The great British garden has a long and noble history. And even if you’re not a die-hard fan of, say, Your Garden Made Perfect or Love Your Garden, we bet you too are looking for ways to spruce yours up.
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Now, whether you’re going for a quaint picket fence and gate look or a fancy fence gate design, the right garden gate is the final piece of the puzzle.
The question is:
With so many options out there, how do you go about choosing the right one?
At Door Superstore, we’re here to help. We’ve put together the ultimate garden gate buyers guide to help you find the best garden gate for your needs.
Without further ado, let’s dive right in.
The first thing to consider when choosing a garden gate is the material. As you’d expect, garden gates come in a variety of materials and designs. Depending on whether you’re looking for an entrance, back or side garden gate, you can choose from timber, metal, vinyl, uPVC and more.
That being said, timber and metal are the most popular choices by far. With that in mind, let’s take a close look at what these two have going for them.
When it comes to a front garden gate, wood remains a perennial favourite for several reasons.
First, it will improve your property security because a wooden garden gate is a solid garden gate.
Second, whether you opt for simple wooden gate designs for practicality, rustic garden gates for a countryside look and feel or a highly decorative wooden arch with gate design for a WOW effect, a wooden gate will improve your garden and property’s look and feel, immensely.
Third, you can choose from multiple softwood and hardwood options that all come with different strengths and weaknesses.
Here’s the scoop:
Softwood timber gates, typically made from Scandinavian redwood, are a popular, cost-effective option. However, they need to be treated every one-and-a-half to two years or they will deteriorate when exposed to the elements.
In contrast, hardwood timber gates, typically made from European oak or iroko, are highly durable and can easily last for decades so long as you look after them properly. Because hardwood is a lot denser and sturdier than softwood, these types of gates are far more resistant to bugs, rain and UV rays. On the downside, they can be considerably more expensive.
Next, we have:
Metal gates are more commonly used as driveaway or entrance gates – but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a metal garden gate! In fact, metal gates are widely used as both front and side garden gates.
Here’s what you need to know about them:
Metal gates come in a wide range of designs and offer a classic look that works best with metal or brick (as opposed to wooden) fences. The higher-end ones on the market are treated for protection against rust and corrosion, making them virtually maintenance-free, unlike wooden ones.
Another thing that metal gates have going for them is the fact that they allow passers-by to feast their eyes on the marvels of your garden while also making your garden feel more spacious and sunlit.
The downside of this, of course, is that you get less privacy and somewhat reduced protection. That’s why we wouldn’t recommend installing a back garden gate unless it’s quite tall and has spiked ends.
Once you’ve decided on a material, you’ll have to consider the size. If you’re replacing an existing garden gate, you’re rather limited in that regard and might need to consider a made-to-measure garden gate.
But if it’s a fairly standard gate size or even a brand-new build, you won’t be short of options.
By this point, you’re probably wondering:
Most garden gates in the UK, whether wooden or metal, are approximately 6ft (1.83m) tall, give or take a couple of inches. This height is sufficient to prevent intruders from climbing over them easily and your pets or other animals from jumping over them.
However, taller gates of around 7.6ft (2.3m) are also readily available, should you feel you need the extra privacy and protection. Taller gates work great as side and back garden gates because this is most likely where potential intruders will try to enter your property.
It’s also possible to find shorter gates of around 3ft (0.91m) in height. Since most fences are also around this height, opting for a 3ft gate will create a seamless pattern that will allow your garden to blend in naturally with the outside space. So, it’s not surprising that it’s one of the more popular garden entrance ideas you’re likely to come across in many British villages.
This brings us to the second question, namely:
The standard gate width in the UK is around 3ft. That’s sufficiently wide to allow you to walk through unimpeded. Slightly narrower gates are also offered, as many people prefer a small garden gate on the side of their garden.
If you’re looking for something wider than 4ft (1.22m), which you might want to consider for a front garden gate, it’s best to opt for a double rather than a single gate.
However, when thinking about what is a good width for a garden gate, keep in mind that double gates will be considerably more expensive than single ones. So, make sure you budget accordingly.
Speaking of which…
The price of both metal and wooden garden gates varies enormously.
But that’s not very helpful, is it?
Let’s try to narrow things down a bit:
Contact us to discuss your requirements of decorative metal garden gates. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
When it comes to metal garden gates, the type of metal (steel, aluminium, wrought iron, cast iron), size, style and finish all play a part, with average prices ranging anywhere from £70 to over £400 for a single gate.
This is very much the story with wooden garden gates, where the type of wood and finishing are particularly important. As we mentioned earlier, softwood is considerably cheaper than hardwood, but you need to factor in higher long-term maintenance costs.
To give you an example:
A single standard-size softwood garden door will set you back anywhere between £70 and £300. In contrast, its hardwood equivalents tend to start at around £270. Keep in mind that some suppliers offer the same model in both hardwood and softwood.
How about the cost of installation?
If you hire a handyman, the average cost of hanging a metal gate on brickwork is likely to be around £175. It might come as a surprise, but the average cost of fitting a timber garden gate with two wooden posts is more than twice that at a whopping £400.
