Design Philosophy
Design Philosophy
Our gates are made using premium Australian timbers and are built to a fastidious standard using traditional techniques and state of the art equipment to ensure strength and longevity.
Our unique design philosophy allows us to create gates that are beautiful (from both front and back), strong, and very long-lasting.
1. Avoid end-grain exposure - The end or cut grain of timber is the most vulnerable to swelling/shrinking, cracking and rot particularly when exposed to UV and water. For this reason end grain should not face up. Most gates are built with the side posts (Stiles) extending past the top rail exposing their end grain to weathering. Our top rails extend the full length of the gate to protect the top of the stiles.
2. No bolts - When you first bolt timbers together it is very strong due to friction but over time the timber moves and friction decreases. Especially with a moving structure like a gate. Eventually, the forces are exerted just on the few centimetres of timber directly contacting the bolt and this can lead to sag. To avoid this we set bracing members into the frame or between the rails. This distributes the forces and ensures the main force on any joint is compressive, meaning the joints are pushed tightly together rather than being pulled or twisted.
3. Design bracing within the gate rather than bolting to the back - This eliminates the twisting force that, in time, can warp gates. It also means that both sides are the same making a more attractive gate from the home side.
4. Use bracing elements as functional components - Elegant design is all about doing more with less. The results are stronger designs that weigh less. In this gate design, every internal element is also a brace.
5. Timber Protection- Many people are under the impression they should leave outdoor timber to ‘weather naturally to a lovely silver patina’. Unfortunately that silver patina soon deteriorates to grey and black as mould and fungus take hold. It’s kind of like letting your pool weather to a lovely jade patina. It’s much better to look after your outdoor investments with a little TLC. They will look much better, last longer and be less likely to warp or twist.
I recommend Cutek CD50 in your choice of colour. This is a premium, Australian made wood preserver that is actually quite easy to maintain once the initial preparation and treatment is done. All our gates come pre-treated with Cutek and you will receive instruction on how to easily maintain them.
I invite you to look at the designs we offer to see how the guiding principles above have played out.