The Beauty of Wood

At Trewgates we take pride in our knowledge of the timber industry and we only use wood from ecologically managed forests. So you can be assured that your beautiful gate does not have an adverse effect on the environment.

Softwoods

The Softwoods we use are slow growing and have a tight grain(redwood), making them stable, sturdy and durable.

Depending on the type of gate, the wood may be pressure treated with Tanalith which is approved to British Standards and by the UK Health and Safety Executive and is available at an extra charge. We also offer a clear treatment that does not affect the timber colour.

Tanalith gives the timber a green tint.

Hardwoods

Our Hardwoods retain their looks for years but the attractive and resilient Hardwoods benefits from an oiling every six months. Seasoned Oak needs no treatment, but if the weathered look is not to your liking, you can treat it with a commercially available oil. Trewgates recomends treating hardwood gates with "Danish oil"

The following images are (left to right) typical examples of hardwoods: European Oak, Sapele, Iroko and Idigbo

Seasoned Oak
For our Seasoned Oak gates we use European oak. Most of our oak comes from central France. Air dried for 4 years we find this is fairly stable in our climate, but you can expect some movement across the grain and some fine shakes.

Sapele

Sapele Is an African Hardwood that is grown allong the west coast and the Ivory Coast. It grows to a staggering height of 45 Meters!

It has a close textured grain and is stronger than African and American Mahogany. Its strength is equal to English Oak. The redish brown timber will darken with time.

Iroko

Iroko is an African Hardwood grown on the East coast in the Gahna region. It can grow to a height of 45M and a width of 2.7M!!

The grain is coarse and interlocked which makes iroko very strong. Its Strength is compared with Teak. It is very durable.This timber is golden brown in colour.

Idigbo

Idigbo is an African hardwood grown in the Ghana region. Growing to a height of 30M but a maximum width of 1M.

Idigbo is very light in weight but still very strong. This timber is pale yellow to light brown in colour and is known as "poor man's oak" because of its colour and apperance.

Of course, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have on any aspect of the timber or the preserving process and the future maintenance of your gate.