How You Can Properly Maintain Your Wood Gates - Common Wooden Gate Maintenance Mistakes to Avoid By Dan Raymond Maintaining the look and life of your wood gates doesn't have to be a complicated task, as long as you follow a few routine steps. Consistency is the key, and if you follow these maintenance tips on a regular basis you will greatly extend the life of your wooden gates. Once a new wooden gate's surface has been finished, hardware added, and installation completed, a regular maintenance program should begin. This is not a difficult process nor does it take much time. How Often Should You Do The Wood Gate Tune-ups? A wooden gate is typically exposed to weathering and heavy usage making regular maintenance necessary. Sooner or later any finish will wear away and normally this will be of an uneven nature. It is recommended the maintenance take place each spring. What Should I Look For On My Wood Gates? The wooden gate should be inspected for several things: splits, cracked finish, loose nails or screws, fading of finish, etc. Most years all that is required is tightening of the fastenings and a little spot correcting of the finish. When To Do The Big Wood Gate Maintenance To recoat the spots which have worn down or begun to crack a light sanding of the area and a coat or two of the paint or stain should suffice. However, approximately every five to seven years, a complete washing and sanding of the wood before repainting or re-staining will further prolong the gate's life. The Most Common Maintenance Mistake Painting or staining over an area without cleaning and sanding is not recommended as this could cause even worse damage to the gate. Bare wood or a cracking painted surface permits water to penetrate into the wood itself which is a huge invitation for micro-organisms or termites detrimental to the wood. Sanding down the area needing repair and allowing it to dry before refinishing keeps the wood from rotting. Additionally, as when painting or staining a new wooden gate, place a sheet of cardboard, plastic or canvas under the gate to prevent drips below. As long as preventative measures are taken the wooden gate will remain in prime condition for many years. Maintaining your wooden gate will retain its durability and save you money in the long run. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Raymond Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2833911   Wood Gate Staining - Learn How to Finish Your Garden Gate Like the Pros By Dan Raymond A new stained wooden gate blends with old-fashioned to eclectic and modern styles. If the owner of a wooden gate chooses to stain there are many choices to choose from such as oil-based, water-based, gel, and one step stain/finishes. Regardless of which type of stain used, the gate must be sanded smoothly with no raised or rough spots, otherwise the stain will not be even. Always consider your choices carefully before staining a wooden gate. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses and a decision must be made concerning which finish best suits the needs of the owner. The easiest type to use is the one step stain as the stain and finish are applied simultaneously therefore eliminating multiple steps. However, a one step finish often covers the grain of the wood as it sits on top of the wood itself. An oil-based stain penetrates the wood but solvents are used for cleanup. Gel stains are also usually oil-based and have great color control but these stains are more expensive and buffing must be done between coats. A water-based stain tends to be more environmentally friendly than the others as cleanup is by soap and water, but has a tendency to raise the grain of the wood. This can be prevented, though, by conditioning the wood to accept water-based stain before applying. Each type of stain requires careful following of manufacturer's instructions. When applying anything other than the one-step stains, several layers of stain must be applied to obtain the necessary color. These are applied by rag or paint brush and given a minimum of 15 minutes between coats to allow for penetration. Once the preferred stain color is reached, a wait time of approximately 10 hours is needed before use. If a topcoat of polyurethane is desired for further weather resistance, a minimum of 72 hours is required for the stain to dry before application. Learn more about custom wood gates and other wood gate maintenance tips at http://www.gardenwoodgates.com - a favorite site for people who need custom wood gates and custom fence gates in the Southern California area. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Raymond … [Read more...]