Wooden Gates in Colne — Made to Measure

I’ve been making gates around these parts for over ten years now, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that Lancashire weather doesn’t mess about. You get some heavy rain up in Colne, and if your timber isn’t up to scratch, it’ll be warping or rotting before you know it. People often ask me why they should bother with made to measure wooden gates instead of just grabbing something off the shelf at a big DIY store. The answer is simple: those shop-bought ones just aren't built for our climate, and they never fit a real opening properly anyway.

Why custom is better than off-the-shelf

I was up in Colne last week seeing a lad named Dave. He’d tried to stick a standard-sized gate in his driveway, but his posts were about two inches out of square and he’d ended up cutting bits off the gate to make it swing. It looked a mess and it was already sagging because the weight wasn’t distributed right. I told him straight: you can't force a gate to fit if the timber isn't cut to match your specific ground.

We sorted him out with a proper set of gates made from joinery-grade redwood. We pressure-treat the wood deep so that when the Colne rain hits it, it doesn’t just soak in. A good gate needs the right joinery—mortise and tenon joints, glued and pinned, not just slapped together with a few nails that’ll pull out the first time a strong wind comes off the hills. When I put a gate up, I make sure the ironmongery is heavy-duty too. You don't want a flimsy latch that’s going to rust shut after one winter. You want something that clicks shut and stays put.

Will the wood hold up in our weather?

People get worried about maintenance, and that’s fair enough. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that wood looks after itself. It does need a bit of love. I always tell my customers to give them a coat of good oil or stain every couple of years. It’s not a big job, but it stops the sun and the rain from drying the wood out and making it split. If you look after the finish, the actual structure of the gate will last you for years.

I’ve seen plenty of gates that were put in by someone who didn’t know how to set a post. If you don't go deep enough into the ground with your concrete, or if you don't use the right mix, that post is going to lean. Once it leans, the gate drags on the floor, and you’re back to square one. I hate seeing good timber ruined because someone rushed the install. We take the time to dig deep and use a proper concrete mix so that, come wind or rain, your gate stays exactly where you put it. It’s a bit of extra graft, but it’s the only way to do it right. When I walk away from a job, I want to know it’s spot on.

If you're in Colne and thinking about wooden gates, give me a bell on 07939 945662 or drop us a message. We'll come out, have a look, and give you an honest price — no pressure, no sales patter. You can also head over to the website if you want to request a free quote, and we’ll get back to you to talk through what you need.