ABOUT TIMBER

Wood is a natural, breathable product that will go through certain changes throughout its lifetime as a gate, no matter how well you treat it, depending on many factors including different seasons, being near to tree’s, close to the sea etc. It is important to understand this when buying your gates and know the best way of keeping your gate looking great and lasting for many years.

The gates should always be stained or painted prior to installation and have a minimum of two coats applied (or to the manufacturers specifications). Within 6 months wipe down the gate and then an additional coat has to be applied and then again at 12 months. Please note, if you have purchased either an iroko or cedar gate it is advisable to give the gate a recoat 4 weeks after installation and the gate has weathered slightly, then another recoat 6 months later and then annually thereafter. After the first year then a 6 monthly wipe down of the gates to clean any muck off them and an annual coat of stain will help to protect them.

Knots and the grain:

Redwood pine gates have more knots within them than an iroko or cedar gate which will virtually contain none. Resin streaks can also appear within the timber more in the redwood pine than our other types.

Mould and blue stain:

Timber is like a sponge and will soak in a certain amount of moisture during the year/s. Mould spores can affect the surface and infect deeper into the wood, so it is important to clean it off as soon as you can using mild detergents. Blue stain is ingrained into certain timbers and may appear after an amount of time. This on its own is not a concern and will not damage the structure of your gate. Applying a paint to the gates will help deal with both of the above.

Swelling, warping and shrinking:

When making our gates we make allowances within our framework to help our gates expand or contract throughout the year. If you notice your gates have a slight warp in them it will probably be down to moisture content at that time and the gates not drying uniformly. In most circumstances as the weather improves the whole gate will have dried to the same moisture content and will straighten itself out. The reasons for this are below:

As a natural product the cells in wood contain water. Depending on the weather and time of year this moisture is gradually released or absorbed and will change the volume of the timber. This may result in the timber expanding, warping or shrinking. Timber shakes may occur but will not affect the gates structurally.

Colour variations

Each piece of timber is unique and may not be from the same part of the tree or in fact that tree. This can mean the boards can have slight colour variations and textures with some pieces being very smooth and others having more lifted grain showing  or rough spots. We actually like this variation within our gates and feel it gives them a great look.

Once the gates are delivered to you, their maintenance and upkeep is your responsibility. The way you fit your gates and how you subsequently treat them is beyond our control. Because of this and because of the nature of the product, problems that you experience with any of the above, are not covered by ourselves. Proper gate care will keep your gates looking great for many years.

Painted Gates

Whether we paint the gates for you or you do it yourself the paint can flake or bubble after time due to different moisture conditions within the timber which can not be helped. If this happens simply sand any loose paint off from the gate and repaint over affected area. A fine filler can be used if required once all of the loose paint has been removed.
We can not guarantee any gate from flaking or bubbling paint as it is your responsibility to correctly care and maintain your product once received.