Wooden Gates are hugely popular in the UK. They can be beautiful, and wood is ideal for many different designs. But now, many wooden gates are being replaced by aluminium gates. Why is this? Read on and you'll see why the benefits of wooden gates cannot beat the best alternative for your driveway gates.

Driveway gates made from traditional materials such as wood look great. But they require a lot of maintenance to stay looking great. Without it, the wood starts to go grey, paint or varnish starts to flake and eventually water penetrates the wood and they slowly start to rot. Joints open up and hinges sag. Eventually, your beautiful wooden gates are a grubby, rotting eyesore. So, what can look as good as wooden gates but without the pain of high maintenance and the ultimate deterioration?

Modern manufacturing and processing technology allied with strong surface finish coatings mean that there is now a wide range of classic, modern and contemporary styled aluminium gates to suit any property type and character. These aluminium gates are proving to be incredibly popular because they look almost exactly like wooden gates. But just as importantly, they do not suffer from the ageing and weathering of the more traditional gate material.

Aluminium gates provide the following benefits:

• Aluminium gates are strong and free from rot or rust

• Aluminium is light, easy to cut and shape, and it can be welded, bonded, • riveted or bolted together into a huge variety of styles

• Aluminium gates require low-to-no maintenance to stay looking as good as new for years in all weathers

• Aluminium gates don't suffer from any of the problems faced by wooden gates

• Aluminium gates can be supplied with any of a wide variety of finishes including various wood-effects, any colour and even textured coatings

• Aluminium gates make sound economical sense in the long run

Let's look at each of these individually.

Aluminium Gates Are Strong And Free From Rot Or Rust

Aluminium gates are made from shaped extrusions of light, strong aluminium. Each is hollow which, combined with the light weight of aluminium, gives aluminium gates considerable strength for their weight.

LinkCare's aluminium gates have a Qualicoat finish which is a tough outer coating that gives them their surface colour or wood-effect finish. This marine-grade, tough coating is bonded to the aluminium and allows manufacturers and suppliers of high-quality aluminium gates to give a ten-year guarantee for the surface protection.

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So, unlike wooden gates, aluminium gates will not rot. Unlike iron gates, they will not rust. But this amazing metal's unique nature allows the production of gates in a huge range of styles and finishes that can mimic either wooden or iron gates and that will last for years.

Aluminium Is Light, Easy To Cut And Shape, And Can Be Welded, Bonded, Riveted Or Bolted Together Into A Huge Variety Of Styles

Aluminium gates are assembled from extruded sections of aluminium. These are formed to mimic the wooden uprights and boards that make up wooden gates. Aluminium gates are even assembled piece by piece in a similar way to wooden gates.

Aluminium sections can be cut easily like wood. They can also be bonded together in similar ways to the process used to create the chassis of some modern cars. Or they can be riveted with special rivet nuts, or simply bolted together. This means that gates can be put together easily and disassembled easily so that damaged sections can be quickly replaced.

Just like a wooden gate made from cut sections of wood, aluminium driveway gates are carefully constructed from aluminium sections that are precision-cut and assembled in much the same way as wooden gates. The major difference is that aluminium does not shrink or swell. This means that aluminium gate sections stay straight and true and joints stay square and tight.

Aluminium Gates Require Low-To-No Maintenance To Stay Looking As Good As New For Years In All Weathers

Aluminium gates simply need a splash down with clean water and a quick wipe with a cloth to maintain their 'good-as-new' looks.

Aluminium Gates Don't Suffer From Any Of The Problems Faced By Wooden Gates

Wooden gates are undoubtedly beautiful when first installed, but a lot of work is required to keep them looking that good. Paint flakes off, colours fade, the gates change shape as they absorb water and dry out, and eventually, they will crack and start to rot.

Wooden gates need frequent attention to maintain the natural good looks of wood. On an annual basis, wooden gates must have the old, flaking finishes removed and new varnishes, preservatives or paint applied. With age, wood can also twist, split, rot and warp which can make it difficult to open or close wooden gates. Similarly, as joints open up following expansion and contraction, hinges start to drop and wooden gates trail along the floor as they are opened and closed.

Iron and steel fixings are also used on wooden gates and these need to be oiled or greased to ensure they move freely. Any rust should also be treated with suitable rust inhibitors to prevent it spreading and affecting the strength of hinges, locks and gate braces. They also need new paint at the same time.

Aluminium Gates Can Be Supplied With Any Of A Wide Variety Of Finishes Including Various Wood-Effects, Any Colour And Even Textured Coatings

The huge range of colours you can have your aluminium gates finished in include standard flat colours, standard wood finishes and both flat colours and wood-effect finishes in non-standard ranges. There are even aluminium gates in a range of colours with textured finishes.

Because the protective surface finish can be supplied in any colour or wide range of wood effect finishes, aluminium gates can be made to look like any existing gates. This could be traditional wooden driveway gates, modern designer gates and even five-bar gates.

Aluminium Gates Make Sound Financial Sense In The Long Run

Aluminium is the perfect long-lived alternative to wood for driveway gates, but does that make it more expensive? There may be a slight difference in the cost of new gates, but this is outweighed over the life of your new gates. While other gates will need regular maintenance (that costs money!) aluminium gates will stay looking as good as new with an occasional wipe with a damp cloth to remove any surface dirt. A typical aluminium gate will also outlive more than one wooden gate and therefore, avoid the replacement costs of rotten wooden gates.

Hardwood gates are heavy and become even heavier when it rains and through damp winter months when they soak up water. Gates made from aluminium are much lighter than wooden gates of the same size and don't change weight as they don't absorb water. As they are so much lighter, aluminium gates require less force from the gate motors used to open and close them. This means that less powerful motors are required to automate aluminium gates, and these are less expensive than more powerful versions. These lower power automated aluminium gate systems are intrinsically safer and more energy-efficient than the alternatives. This also saves money in the long run.

If you are looking for new gates and want the beauty of wood, aluminium gates are the perfect alternative with none of the downsides. Find out how you can have the gates you always wanted and save money, time and effort by choosing Linkcare's aluminium gates.