Do Wooden Gates Need Treatment
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- 06-04-2023
Are you asking: do wooden gates need treatment? MD Fencing & Decking provide wooden driveway gates & garden gates installation for Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and the surrounding areas. We look at why you should treat your gate and if you should use wood stain or wood paint. Find out more about applying wooden gate treatment.
WHY SHOULD I TREAT MY GATE?
It's always best to use wood treatment to make sure your gate can withstand severe weather and last for a long period of time. Regardless of whether you have chosen to buy an untreated or pressure-treated gate, gates will need to be treated.
Treated gates are guarded against bugs and rot. However, these remedies don't completely safeguard against extreme weathering. Treatments will deteriorate over time due to erosion and UV radiation damage, which will compromise the quality of your gate.
To avoid your gates becoming less sturdy and more prone to deterioration, it's important to have an annual treatment. Gates react to their surroundings, especially to heat and humidity. Therefore, when faced with extreme heat, the wood is more likely to warp if it goes untreated.
Since wood is a hygroscopic substance, it collects and releases water to maintain balance with its surroundings. Twists and cracks are more likely to occur if wooden gates are not treated. This can impact the stability and safety of the gate.
Should I Use Wood Stain Or Wood Paint?
The method of staining involves adding colour to the wood while letting the natural grain and structure shine through. Stains appear in a range of colours and opacities and are made up of a combination of pigments and solvents. The stain's pigments permeate the wood, adding colour and improving the wood's attractiveness.
You can create a variety of effects using various stains, from delicate and natural to strong and striking. One of the greatest advantages of staining is that it won't change the wood's initial appearance. Instead, the appearance is preserved and improved. While uniform stains are a choice, translucent ones are also available.
Another benefit of staining is the way it ages. Peeling does not occur quickly; it takes place over time.
Even when the stain does diminish, it won't harm the enamel below, leaving the wood secure. All you need to do is repeat it whenever you see it beginning to deteriorate.
Stain not only enhances the beauty of wood, but it also benefits the furnishings. Staining penetrates the wood's grain and helps prevent damp from distorting the structure.
Adding a transparent layer of stain can be much more helpful than you might think because it also stops rot. Stain is the best choice if you're looking for a method to merely improve the appearance of your gate.
When it comes to staining, nothing is being covered; rather, a coating of protection is being added. It can feel as though you have a brand-new piece of furniture after wood staining. Stain should only be applied to wood-based items.
For wood desks, frames, and doors, stains work best. Stain can be used to improve anything made of wood.
Staining
Again, some timbers won't keep the stain as well as others, but this depends on the individual wood. Paint is a type of coating that can be used to provide colour, protection, and a desired finish.
Colours, binders, solvents, and ingredients are combined to create paint. The binders keep the pigment particles together and produce a film that clings to the surface of the item being painted, while the pigments provide the colour.
The solvents in paint serve to spread and dissolve the other ingredients, and as the paint hardens, they dissipate. Additives can also be used to provide extra qualities such as UV light protection, faster drying and increased longevity. Paint can be used for almost anything; for your furnishings, there are specific paints that have been designed.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you can choose between three distinct kinds of paint: oil-based, acrylic and alkyd paint. Paint won't look hazy over time like wood stains do. Paint offers a more robust defence; unlike stains, paint is not always intended to preserve the wood. Since acrylic paint is water-based, water is the solution.
An acrylic adhesive keeps the colours and filler suspended in the water. Acrylic paint works well on fresh wood since it enables the substance to breathe and can be used both inside and outside. Acrylic is also healthier for the ecosystem and your health due to its high coverage, lack of strong odour, and low volatile organic compound (VOC) content
It cures fast and doesn't age to a yellow colour. White spirit or turpentine are examples of organic solvents used in the production of oil-based paint.
In this instance, the oil serves as the binding. Oil-based paint applies flawlessly and is damp-resistant, making it appropriate to use both inside and outside. On previously painted or dyed timber, oil-based paints can also be applied.
However, it takes a long time to dry, gives off a powerful odour, and prevents the timber from breathing. Oil-based paints are used less and less these days because they are thought to be pretty harmful. Water and an alkyd adhesive make up alkyd paint.
This means that it blends acrylic paint's benefits with an oil-based paint's resilience. It can be used both inside and outside, and it works well on both painted and dyed wood. Compared to oil-based paints, alkyd paint has a reduced VOC concentration and requires less maintenance. Additionally, it functions better and lasts longer. It does, however, take a while for it to cure.
Painting
However, it takes a long time to dry, gives off a powerful odour, and prevents the timber from breathing. Oil-based paints are used less and less these days because they are thought to be pretty harmful. Water and an alkyd adhesive make up alkyd paint.
This means that it blends acrylic paint's benefits with an oil-based paint's resilience. It can be used both inside and outside, and it works well on both painted and dyed wood.
Compared to oil-based paints, alkyd paint has a reduced VOC concentration and requires less maintenance. Additionally, it functions better and lasts longer. It does, however, take a while for it to cure.
Applying Wooden Gate Treatment:
If you intend to colour your softwood gate, a treatment of wood preservative is required. Untreated softwood gates shouldn't be exposed to the weather as doing so will cause the wood to warp and rot. To ensure that your gate endures the measure of time, the treatment needs to be done as soon as possible.
It's not essential to apply timber treatment before painting. This is because pressure-treated gates are already secured from the weather with chemical preservatives. To improve the wood's look and promote a longer life, cleaning it with wood preserver annually is a great place to start.
Hardwood fences can weather without the need for repair. Oil therapies can assist in preserving their natural appearance if you desire a less weathered look. Although they can still be varnished, many people prefer to highlight the wood's natural texture.
Wood preservation is a required step for wooden fences that have not been pressure treated. It has many amazing benefits and can also be used on pressure-treated fences.
It appears more natural than paint and requires less maintenance. The best wood remedies penetrate the timber rather than covering it like paint.
Due to the fact that it is available in a range of variegated stains, you can create your own unique look. For manufactured gates, oil is an excellent alternative for wood protection.
This is due to the pressure-treated pine and hardwood used in its construction. It is easier to use and limits how much water can penetrate the wood, lowering the risk of decay and prolonging the life of the wood.
Whether you choose to paint your gate after applying the treatment and preserving the wood is a matter of taste. The gate can look completely different after being painted, and an extra element of security can also be added.
However, paint can flake and split over time, allowing damp and rot to enter and penetrate the gate. Additionally, when using paint, the gate might need the occasional reapplication. If painting sounds like too much work, staining can produce a comparable result without the danger of peeling and splitting paint.
Are you looking for wooden driveway gate installation near you? If you require new gates in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire contact us today. Our garden design experts can supply and install beautiful driveway gates for you and your family to enjoy for years to come.