Metal Post Covers Create Opportunity for Architectural “Eyesores”

Reliance Foundry’s model R-7593 metal post covers at the Louisville Courthouse, KY.

In parking lots and outside buildings, steel bollards, security posts, poles and pipes are often used to designate traffic routes and to provide anti-ram security. They are an effective tool for protecting pedestrians and preventing theft but, in an unadorned state, they detract from architecture and the aesthetics of a site. Those tasked with integrating them into a design plan view them as a challenge and many in the general public think they are an “eye sore.”

Many planners think that protecting the posts will only intensify the problem. The two most common solutions are paint or plastic post covers. Paint does nothing for the unattractive form of the post and will chip, making seasonal maintenance necessary. On a budget or in more institutional settings, plastic pole or pipe covers are an appropriate solution for providing protection from the elements, however, they lack ornamentation, appear unrefined and do little to enhance the surrounding architecture.

“I talk to planners every day that view security posts as a ‘necessary evil,’ unattractive features that just have to be put up with” says Rick Pasternak, Sales Manager at Reliance Foundry; “I always let them know that these posts also present an opportunity for transforming security into an architectural highlight.”

Metal post covers are easily installed with a threaded rod that is set in the post’s interior.

The solution for this transformation lies in Reliance Foundry’s line of ornate, iron bollard covers and contemporary-styled, stainless steel post covers that can be easily fit over post, poles and pipes. Reliance Foundry offers a wide variety of models that can be used to enhance every architectural approach and these post covers have been used at many high profile sites across North America. From San Jose’s historic Diridon Station to the Louisville Courthouse in Kentucky, they have been the solution for transforming the aesthetics of security.

Installing metal post covers is easy and can usually be completed in minutes with little disruption to surrounding traffic. On pre-existing posts, these ornate post covers can be installed by simply drilling a hole into the interior concrete of the security post and then securing a threaded rod with either an adhesive or concrete anchor. The stylish, metal post cover is then mounted by simply tightening a nut over a washer. A cap is secured to create a uniform look and an architectural highlight is born!

Reliance Foundry’s model R-7535 metal post covers at Diridon Station, CA.

“We designed our mounting systems with the goal of keeping things really simple,” says Reliance Foundry’s Product Manager, Len Cranmore; “With the metal post cover system we developed, we made it easier to provide elegant ornamentation than it would be to paint the post, which does nothing for it.”

With over 40 models of decorative, metal post covers, in styles ranging from avant-garde to classical, Reliance Foundry has the solution for enhancing drab security devices on every streetscape. Metal post covers are available in ductile iron, steel and stainless steel models. Post covers can also be finished with one of ten colors of powder coating that guarantees an exceptionally long service life and reduces the need for maintenance. View Reliance Foundry’s catalogue of post cover solutions for more information.

For additional information contact:

Brad Done
Reliance Foundry
Phone: (604) 592-4323
Fax: (604) 590-8875
Web: www.reliance-foundry.com