As always, these are UK averages, so the actual price you’re going to pay at the end of the day is likely to vary considerably depending on where you live. You can get a quote from a local tradesperson on Checkatrade.
If the cost of hiring a professional to fit your wooden garden gate sounds a bit too much, and you’re feeling confident in your DIY skills, you can try hanging a garden gate yourself. The process is essentially the same, whether it’s a front, back or side gate.
What’s more, it’s fairly straightforward. Here’s a brief overview:
You’ll have to paint your new gate first. Once it’s fully dry, you need to attach the door hinges, mount the gate and attach the latch. Depending on how heavy and wide your gate is, you might need an extra pair of hands.
Still fancy giving it a go?
Then check out our step-by-step guide on how to hang a garden gate for more details.
A garden gate will make a lovely addition to the front, rear and side entrance(s) of your garden.
When choosing a garden gate, it’s important to think carefully about its primary function before rushing to make a purchase you might regret later.
You need to ask yourself:
Is security, privacy or aesthetic appeal more important? One out of three? Two out of three? All of the above? Something else entirely?
Make sure you take your time with this one because it’s vital.
Once you have your answer, you’ll need to decide on a budget. After this, you should have no trouble choosing the appropriate size and material. As we’ve pointed out, both wooden and metal garden doors have their pros and cons, as do different sizes.
Keep our garden gate buyers guide handy, and you’ll have no trouble choosing a garden gate that will be the perfect fit and quickly become the envy of all your neighbours!
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With more than 30 years of experience behind us here at SL Wrought Iron, we’ve fielded countless questions from customers in our time. However, we’ve noticed that there are a few that have cropped up particularly frequently – so if you’re looking at buying metal gates or railings for your premises, there’s a good chance you might have one or two of these queries in mind! Of course, our team are always happy to address them in as much or as little detail as you need – but if you just need some quickfire answers, you can find them right here.
This is by far one of the most common questions we’re asked – to the extent that we even have an entire post on it. To keep the answer quick and simple though: metal gates and railings will often last decades, and it’s not unusual for them to last a lifetime (70 years or more). At the very least, with the proper care you can expect them to last 10 to 15 years, and if they’ve had the galvanised and powder coated finish, which we offer as standard here at SL Wrought Iron, then they’ll require only very occasional maintenance.
If they’ve been primed only, so that you can paint them yourself, then they may need a little bit more TLC every so often, but we can provide you more in-depth advice on that on a case-by-case basis, depending on the details of the product you’re buying.
Quite simply, because it’s the ultimate low-maintenance finish, offering maximum protection, durability and longevity for your wrought iron metal railings or gate. It involves immersing the product in molten zinc at temperatures of around 450°C, which gives it maximum protection against corrosion. It’s then coated with paint in the form of a very fine powder, for a superior finish.
We do also offer an alternative finish, in which you can choose for your product to be primed only – so you can paint it yourself. However, it will need careful preparation (your gate or railing shouldn’t be left exposed to the elements until it’s been fully painted) and it will need regular maintenance and re-painting a bit more frequently. Ideal if you like keeping yourself busy every few months on lazy weekend afternoons, but possibly not always such an attractive option if you’re juggling family life and full time job as well!
Yes. The majority of our metal gates and railings do not require any special training or knowledge to install, and we ship each one with a set of clear, detailed instructions, so you don’t have to contend with any additional costs of hiring any specialists. You don’t even have to be a particularly skilled DIY enthusiast – we’ve made sure that our instructions are equally easy for everyone to follow, regardless of their personal levels of skill or experience. And of course, if you ever do have any questions or need any advice, we’re only a phone call away.
We talk to plenty of customers who’ve had experienced owning and maintaining wooden gates and railings. They’re both excellent choices in the right setting, but one of the key reasons why so many buyers are now opting for metal over wood is the fact that it’s simply more durable and economical. Wooden gates and railings are now no longer as cheap as they used to be, and they cannot match the level of resistance that metal gates and railings have to the harshest of seasonal weather, as well as the hustle and bustle of everyday life – such as casual bumps and knocks, and rust and corrosion.
All that means that metal gates and railings are the ultimate low-maintenance option – and best of all, there’s more choice on the market today than ever before.
Yes. Our products are palleted deliveries that are conveyed by light commercial vehicles (vans, in other words). They’re not the same as parcels or packages that can simply be left on your doorstep, so you’ll need to be in. As for when they’ll arrive, to be honest that depends on your postcode, and exactly where you are in the country. We can provide a more accurate individual estimate when you order. (It’s also worth noting that we offer free UK delivery an all orders over £700!)
If you need a bit more information off the bat, it’s worth taking a brief look at our Terms and Conditions, and scrolling down to the Delivery section.
And if you’ve got any further specific queries that haven’t been answered here, feel free to get in touch with our experts. We have over three decades of experience behind us at SL Wrought Iron, and all of our products are handcrafted by talented experts right here in our Lancashire factory. You can choose from our beautiful ranges right here on our website, and we can even make bespoke products according to individual customer specifications!
Feel free to have a look around – or alternatively, if you’ve got any questions or need any advice, don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01254 236994, and we’ll be happy to see how we can help.
Are you interested in learning more about pvc coated gabions? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!