Fences - Wood Fence and Gates
About Wood Fence and Gates
Introduction
Matched to the style of your house and landscape, wood fences are a great way to give your home a definitive border. Wood fences will not only enhance your home’s appearance, but will also add much needed protection keeping your children and pets in, and strangers and stray animals out. A well-designed and crafted wood fence which has been skilfully installed will add value to your home and offer years of protection and privacy. What to Consider Before Buying
As with any new landscaping project, it’s best to do your homework first. By spending a little time studying what your needs are and what is available, you will be sure to get the best value for your money and the perfect wood fence and gate for your home.
Think about the purpose of your wood fence and gate. Is it for the safety of your pets and children? Is it to enhance your homes appearance and add to its value? Could it be to define boundaries, control traffic or lead people to an entrance?
Also consider the design of your fence and if it matches its surroundings. If the wood fence is used to create a backdrop, then the wood fence’s color should complement the plants in front of it no matter what season it is. If its purpose is for security and privacy, then the design should be high enough to do the job without breaking any rules. Which Material Should be Chosen?
Wood is usually chosen as a fence and gate material because of its natural beauty. Other reasons are because wood is affordable, easy to find, and quiet versatile making it the easiest material to use. Wood comes in a wide array of qualities, colors, sizes and types. You can finish it with a stain or paint, or if you choose treated wood or cedar then letting it age will give you nice natural color.
There’s just one downfall using wood and that is the premature failure of the posts. Because wood does not hold up well to ground contact, the posts may begin to fail which will in turn affect the appearance of the whole fence. The best way to go about this is to use posts and rails made from softwoods that are naturally rot resistant, i.e. cedar or redwood, or those that have been pressure-treated to limit rotting. The safest option is to use steel posts to construct your wood fence and gate. Choose hot-dip-galvanized, aluminum and stainless steel fasteners, which are all corrosion-resistant and will not disintegrate or interfere with the natural preservative oils present in some wood. Adding a Wood Fence Gate
The most important part of your wood fence is the gate, especially since it’s the only moving part. It needs to be properly designed using quality hardware to avoid sagging, sticking or slipping out of alignment which will all affect its proper operation. This is why you need to be careful when choosing the wood fence posts as mentioned above. Wood has a tendency to twist and warp causing any gate design to become skewed. So in order for your wood fence gate to operate properly in the short and long term, it is vital to use the aforementioned materials, particularly steel, for the posts. Another important piece of advice is to make sure your gate posts can manage the weight of the gate. The wider the gate, the larger the posts should be. The posts should be just the right size so as not to bend due to the stress created from opening and closing the gate.
Gate frames may also present a hazard with wood gates. To avoid any failures and ensure the wood frame gate will perform up to the standards, use a gate sag prevention kit that includes a turnbuckle for adjustments as the gate wears. For a strong framework, attach your rails to the steel frame gate and then attach the boards to the gate rails.
As for the gate hardware, several types of materials are available. Gate hardware is usually coated with an epoxy and then a polyester finish to give a lasting resistance against rust and fading. If you’re using gate hardware made from molded plastic and stainless steel then you can have the benefit of using a gate lock like the one on your front door.
