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Garden Gates Direct - Wooden Side Gate Buying Guide

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A Beginners Guide to Buying a Wooden Side Gate 

If you're considering getting a wooden side gate, we've put together a comprehensive buying guide to assist you. The following material will offer a wealth of valuable insights and data to assist you in making the optimal purchase. 

Pressure treated wooden side gate design

Which One Provides the Highest Level of Protection?

The right blend of size, material composition, and locking mechanism culminates in a gate that provides the best security for your property. In addition, other factors will play a role in determining the best solution for your property. Below, we look at three major influencing factors.

Timber Components

Selecting the proper specification for your project is crucial since timber components come in various widths and grades, each having advantages and disadvantages.

Cost

You will typically have to give up some security to keep prices affordable. You are the only one who can decide if your situation necessitates selecting the most substantial design or whether you would be OK with a less secure but more affordable option. 

Design

Although a gate may have a significant visual influence on your house, the overall design will also impact the level of security it can provide. For example, a solid boarded gate with a thick framework will resist twisting and thus be very secure but might block a garden view or even be heavy to open and close. Comparatively, an open-boarded ledge and braced design will be light in weight but will provide a different level of strength and resistance to impact. 

Various wooden side gate designs

Why are There So Many Price Variations?

You're probably wondering how much it costs to install a gate; therefore, we have provided you with some elements to consider when determining the cost of a gate.

Style

The more basic the design, the cheaper it will be to produce because it requires less manufacturing time and fewer materials. In comparison, a design that has an elaborate appearance or one that blends metal components will have higher material and manufacturing costs and, subsequently, will be more expensive.

Size

The width and height of the gate you need will impact the price because it will use varying amounts of timber. In addition, if you need to select a made-to-measure size, the cost will be affected as more time will be required to build the item over a stock standard-size product

Type of Construction

arched ledge and braced wooden side gate

Ledge & Braced Designs

Although it has one of the most straight-forward designs, this wooden gate is nevertheless a good choice for homeowners on a budget. They have a relatively simple design, consisting of vertical boards covered in timber bracing on the inner face. The disadvantage is that they are only manufactured up to a width of 1070mm (3ft 6") because anything more extensive than this will cause the gate to droop under its weight.

 

 

Framed Designs

These gates, which are produced using far more robust timbers, offer greater strength and design flexibility than the ledge and brace designs. Using time-tested joinery methods like mortise and tenon joints, they are built to last. Consequently, they offer a cost-effective way to secure entrances into your garden. Wooden gates of this kind are manufactured with a 3-4" outer framework and incorporate a recessed infill panel of various designs, often composed of tongue and groove boards.

Fully framed wooden side gate design

Type of Timber

Untreated

Because it is the most economical option and is widely obtainable, smooth-planed Scandinavian Redwood makes most wooden gates. The critical thing to remember is that this material will require more maintenance than pressure-treated timber.

Pressure Treated Timber

Although higher in cost than an untreated version, pressure-treated wooden gates offer much more elevated levels of protection against the weather. This is due to the preservative injected into the wood to help stop rot and deterioration.

Can a Wooden Gate be installed on a Wall or Masonry Surface?

Yes, this is possible; however, this is different from how we recommend you install a wooden gate. The best solution is to mount the gate onto wooden posts, as this allows the hinges to span across the back of the gate and posts. Although this installation method reduces the opening, it results in slim gaps between the gate and post (usually only 10-15mm), which looks better and provides a higher degree of privacy and security.

Wooden side gate installation examples

What Size Posts are Best?

For most wooden side gates, posts measuring 100mm x 100mm will provide adequate support for freestanding installations. In comparison, wall-mounted posts can be smaller. This is because they only act as a hinges' fixing point and do not provide structural support as this is transferred through to the wall.

wooden side gate with metal infill bars and finials

Help & Advice

Measuring Guide ►

Ordering Guide ►

Problems & Solutions ►

Which Gate Type? ►

Frequently Asked Questions ►

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Other Useful Pages

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