Side Return Gates — What We Actually Build
A side-return gate lives in one of the most punishing spots on a property — a narrow alley between a wall and a house, in constant seasonal movement, carrying bins and bikes through it weekly. Most failures here are hinge and frame failures, not timber failures.
This is a London-terrace brief above all — narrow openings, awkward fixings into rendered walls or brick piers, and gates that have to keep working through a full range of seasonal movement.
The build that actually holds up
Framed construction — 44mm framed hardwood or planed softwood with tongue-and-groove infill — doesn't drop the way board-and-batten gates do within a couple of years, and adjustable ball-race hinges take up seasonal movement rather than fighting it.
- Iroko hardwood on galvanised ironmongery for 15+ year service
- Planed softwood tongue-and-groove for a matched budget option
- Drop-bolt shot into a concrete socket, not just a surface latch
Fitting to the actual opening
We measure the exact opening on site rather than working from a builder's drawing, and fix into both the wall and any brick pier properly rather than packing a stock-size gate to fit.
Side Return Gates — frequently asked
How wide can a single side gate span before it needs a wheel?
It depends on the material and frame, but very wide single-leaf gates are usually better as a two-leaf or gate-plus-fixed-panel arrangement — we'll advise on site.
Softwood or hardwood for a London side gate?
Hardwood on galvanised ironmongery for a genuinely long service life; planed softwood tongue-and-groove where budget is the priority and it's matched to the rest of the boundary.
How do you stop a side gate dropping over time?
Framed construction rather than board-and-batten, and adjustable ball-race hinges that can be taken up as the timber moves seasonally.
Is a drop-bolt necessary as well as a lock?
For security, yes — shot into a concrete socket rather than relying on a surface latch alone.
Can bin-store and pedestrian access share one gate?
Yes, we regularly build a single gate sized to serve both on shared side alleys.
Side Return Gates by town
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