Comparisons
Buying a Wooden Gate: What to Ask Before You Order
A wooden gate is a piece of joinery that has to stay square while being pushed, pulled and rained on. Timber, bracing and ironmongery decide whether it does.
Gates are the part of a boundary that gets used, and use is what finds the weaknesses. A gate that was a few millimetres out on day one becomes a gate that catches on the slab by autumn and refuses to latch by spring.
This guide is the conversation we would have with you before making one, in the order we would have it.
Timber options and what each gives you
Timber choice affects movement more than strength. Movement is what stops a gate closing, so it is worth more attention than it usually gets.
- Treated softwood: best value, expects re-treating, fine in a sheltered opening
- Iroko or oak hardwood: costs more, moves much less, holds its shape in tight openings
- Composite faced: no treating, and matches composite fencing where you have it
Frame and bracing, the part you cannot see
A gate leaf wants to sag away from its hinges, and bracing is what stops it. A braced and ledged gate uses diagonal timber running from the bottom hinge corner upwards, working in compression. Fitted the wrong way round it does nothing useful at all, which is one reason a well made gate outlasts a bargain one so easily.
- Diagonal brace running up from the hinge side, not down to it
- Ledges sized for the leaf width rather than a standard offcut
- Joints fixed properly at the corners so the frame stays square
Ironmongery is not an afterthought
Hinges carry every kilo of the leaf every time it swings. Undersized hinges on an adequate gate is the most common failure we see. Pick the hinge for the leaf weight, the latch for how the gate is actually used, and think about whether it needs to lock or simply close.
- Hinges rated for the leaf, with adjustment where the design allows
- A latch suited to daily use, one handed if that is how it will be opened
- A lock only where you genuinely need one, since it adds cost and complication
- Drop bolts and a meeting stop where two leaves close together
Measuring and why made to measure usually wins
Openings between a house wall and a fence, or between two brick piers, are very rarely square or a standard width. A shop gate then needs packing on one side, which either looks wrong or binds. Making the gate to the measured opening solves both, and it is a smaller premium than most people assume.
Ask us to make one
Send a photo and the rough opening size through our contact form and we will tell you whether a standard gate will do the job or whether making it is the better route. Our gates page shows the range of what we build.
Ask us to make one to your opening
Openings are rarely square or standard. Send the measurements and a photo and we will advise before anything is built.
Frequently asked
Which way should the brace on a wooden gate run?
Upwards from the bottom hinge corner, so it works in compression and supports the leaf. Fitted the other way it contributes almost nothing.
Is hardwood worth the extra for a gate?
In a tight or exposed opening, often yes, because hardwood moves less with damp so the gate keeps closing properly through the wet months.
Why does my gate catch on the ground in winter?
Usually a combination of timber swelling and hinges or a post moving under the leaf weight. Both are worth checking together rather than planing the gate.
Do wooden gates need a special post?
They need a post sized and set for the leaf weight. Hanging a gate from a standard fence post is a very common cause of gates dropping.
Can a wooden gate match my existing fence?
Usually. Building the gate from the same boards is standard practice and lets it blend into the run rather than standing out.