Half MetersMeters HighAlphabet GatesPentagram AlanHills SignageHamilton HillsDesigner'S HouseRacionalidad VersusAlan FletcherForwardA pair of metal gates, two and a half meters high, which front the entrance to the designer's house.Matching Milano front and garage doors Read more about bi-fold, side hung and up and over garage doors here Iron has a long and varied tradition in the mythology and folklore of the world. "Cold Iron" redirects here. For the poem by Rudyard Kipling, see Cold Iron (poem). Cold iron is a poetic term for iron. Francis Grose's 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue defines cold iron as "A sword, or any other weapon for cutting or stabbing." This usage often appears as "cold steel" in modern parlance. Rudyard Kipling's poem "Cold Iron", found in his 1910 collection of stories Rewards and Fairies, used the term poetically to mean "weapon". "Cold iron" is historically believed to repel, contain, or harm ghosts, fairies, witches, and other malevolent supernatural creatures.
This belief continued into later superstitions in a number of forms: In his novel Redgauntlet, the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott wrote, "Your wife's a witch, man; you should nail a horse-shoe on your chamber-door." In modern fantasy, cold iron may refer to a special type of metal, such as meteoric iron or unworked metal. Weapons and implements made from cold iron are often granted special efficacy against creatures such as fairies and spirits. A horseshoe wind chime, used as a good luck charm. A horseshoe on a door is regarded as a protective talisman in some cultures. Horseshoes are considered a good luck charm in many cultures, including those of England, Denmark,[1] Lithuania, and Estonia, and its shape, fabrication, placement and manner of sourcing are all important. A common tradition is that if a horseshoe is hung on a door with the two ends pointing up (as shown here) then good luck will occur. However, if the two ends point downwards then bad luck will occur.
Traditions do differ on this point, though. In some cultures, the horseshoe is hung points down (so the luck pours onto you); in others, it is hung points up (so the luck does not fall out); still in others it does not matter so long as the horseshoe has been used (not new), was found (not purchased), and can be touched. In all traditions, luck is contained in the shoe and can pour out through the ends. In some traditions, any good or bad luck achieved will only occur to the owner of the horseshoe, not the person who hangs it up. Therefore, if the horseshoe was stolen, borrowed or even just found then the owner, not the person who found or stole the horseshoe will get any good or bad luck. Other traditions require that the horseshoe be found to be effective. Illustration by George Cruikshank for The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil One reputed origin of the tradition of lucky horseshoes is the story of Saint Dunstan and the Devil. Dunstan, who would become the Archbishop of Canterbury in AD 959, was a blacksmith by trade.
The story relates that he once nailed a horseshoe to the Devil's hoof when he was asked to reshoe the Devil's horse. This caused the Devil great pain, and Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe and release the Devil after the Devil promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is hung over the door. Another theory concerning the placing of horseshoes above doorways is to ward off Faeries; the theory being that supernatural beings are repelled by iron and as horseshoes were an easily available source of iron, they could be nailed above a door to prevent any unwanted, otherworldly guests. Thogcha (Tibetan: ཐོག་ལྕགས, Wylie: thog lcags)[3] means 'sky-iron' in Tibetan. Meteoric iron was highly prized throughout the Himalayas where it was included in sophisticated polymetallic alloys for ritual implements such as the singing bowl (Jansen, 1992) and phurba (Müller-Ebeling, et al., 2002). Beer (1999: p. 234) holds that: Meteoric iron or "sky-iron" (Tib. gnam lcags) is the supreme substance for forging the physical representation of the vajra or other iron weapons, since it has already been tempered by the celestial gods in its passage across the heavens.
The indivisibility of form and emptiness is a perfect metaphor for the image of a meteorite or "stone fallen from the sky", manifesting out of the voidness of space as a shooting star or fireball, and depositing a chunk of fused "sky iron" on the earth below. Many vajras held by deities as weapons are described as being forged from meteorite iron, and Tibet, with its high altitude, thin atmosphere and desolate landscape, received an abundance of meteorite fragments. Tibetan vajras were often cast from meteorite iron, and as an act of sympathetic magic a piece of the meteoric iron was often returned to its original site. ^ Northern Mythology: Comprising the Principal Popular Traditions and Superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany, and the Netherlands ^ Bellezza, John Vincent (March, 1999). Thogchags: The Ancient Amulets of Tibet. Source: [1] (accessed: Wednesday April 14, 2010) ^ Beer, Robert (1999). The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs (Hardcover). ISBN 1-57062-416-X, ISBN 978-1-57062-416-2.
