When it comes to boundary establishment and impression creation, wooden gates have been among the most in-demand options among Britons. There must be something comforting about wood, whether it’s the organic quality or the fact that a quality-made gate always appears to have a place in our climate. Whatever it might be, wood gates have continued to outsell their metal and composite competitors every year.
Design Considerations
Your choice of gate style should complement, not conflict, with your property. A five-bar field gate may be perfectly suitable for a country cottage but entirely out of place on a semi-detached suburban house.
Side gates, where you have these narrow paths that run along sides of houses, also need some thought. You’re trying to ensure that you have some level of security while, at the same time, you’ve only got so much room available.
Boarded gates ensure that you have some level of privacy, so that prying eyes can’t see what you’ve stored along the sides, but they can be a bit intimidating when you’ve only got so much room available. Depending on how you design your boarded gates, you can ensure that you still have some light while,
The driveway gates can indeed make a statement whether you like it or not. Double gates must factor in car width. There is nothing more disappointing than installing gates only to realise your new car won’t pass through. Leave at least 300mm on either side of the widest car.
Pedestrian access garden gates can allow a bit more ornamentation. This is also where you can get creative in terms of shape, finials, and other elements that could potentially prove impractical on a much larger gate.
Installation Reality Check
Many individuals underestimate the process of installing a gate. The gate itself may not be so difficult to install, but the posts and hinges will involve some technicalities.
The posts have got to be lodged well down, a minimum of 600mm for a garden gate, but well over this for anything bigger. The concrete then needs time to set properly. Cutting this corner will result in your gate sagging within months.
But hinges are more important than you might think. Cheap hinges are never an economy. They will either rust, seize, or just buckle under the weight of the gate. Spend money on proper, heavy-duty, galvanized, or stainless steel hinges.
Making Your Decision
Ultimately, the decision on whether or not the gate should be made from wood will depend on a consideration of budget, the look, and the level of care that can be put into the maintenance. A good softwood gate properly taken care of can easily outlast a neglected hardwood gate.
It’s a good idea to take some time to observe the gates in your local area too. You can see which ones are still looking good after many years and which ones aren’t doing too well. This exercise is far more valuable than spending time browsing through websites if the decision you make now has to withstand the test of time.
