Add Style And Security To Your Home With Our Quality Timber Gates

Our softwood side gates are made from the finest quality Scandinavian Redwood. Whilst many people believe that metal gates are more durable than wood, in our experience, this is simply not true. Our products are built to last using quality timber and effective construction techniques, offering the same security and durability as a metal gate. Choosing from our wide range of wooden gates, which come in a variety of styles, is also much cheaper than metal – you can still enjoy added style and security to your home with one of our side gates at an affordable price.

We also think that a wooden gate has a much more attractive appearance than metal. Scandinavian Redwood ages beautifully over time with frequent treatment and we can design your gate to match the aesthetic style of the area where it will be. If you’re purchasing a garden side gate, the wood blends beautifully with surrounding nature, such as the trees around your home, to provide a consistent aesthetic.

We also use a preservative treatment for the wood, to ensure that it can withstand wet weather and any subsequent water damage, such as water ingress. Also, the timber we use is extremely durable, meaning strong winds aren’t a cause for concern with our gates. Scandinavian Redwood is relatively low maintenance but to preserve its stunning finish, it will need some regular treatment. We can guide you through this when you place your order with us.

What Are The Benefits Of A Softwood Side Gate?

Wood is a traditional choice of material for gates, largely because it looks exactly that: traditional. While there are plenty of other materials to choose from for a gate, such as aluminium, wrought iron and uPVC, softwoods are particularly favoured due to their low cost.

Softwoods are also easy to carve into practically any style or design – hence why we delight in using them to create bespoke side gates for our clients. A softwood gate can, for example, be tailored to a period design to suit a heritage property or built as a single solid panel for a more modern look.

Another big plus point of using timber for a gate is that various finishes can be applied to the material. As a result, even after the gate has been fitted, you can easily customise or revamp its hue later down the line – using paint, which would conceal the grain, or stain, which is transparent.

While different woods can be categorised as hardwoods and softwoods, these names do not strictly reflect the woods’ hardness or softness. Softwoods originate from coniferous trees that retain their needles and cones all year round, while hardwoods are from deciduous trees that shed their leaves every autumn. We can make both softwood and hardwood gates.

As a general rule, softwoods are the more economical option, while hardwoods tend to be more durable and long-lasting. Here is our rundown of the main differences between hardwoods and softwoods when used in features such as gates. You can enjoy all of these advantages at little cost due to the inexpensive nature of the softwood from which we can make your side gate. We can make this gate to a bespoke design chosen by you, further adding to the visual benefits of a softwood side gate.

Improve Your Home Security With A Softwood Side Gate

Did you know that burglary is attempted in the UK every 40 seconds? For this reason, it is very much in your interest for you to secure your home as much as practically possible. You could arrange to have a side gate fitted if you want to strengthen your home’s protection and privacy. As a side gate will typically be installed against the house rather than in a run of fencing, it can help to form a barrier between the front and rear of your residential property.

Consequently, once a side gate has been fitted, you have less reason to fret about the possibility of intruders entering your property from its side. This is especially the case when you consider that we can install your side gate in any height up to 8 feet and any width as far as 4 feet and 6 inches.

The bespoke nature of the garden gates we supply can come in especially useful if you want to bolster the security of your garden – and, by extension, your home. We can design you a softwood side gate that looks sturdy and can’t be seen through or over. We will also supply your side gate with a ring latch, and throw in the option of a key lock for further security. Any side gate we provide you with will be guaranteed in its durability and security.

A side gate made in this form can be effective in warding off intruders – especially if it looks similar to the fence or garden wall to which it is attached. We can ensure the softwood gate we make for you will, once fitted, visually blend in with this fence or wall.

It’s a good idea to opt for a gate design where boards are rebated within a frame to add further strength and rigidity. However, you should probably avoid a design with cross braces discernible on a would-be intruder’s side of the gate, as these braces could be used as “steps” up your gate.

Alternatively, you could arrange for panels to be fitted over those cross braces, thereby hiding them. We can affix panels to your softwood side gate in this way if you include this particular request in the brief you send us for the side gate design assignment.

You should also make sure the side gate is not left with any convenient handle which some shamelessly opportunistic person could step onto in a bid to get up and over your gate. Choose a design with the lock positioned on the other side of the gate, where the thief couldn’t reach it.