Source: [2] (accessed: Thursday April 15, 2010), p.234.What’s the first thing people see when they walk up to your home? The front door, of course. It can make a big impression – good or bad. A visitor rings your bell or knocks, and as they’re waiting, they examine that portal closely for a few seconds: the stain or paint, the handle and other hardware, windows, hinges, doorsill, frame. Is your door dramatic or utilitarian? Immaculately maintained or weather-beaten and dirty? That simple slab of wood (or fiberglass or steel) can convey a wealth of messages about you. In Southern California, exterior doors face a harsh environment. They’re subject to long periods of hot, sunny, dry weather, especially if they’re on a south-facing wall. And the big difference between daily high and low temperatures can cause wooden doors especially to expand and contract, making them difficult to open on hot days. But be careful not to sand the edges down too much – a snug-fitting outside door in summer will contract considerably when the weather’s colder, creating potential draft and rattling problems.
Scott Sidler of Austin Restorations, a home-restoration company in Orlando, Fla., recommends spot-checking your outside doors at least once a year for chalky and peeling paint or other signs of sun damage. In warm climates, “A front door probably needs a fresh coat of paint – and at least a little sanding – every five years.” If the door isn’t partially shielded from the sun by a porch or awning, that interval decreases to two or three years, Sidler added. “A raised wood grain with a dry, rough feel means the finish is beginning to fail and needs to be reapplied. Dark streaks in the wood under a clear finish or a light or whitish haze to the finish itself may mean moisture is getting into the door and the finish is failing.” It’s time-consuming but not difficult to refinish your exterior wooden door. For best results, remove it from the frame by tapping out the hinge pins and placing it on two sawhorses. Remove all hardware then strip all six sides of the door with a high-grade paint stripper or paint remover.
(I get good results with Jasco Paint and Epoxy Remover.) Two applications may be necessary for seams. After wiping it thoroughly, sand the door gently in the direction of the grain with fine sandpaper (150-180). If the door surface is rough, perform your first sanding with medium sandpaper; 120 grain is ideal. After sanding, clean the entire door using a cloth dampened with mineral spirits. After it’s dry, apply a coat of high-quality exterior primer, then a coat or two of exterior paint. Exterior acrylic paint with anti-mildew properties works best. Lighter colors absorb less of the sun’s energy than darker colors and should therefore be more durable. Fancy knocker or intercom? Perhaps your front door is simply too weather-beaten to repair, or maybe you want to go with a new look. It’s easy enough to go to Home Depot or another big-box home supply store and order a door, at least if you have a standard-size opening. But in most cities you’ll find a small yet thriving community of specialty retailers who sell and install high-quality doors.
The first decision to make concerns materials: steel, fiberglass or wood. Steel doors are affordable, durable and strong. They can be ordered with windows, glass inserts and other details. Fiberglass has some of the more desirable qualities of wood, but its cost is usually lower and it has greater durability. Wood doors can be mid-priced or expensive; the type of wood, number of windows and complexity of construction can increase the price dramatically. They also require regular maintenance. But to some people, there’s no substitute for the rich, natural look of a well-designed hardwood door with an attractive grain, highlighted by the right stain. Doors go through trend cycles, just like other elements of home design. “Right now, Dutch doors are really popular, though they can be difficult to install,” said Malik Jaleel of Today’s Entry Doors in Orange. Door configurations depend on the size of the entry hall. Double doors create a feeling of grandness, but even a sidelight on each side of the door can achieve the same effect if you’re short on space.
“We can configure the doors in many different ways,” Jaleel said. “For example, if you have a 5-foot-wide entry, that’s enough room for a 42-inch door and one sidelight.” Jaleel’s company can also install sidelights that open. “We call them operable sidelights. They provide a breeze in your front hall without opening the door.” The sweep of the door swing should be planned according to clearances and traffic patterns. Most exterior doors open inwards (for security reasons, hinge plates and pins should be kept inside the house, not on the outside, where they’re accessible to burglars and intruders). Door handing refers to the direction of the door swing. For example, if the hinges are on the left as you open your front door, it is a left-hand inswing door. Evaluate door handing when you replace your old door. Perhaps it makes sense to move your hinges to the opposite side. Glass or panel inserts give the front door a more substantial and designed look. Opt for opaque glass if you want light to enter the home yet are concerned about privacy.