railing solutions. Wrought iron and cast iron both do incredibly well against both rain and snow. You’ll find that both types of damp weather won’t do much in the way of wear on your iron railings.

However, if you’re looking at using stainless steel, it’s worth considering the effect of snow. The colder times of the year can lead to smooth, steel railings becoming sticky with cold. Like the timeless tale of licking a metal pole in winter, touching your skin to a cold, steel railing can lead to some discomfort. It’s all a matter of who’s using the railings and where they’re located.

No matter what choice you’re leaning towards, we’re always happy to get a call. Give us a call and we’ll take the time to answer all of your questions. We’re looking forward to helping you through your order and serving your home the way we do best.

Make Your Two-Story Home Family Friendly

Are you planning on getting a second-story home expansion? Maybe you’re designing a two-story custom home. No matter the case, if you’re making changes to a home that involve a second floor, you’re going to need railings. Check out how Pro Weld can assist in making your home family friendly.

Railing Types

Any simple railing can be made of wood. The thing about wooden railings is that they’re prone to breaking after a little while. This is especially true in houses with children. Kids falling against railings or trying to shove toys through the gaps can lead to broken railings. This not only poses a falling hazard, it makes it possible for your children to get injured on the broken wood.

Pro Weld offers a better alternative; buy metal railings. Buying metal railings means your railings will withstand more wear and tear than simple wooden ones. Not to mention, the railings can’t just break off when the wood gives out or a nail comes loose. Metal railings, whether they’re stainless steel or wrought iron, are welded together. A rambunctious child alone cannot damage that.

Luxury Railings

If you’re the kind of family that puts a lot of time and money into your home interior, you’ll love our wrought iron  and cast iron railings. Pro Weld’s iron railings can be made into exquisite designs, able to stand up to some of the toughest scrutiny. These railings look gorgeous inside more refined homes, making them safer and more beautiful.

From straight bars to swirling designs, you can get whatever your heart desires. We have iron railings for any kind of interior style. If you’re looking for something more sleek, take a peek at our stainless steel or glass railings instead. We really do have something for everyone.

Balcony Railings

With a second-story addition or a new two-story home build, there’s a good chance there will be balconies. Where there are balconies, there must be railings. Fortunately, Pro Weld has a number of different railing types that are great for outdoor use. 

Our iron railings are especially nice with brick exteriors. The black really stands out against the red or grey stone. If you like a luxurious touch to your home exterior, iron is the way to go. Order your favorite design and watch your home go up in resale value as your balconies are fixed with quality railings. 

Rooftops

Many homes have rooftop terraces. These terraces could also do with some better protection. Don’t settle for wooden railings when you could have metal or glass. Pro Weld specifically recommends glass railings for rooftop terraces. They make it easy to maintain your view from the roof, not obscuring the surroundings. Plus, the solid panels ensure kids and objects can’t fit through any spaces between rails.

If you have questions about the railings we have to offer here at Pro Weld, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help. 

CONTACT US

Call Us (905) 669-8633