Building a Garden Gate ????

[Dave Tinley]

I am wanting to build a garden gate, approx 50"w x 48"h, and maybe using Western Red Cedar or Cypress for the material.
My questions are: What about wood movement?
What kind of top coat or fininsh will give me some years of service while maintaining the natural look of the wood??
And any other tips or helpful hints will be appreciated.

Thanks
Dave

[Mark Rios]

You might have some swelling of the gate frame members in the winter/cooler months and shrinking in the summer. (I just noted that you're in Texas. Mayber you don't have cooler months :D )

I replaced a cedar fence last summer. Higher end neighborhood, hand picked clear fence boards, stainless gate hardware, etc. They didn't want big gaps after it was finished. I tacked the fence boards in place on the fence line and the gates and let them shrink for two weeks. I even tacked the end/cut pieces, as full pieces, in their place and cut them to fit after shrinking. I tacked them in place tight to each other. After two weeks there was 1/4" to 3/8" gap between each fence board. I reset all the fence boards, again tight to each other, and nailed them in place. I still got some shrinkage after that but not too much, about a 1/16" after 7 months.

Your humidity might play different tricks on outside wood though. How has the rest of the fence, or the old fence, weathered as far as wood movement?


hth

[John D Watson]

Howdy Dave,
After building three gates over a ten year period, the first thing I will say is do your homework first. It will make a difference. I learned the hard way that your gate posts (both sides of gate) had better be solid and cemented at least 3 feet down for a gate that size. LV has some great gate hardware that will make your wood movement worries disappear. As for covering the wood, I have used high quality Spar varnish with good results, as long as you follow thier guidelines(best results with three coats). I'm hoping to build another this summer (another new property) and my plan is to assemble the gate completly, remove all the hardware, finish, replace the hardware and hang the gate. I hope this helps you some and don't forget to post your results eh. Happy Gate Building.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Dave, I built a cedar gate the same size as an interior door 68X32". Its built like a doorway so there is support between the two gate posts. Its the only way I could keep it open here in San Antonio where the dirt moves every time it rains or dries out. I used a dark transparent deck stain which you can get in nearly any color you desire. It colors the wood without hiding the grain. Its supposed to be easier to redo than spar varnish, but I haven't tried to redo either so I can't say for sure.

[Dave Falkenstein]

As to finishing the gate, use an oil-based product that will soak into the wood. In my experience, any varnish or varathane type of product will build up on the surface and peel over time, leaving you with a big refinishing job. I have used Watco, CWF and Deckmaster products and they all offer a natural or clear oil-based stain that enhances the look of the material and provides protection against weathering. Plan to refinish the gate every one to two years with the same product.

[Brian Jarnell]

This site seems to give lots of info.

http://www.wrcla.org/finishingcedar/cedardecks/waterrepellants/advofwaterrep.asp

[Roger Bell]

I (also) recommend placing a top member to tie your gate posts together for a gate of this width. That can be done with style and can add a neat decorative element.

In terms of finish.....
You can leave it unfinished to gray out. Easiest to do and even easier to maintain. Plan on replacing the structure in perhaps ten years, maybe less.

You can paint it. Paint is the best outdoor "finish"....that is why we paint our homes. Obscures wood grain. May not be a bad idea if your gate is designed stylish so that the style of the gate makes up for absence of "seeing wood". Paint must be maintained every several years, as you know. I recommend an oil base primer plus a couple of latex top coats. Latex since outdoor-exposed wood moves. Don't be stingy with price or with the time it takes.

You can use a stain. Not as effective as paint in protecting the wood, but the transparent or semi-trans stains do not obscure grain "all that much". Opaque stains do....like paint. Some of our homes are stained. Stain must be renewed every several years, but it wont crack, peel, etc. if you dont, unlike paint.

There are both oil and water based stains. An oil based semi-trans or opaque stain such as Penofin is what I use with all my cedar gates and garden structures. Very easy to use, but smelly for awhile. Easy to renew every few years. On a vertical structure, like a gate or a fence, perhaps every five years. On horizonal surfaces, like decks, perhaps every two. Brush it on, let it set, wipe it off. Easy. So easy that you might be likely to perform the maintenance.

You can use varnish. Generally a marine varnish or a spar, since outdoor wood moves. Varnish generally requires a LOT of maintenance, often every year. Varnish breaks down due to UV assault. It takes many coats of varnish to achieve some degree of UV resistance. Probably the best in terms of allowing "wood grain" to show. In my view, probably a better investment with something expensive like Teak (as on yachats) rather than something common like cedar. Just my opinion. Plan on renewing varnish every year, minimum....depending on the extremes of your climate. If you dont, you will be sorry.