Even when street furniture such as benches, post boxes, sheds, telephone booths and bollards are seen everyday by the public, these people might not really know anything much about these fixtures. Bollards are more than just the posts that are standing in the sidewalks. They are more than security posts installed around buildings to keep off busy people and vehicle traffic. There are also decorative bollards which are only used as ornaments. These are posts which are used for their landscaping or architectural designs which turn them into posts that serve as divide, border or space definers. They are also installed as sentries, accents or additional designs to an even grander architectural concept in a building.

Styles in Bollards

Manufactures design decorative bollards to help the blend easily with traditional and contemporary styles in the architecture of buildings. Bollards with more surface designs and elaborate decorations are best used when they are going to be installed around buildings with traditional architectural styles. On the other hand, simple and straight-sided bollards match with top reveals work better with contemporary styled buildings.

Elaborately decorated posts usually have scrolls, bands, flutes and other designs. Some posts are also notable for their top reveals. While traditional posts are more about their ornamental finials, contemporary posts usually have a slanted or rounded top to avoid being used as a trash can or temporary bench. However, there are also posts that accommodate comfortable seating with their flat top. The most common materials used among bollards are stainless steel, iron, concrete, and aluminium.

When to Use Aluminium and Iron Bollards

Decorative posts with elaborate designs are usually made of iron or aluminium. Removable bollards are usually the more lightweight aluminium, but they are expected to be more expensive than iron posts. Bollards that are going to be exposed to more forceful impacts, such as those posts situated near roadways, are often made of iron which are more brittle. An impact against iron would only dent the metal instead of shatter it into pieces that may fly off and create more damage.

Sand-casting is often the process used to create iron and aluminium posts. However, this technique usually results to irregularities on the surface of the finished object. For better finish consistency in bollards, find those manufacturers that will retouch the surface of the posts 100% after casting.

For a more decorative appeal, the finish in bollards is important. These posts are highly exposed to being scratched or dented by passersby and vehicles, especially if they are installed in the roadways. A more durable finish would be factory-applied powder coating, which can bee used on aluminium, iron and steel. The coating will give the surface a very consistent look. This type of finish will make the bollards’ surface more resistant and tougher given that they are in the aggressive surroundings for being in public places.

These decorative bollards will not only help traffic control. They can also improve how the roadways will look like, especially to the eyes of the tourists.

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John from http://www.ypl-streetfurniture.co.uk

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