How can you tell whether your existing side gate should be replaced for security reasons? Well, if that gate looks old, weak or flimsy to you, it would probably look the same to an aspiring thief – potentially tempting them to try their luck. Conversely, the sight of a newer and stronger-looking gate could convince them that trying to break into your home wouldn’t be worth the bother.

The Process We Follow To Create And Install Your Ideal Side Gate

Our team is committed to creating bespoke wooden side gates that are perfect for your home. Before placing an order, you can browse our products online or visit our Warrington showroom to show our products in person. If you need some assistance whilst assessing your options and picking the right design, our experienced staff will be on hand to offer reliable advice. We have products available in heights up to 8ft and widths up to 4ft 6 inches, so we can make a product to meet the exact size you need. We’ll help you choose from our ironmongery ranges and select the right treatment option for your desired design, whether that’s teak, mahogany or dark oak.

Whilst it’s important that your side gate is visually attractive and adds style to your area, we understand that getting the perfect fit is also essential. That’s why we’ll take great care in the process of making your product, acquiring the right measurements from you to inform the process. Once we have your measurements, we’ll create your made-to-measure product. Then, the next step in our process is to install the gate. If you’re based within a 30-mile radius of our Warrington workshop, we can do this for you. Our priority during the installation is to ensure that the gate is fully functional, durable and fits perfectly in the designated area.

After the installation, you’ll have a 12-month warranty on your product to cover its fixings and any necessary adjustments within this period, as the gate may be subject to natural movement as it settles into the new environment. Scandinavian Redwood is quite a low-maintenance timber, but for the best results, we recommend regular aftercare to preserve the stunning finish of the gate. We can provide advice regarding the aftercare upon installation and beyond, whenever you need it.

How Can I Preserve My Softwood Side Gate?

As we have acknowledged, we already do our bit to help with the wood’s upkeep – as, when providing you with a side gate, we will apply a preservative treatment to help shield it from wet weather and water damage.

However, you will also need to treat the wood regularly after the side gate is fitted. Fortunately, when you order this gate, we will provide you with in-depth instructions as to how you can help keep the wood’s look and condition intact in the long run.

If you fancy a new colour for your gate, there’s nothing wrong with adding a lick of paint… as long as you choose the right paint. Whether you want to give the wood a rich heritage shade, earthy neutral hue or bright contemporary colour, you should be selective about what exterior wood paint you use.

Before buying a particular paint product for your gate, you should check that this paint is resin-rich, flexible and breathable, as it could otherwise struggle to accommodate stresses and strains that arise in the wood due to fluctuating temperatures and unpredictable weather.

Your exterior wood paint of choice must also be UV stable – to guard against the paint colour fading – and water-resistant. It’s inevitable that your side gate will be battered by the elements, but not that it will quickly lose its usual lustre – provided you look after the wood properly.

Therefore, in any case, you should remember to yearly undertake the maintenance procedure of washing down your gate with a wood-cleaning product before treating the surface by staining or painting it. Preserving softwoods has different implications than looking after hardwoods.

Why Choose A Softwood Side Gate From Us?

Of course, no two properties are identical – so, it follows that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to what type of side gate should be installed in that property’s outdoor space. This is why we are happy to design and manufacture softwood side gates bespoke.

After all, there might already be a specific gap which that gate needs to fill – hence why, when you approach us to source a softwood side gate, we will visit your home to take the accurate measurements we need in order to avoid leaving you with a gate either too wide or too narrow.

However, it’s not only the technical aspects of your gate’s destined environs we will consider. We will also help you to decide which design and shade of wood would aesthetically go best with the rest of your home. These are rather subjective concerns, but we can take all of them into close account.

Once we know what you both want and need in a new side gate, we can start busily handcrafting it, culminating in a wooden gate that is uniquely beautiful as well as long-lasting. Naturally, though, your gate’s actual lifespan will depend on how it is looked after – and we can help you there, too.

That’s because we are stockists of wood treatments you can use on the exterior of your gate’s wood, helping to keep it durable and good-looking for longer. We source our supplies of exterior wood coatings, including base coats and topcoats, from the respected brand Teknos for your reassurance.

Still, any protective treatment is only as effective as how you use it on your softwood side gate. So, once you have bought any particular wood treatment product from us, you should read the instructions on it carefully – and also take note of our further tips for effectively maintaining your gate.

To order one of our products or to get a free quote with no obligations, contact our team online or by calling us on 01925 967 083. You can also contact us by emailing info@villagegates.co.uk and a member of our team will get back to you.