Find a local blacksmith or metalworker

Blacksmiths / Metal workers - what you need to know

Metalworkers work with different raw metals. They heat them up before shaping them into industrial products like security grills, fences, gates and bollards, or more artistic, decorative products like metal chandeliers and other household ornaments. Often, their industrial work has a decorative touch when they’re asked to produce something in a style that was all the rage back in an earlier period. For example, a gate that wouldn’t have looked out of place back in the Victorian era.

As well as smaller household ornaments, a metalworker can craft larger objects to help you put your own stamp on your home. If a traditional wooden staircase doesn’t appeal to you, you can ask a metalworker to make a metal staircase. They also make metal roofs and can send your kitchen up the style stakes by helping you introduce metal worktops or cabinets into your cooking space. While stainless steel and chrome have been used in the kitchen for a while, there are other metals now being used in kitchen design, including bronze, copper, iron, zinc and aluminium.

If you bring in a metalworker for work like this, you’ll need them to work with other tradespeople to fit the products they create. A roofer would fit the metal roof after it’s been made, a builder would install a metal staircase and a kitchen specialist would be happy to fit your metal worktops.

What is fabrication?

Fabrication is the name of the manufacturing process that’s used to make a product from raw metals. It’s the opposite of creating a product from ready-made parts. Metal fabrication involves a number of processes like cutting, welding, forming and assembling to create a finished product like metal railings.

Types of metal roofing

Unless you’re going for a natural metal look, most modern roofing is made to look like other roofing material such as clay tile, slate, and cedar shake. The difference is that it’s designed to last two to three times longer. You can choose from a range of metals and alloys but the most common ones are steel and aluminium.

Steel

Used for most metal roofing mainly due to its lower cost, it’s fairly heavy which makes it sturdy. To protect it from rust, it’s usually coated in zinc and then sealed.

Aluminium

The second most popular material, it doesn’t rust but it’s coated anyway to make it look nicer. The main difference between steel and aluminium is that aluminium’s lightweight so it dents more easily and isn’t as rigid. It’s great for coastal areas as it isn’t ruined by the salt from sea spray.

Premium metals: a copper or zinc roof

Copper roofs are the most durable of all metal roofs and can last for hundreds of years. Both zinc and copper are higher in cost than steel and aluminium, which is why it’s unusual for people to fit a whole roof using just one of the metals. Instead, the metals tend to be used to highlight certain details on the roof, like bay windows and porches and the rest of the roof is made from steel or aluminium.

Planning permission for blacksmithing / metalworking jobs

Planning permission isn’t normally required but you’ll need to apply for planning permission if you want to put up or add to a fence, wall or gate and:

• It would be over 2 metres high or over 1-metre-high and next to a highway used by vehicles (or a footpath next to a highway).
• Your right to put up or alter fences, walls and gates is removed by an article 4 direction or a planning condition. When an article 4 direction is in effect, a planning application may be required for development that would otherwise have been permitted without application.
• Your house is a listed building or in the land of a listed building.
• The fence, wall or gate, or any other boundary involved, forms a boundary with a listed building or land.

You’ll be covered to re-roof your house under permitted development rules but you will need to seek permission if:

• You’re wanting to alter your existing roof so that it’s more than 150 millimetres from the existing roof plane.
• The planned alteration would be higher than the highest part of the roof.
• Side facing windows wouldn’t be obscure-glazed; an opening wasn’t 1.7m above the floor.

To check if you’d need permission for planned work, and to find information on building regulations, head to the Planning Portal.

Insurance for blacksmithing/metalworking work

There’s no legal requirement for metalworkers to have insurance but it’s a good idea for them to have public liability insurance to cover against any accidental property damage and personal injury claims.

Questions you should ask a blacksmith/metalworker

• How long have they been trading?
• Do they have public liability insurance and what does this cover?
• Do they specialise in industrial or more artistic, decorative work? Can they give you references for work similar to yours?
• Can they show you pictures of some of their favourite work?
• Will it be themselves carrying out the work? If not, what experience does the person have and are they covered by insurance?
• Will they give a guarantee for the work and how long does that last?
• Will your home be liveable while work’s being carried out? If not, how long will it take?

See the latest questions that homeowners have been asking blacksmiths/metalworkers.

Blacksmithing/metalworking ideas

Read more about decorative railings and metal roofs as we delve into things like appearance and weather performance to help you decide if they’re the best choice for your home. If your kitchen or bathroom is your pride and joy, discover how you can introduce metals and other unconventional materials for a touch of the unique.