A well-made wooden gate is a thing of quality — but only if it is built solid and hung on posts that hold it true. A cheap timber gate on shallow posts drops, sags and disappoints fast.
Ben makes and hangs wooden gates to measure across South Wales — driveway gates, side gates and garden gates in softwood, cedar or hardwood to suit the look and the budget. Made to measure means the gate fits the opening properly rather than being forced from a stock size, with the joints built to take daily use and the timber treated for the Welsh weather.
Timber choice matters: treated softwood is the cost-effective workhorse; cedar is more stable and naturally rot-resistant; hardwood (oak and similar) is the heavy, premium, long-lasting choice for an entrance that wants to make a statement. Each wants the right hanging hardware and post spec for its weight, which Ben sizes to the gate.
And as with any gate, the posts decide its life. Ben sets timber gate posts deep and strong so the gate swings clean and latches first time for years, not months. Priced fixed on the free site visit, with the timber and the hardware spelled out.
Treated softwood is the cost-effective standard. Cedar is more dimensionally stable and naturally rot-resistant, so it stays true with less movement. Hardwood like oak is the heaviest, longest-lasting and most premium, ideal for an entrance that wants to make a statement. Ben advises which suits the look, the use and the budget on the visit.
Timber gates want the odd treatment — a clean and a re-coat of stain or oil every year or two — to fend off the Welsh damp and stay at their best. It is modest upkeep for the natural look. If you would rather never touch it, Ben can build the same gate in composite instead.
A well-made, well-treated timber gate hung on properly set posts lasts many years — softwood comfortably 10–15+, cedar and hardwood longer still. The two things that shorten a wooden gate's life are poor posts (so it drops and strains the joints) and skipped treatment (so it rots). Ben addresses both: deep-set posts and quality, treated timber.
More on our common questions page.
Timber and composite driveway gates — single and double, hung on posts set to carry the weight.
Driveway gates →Side gates, garden gates and access gates — made, hung and set to swing true and latch first time.
Garden gates →Driveway gates, side gates and full boundary runs — hung true, swinging right first time.
Gates in Bridgend →See all the areas we cover, or read our common questions.
No call-out fee, no obligation. Tell Ben what you are after and he will arrange a free site visit, then quote you a fixed price.