Walk any neighborhood in the Valley and you will see it: side gates and RV gates with gray, cracked, split slats, rusty frames and a sag that makes the latch miss. Many of those gates are only a few years old. The good news is that the steel frame is usually fine, so you do not need a new gate. You need a better one built on the frame you already have.
Why gates fail so fast here
Most discount fence companies install a metal gate with untreated pine slats. Pine is cheap, but it does not hold up in the Arizona sun. Within about 6 months the wood starts turning brown and cracking. Within about 2 years it is splitting, and the paint on the frame is chipping and rusting.
The hardware is the other weak spot. Bolts back out as the wood shrinks and swells, slats come loose, and springs and latches wear out. By then most people assume the whole gate has to go.
What we do differently
When we refurbish a gate, we make it better than new. Here is the process on every gate:
- Measure the old slats and custom cut new cedar or redwood planks to fit
- Sand all 6 sides of every plank, then seal it with a marine-grade, waterproof UV sealer
- Remove the rust and chipped paint from the steel frame and repaint it
- Fix the gate itself: replace broken springs, adjust the latch and correct any sag
- Attach the slats with new, color-matched hardware, with every bolt threadlocked so nothing works loose
- Seal the whole gate, wood and metal, with a final UV and waterproof coat
Cedar, redwood or composite?
We prefer cedar or redwood. Both are economical, naturally rot-resistant and bug-resistant, and they look great. With a quick spray of sealer every couple of years, they can last for decades.
Composite sounds hassle-free, but there is a catch. Most gates only have 3 anchor points, and composite on a 3-anchor gate will warp, like the gate in the photo below. If you want composite, we weld in extra anchor points first so it stays straight.
Is it worth refurbishing?
If the steel frame is solid, almost always. You keep the frame, posts and hinges that are already set, and you end up with better wood, better hardware and a better finish than the gate had on day one. See more on our gate refurbishing page, or send us a photo of your gate for a free quote.
