Hardwood and softwood gates and garage doors
Pictured below are the four timbers we manufacture our wooden gates and garage doors from. Since timber is a natural product and no two pieces are the same, actual colours and grain will vary. Our Softwood gates and garage doors are supplied with a coating of straw-coloured preservative applied, Hardwood gates and garage doors are supplied untreated but we are happy to apply a coating of clear preservative on request. Both the Softwood and Hardwood are then ready for final decoration, we recommend using a micro-porous or moisture vapour permable paint or stain. If choosing Hardwood and you wish to paint rather than stain, then we would recommend Meranti. For more information on painting or staining your wooden gates or garage doors please see our blog post on this subject -
Painting or staining your wooden gates (open in new window).
Hardwood and softwood timber samples
The timbers below are listed in order of cost starting with European Oak and finishing with Scandinavian Redwood, the further down the page the timbers are, the more economical they are.
European Oak (Hardwood)
Light to creamy brown in colour, usually straight grained. Takes a stain well. If choosing European Oak for your gates or doors then we would recommend using galvanised ironmongery rather than the black.
(Latin name - Quercus robur/Quercus petraea).
Idigbo (Hardwood)
Similar to light oak in colour. Idigbo is a plain, pale yellow to light brown coloured wood. Grain straight to slightly irregular. Takes stains well and reacts well to finishing treatments.
(Latin name - Terminalia ivorensis)
Meranti (Hardwood)
Varying in colour from a pinky red to a reddish brown, Meranti can be stained and painted well. If you're after a Hardwood to paint (rather than stain) then the Meranti is the best option as it takes a paint better than either the European Oak or Idigbo. (Latin name - Shorea spp)
Scandinavian Redwood (Softwood)
Pale yellowish brown to red brown heartwood with lighter coloured sapwood the Scandinavian Redwood takes stains and paints well.The Softwood sample above is shown prior to the straw-coloured preservative being applied. (Latin name - Pinus Sylvestris)
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