Gate Care

Your gates will cost you a lot of money, and we would like you to keep them in good condition. We don’t like to see poor gates anymore than you want them outside your home.

Here are some useful tips , and facts about timber gates. Timber is always moving, what we need to do is keep this movement to a minimum. Nothing will stop a gate moving, not metal banding, metal strutts, or making them out of some expensive hardwood.

So what do we do?

Firstly, we must try and keep as much moisture out of the gate, but at the same time stop it drying out in very hot weather.

Stage 1 Stain and oil method.

Stain your gate the colour of your choice. Do this by brush and keep inline with the grain. If you come across sanding marks, a quick rub over with sandpaper following the grain should remove these. You will use about a litre of stain on a double gate. If you have found that the colour is too dark this can sometimes be lightened by rubbing over with white spirit, or cellulose thinners.

BEWARE USING THESE PRODUCTS AVOID INHALATION AND COINTACT WITH ANY SOURCE OF HEAT

Stage 2

Apply the oil mixture liberally, let it soak into the gate, put a piece of paper below the gates to catch the drips.

DO NOT USE THE OIL IF THE GATE HAS GOT SOAKING WET WAIT FOR IT TO DRY OUT AGAIN.

Stage 3

Apply a second and third coat of oil or as many as the gate needs to soak up and absorb  the oil. The more trouble you take now the less problems in the future.

Stage 4

Keep an eye on the gates, you should have made them waterproof with the oil, this is made with Tung nut oil, the finest natural oil there is, and has been used for thoasands of years to waterproof timber. If the gates look dry give them another coat, this will only take 10-15 minutes.

Stage 5

Give the gate further coats as required but we recommend  at least twice per year

DO NOT USE THE OIL IN A CONFINED SPACE, AND BEWARE IT IS INFLAMMABLE BEWARE OF OIL SOAKED CLOTHS AND BRUSHES, DO NOT LEAVE THEM NEAR ANY SORCES OF HEAT AND DO NOT SCREW IN A BALL BUT LAY OUT FLAT UNTIL DRY.

What to avoid

Try to avoid microporous finishes, they can cause warping and twisting of the timbers. Avoid the use of fencing paints and other waterbased finishes, they generally do not work on smooth planed timber. Oil based finishes like gloss paint are fine, make sure the bottom of the gate is sealed, and inspect every year, as small cracks will appear and allow the ingress of water.