November 2008

Design Notes:

As time brings us closer to the holidays and we begin to have friends and family over, it is always nice to have a glass of wine to share the memories.

There is nothing better than the finest quality dècor for serving your company. Many times, it is believed quality is very expensive. At Metal Amorè we know quality is an option everyone can afford with our Decorative Wrought Iron Components.

While you can go out and spend a large amount of cash on a simple yet ornate wine bottle rack, you can also have it made with quality components which are imported from Italy. Select your design from the components in our showroom of over 15,000 designs, and we will guide you in the direction to have it all fabricated together to create the wine rack you have been imagining.

This portable Wine Rack utilizes Decorative Iron C-Scrolls and Rings. These items come in varying sizes to best fit the wine rack you are looking to perfect.

Simply shop online, or come into our showroom and create away!

Railing Building Codes:

We often get asked about current building codes relating to safety for young children. These are the current commercial and residential building codes, as of October 2008, published by the International Code Council (ICC):

Openings in Guards:

The ICC codes state that no opening in a railing should allow a 4-inch sphere to pass through. If your home was built prior to 1994 you may have guards with a 6-inch or even 9-inch opening. Data shows that incidents where a child or small person accidentally slips or falls through an opening larger than 4" within the railing design, account for the vast majority of accidental falls and deaths from high balconies and porches. It is highly recommended that the openings on any non-compliant or older railings be adapted to meet the current code requirements.

Location Requirements:

A guard is required for porches, balconies, or raised floor surfaces more than 30 inches above the floor or grade below.

Minimum Guard Height Requirements:

36 inches residential, 42 inches commercial. Older codes allowed for railings as low as 30 inches, and in some cases even lower. A low railing is a hazard for falling over, therefore, it is highly recommended that the height of any non-compliant railings be modified to at least meet the minimum requirement.