Angle irons are also known as steel angles. They’re a kind of construction material. They have many uses, and many projects can’t get off the ground without them.
You may need an angle iron for a construction project you have coming up. You might need several of them. Before shopping for some, though, you should learn a little more about them.
Some Angle Iron Basics
The basic angle iron has an L-shape, and it’s always 90 degrees. You almost always find them made out of steel. Its functionality and dependability is what makes it so useful.
There are various steel alloys that can go into its construction, and you can get them in many sizes. If you’re building many different structures, you can feel reasonably sure that you will need at least a few angle irons.
Where Can You Find Angle Irons?
You can find angle irons in many shelves. You will also find them in supporting structures. If you are creating a good-sized building that needs solid support at the base, you will utilize some angle irons.
You can find them in many pieces of furniture. Most couches have them as part of their foundations. The weight and pressure that this relatively simple shape can support make them a fundamental part of nearly all modern construction projects.
What About If You Do Not Want to Use an Angle Iron?
It is difficult to get around using an angle iron if you’re creating furniture or support structures. If you don’t want to go that route, then square tubing is the other way to go.
Some builders like it because, similar to angle irons, it boasts considerable strength. Building and construction projects are guaranteed to use one or the other, though. Without some angle irons or square tubing, you risk your building collapsing once you start working on the upper stories.
Is An Angle Iron Better than Wood?
If you’re setting up a building foundation or making a piece of furniture, for that matter, you might wonder whether wood is a suitable choice to use instead of an angle iron. What you should realize is that angle irons are very strong all down their length. That means they can easily support larger loads, particularly those that stack up on top of each other.
A similar thickness consisting only of flat steel won’t do the same job, and wood won’t do it either. The fact is that angle irons are much stronger than wood, even the toughest varieties. You might use some wood when building furniture, like a table or a cabinet, but you will likely use angle irons as well because of the solid foundation they always provide.
The only potential weakness of an angle iron that might be exposed is when extreme force pushes against its right angle. When that happens, the ends can be bent apart or forced together.
That’s a relative rarity, though, and for the most part, you can expect solidity and dependability from an angle iron.
