<h1″>CARE FOR YOUR GATE

Looking after your gate (whether its a driveway gate, side gate or garden gate) should be on your annual “things to do list”. Not only will you enhance the look of your gate but more importantly, durability.

Gate Stain and Treatment: (wooden gates)

There are several well known brands to choose from – but beware as they don’t always do exactly what it says on the tin! We’ve tested all of the brands and as a company, we recommend using Sadolin. They are certainly not the cheapest but for protection and look, (in our opinion) they are the market leaders. Application is easy, and to create the perfect finish, follow this simple guide.

Gates already stained:

You will need 2 brushes and a decorators sponge. Use a smaller brush first to apply the stain between the cladding and around the inside of frame. Then (using a larger brush) brush the stain on and whilst still wet, use the sponge to remove “brush” marks (follow the cladding direction). It is important to pay attention to small areas (between cladding etc) and apply the stain to protect areas where water may go in.

Unstained Gates:

We highly recommend staining the gate indoors before hanging (garage, green house etc). The gate requires 2 coats and usually a 24 hour drying period between coats. All of the gate needs to be protected and the one area people forget to do is the bottom edge! To start, use a small brush for the cladding gaps, inside frame edge and bottom. Then use a larger brush and whilst stain is still wet, run a decorators sponge down to remove “brush” marks and create a smooth finish. Before you apply any other coats, make sure the gate is fully dried.

Holes drilled in Gate:

Usually occurs if the position of the hinge, latch etc is changed. May not look like a possible problem but would create an area for water to enter. Fill the hole with wood filler, allow to dry then lightly sand the filler until its smooth, stain area over till it blends in with the gate.

Gate Movement/ Bowing:

We manufacture gates in a way to allow a certain degree of movement in the gate without you even noticing it. Sometimes gates will move too much and the frame may start to bow. The frame will never give way as all frames have a mortice, tenon and dowel joint built in. This happens because water has entered the gate from either an area without stain or a hole in the gate. There are two ways to fix this. You can either wait for the gates to dry (if the weather is improving) and once the gate has returned to original shape re stain and check for holes or remove the gates, place inside garage etc and once back to original shape, re stain. Depending on temperature, the drying period can vary from one to four weeks.

Mould on Gate:

If your gate is positioned in an area surrounded by trees, hedges etc it is only natural that mould may start to form on your gate. This isn’t damaging your gate in anyway (nor is it a manufacturing fault) and simply is a case of sponging it off with warm water. Most stains on the market will be UV protected but wont stop mould! If mould has started to form under the stain, it may be a case of sanding the down the area and re-staining.

We are happy to answer any questions or advise you on the care of your gate. You can contact us on the phone (0800 6124 965) or via an email ([email protected]).