Garden Passages highly recommends regular gate maintenance in order to provide the longest lifespan and best function of your new custom wood gate. The amount of gate maintenance required will depend on its exposure, orientation, color and frequency of use. Applying Orange Glo Wood Polish, WD-40 and Lithium Grease to the appropriate areas of your gate may increase its overall lifespan and reduce overall gate maintenance. See below for specifics regarding your gates and how to use these products.
Stained Gates
If you purchased a stained gate, you should put a clear coat that is compatible with your original stain on all sides of your gate every 12 months. Sanding should not be done as the stain bonds to itself without sanding. You may want to clean your gate with a TSP or similar solution prior to clear coating. The installation company that installed your gate should have provided you with a small amount of touch up stain. We also recommend that occasionally you lightly wash off your gate with a hose to keep oils and dirt from building up on the finish. You can oil it with Orange Glo available at most home improvement or grocery stores.
Painted Gates
If you purchased a painted gate, we recommend that you lightly sand and repaint your gate every three years. Washing down a painted gate is a personal preference based on how much dust builds up.
Unfinished Gates
It is very important to have your unfinished gates sealed and finished within three days of installation. A minimum of 4 coats of premium breathable finish is required to prevent swelling and shrinkage. Please follow the finish manufactures’ recommendation on follow up maintenance. Most manufacturers recommend you add another coat of finish once per year.
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General Maintenance
Other maintenance suggestions include checking sprinkler heads to ensure no water is hitting your gate. Sprinklers that spray water on a gate can damage a gate very quickly if not corrected. You may notice water marks forming on the gate if this is happening. It is also a good idea to keep vegetation away from the gate including grass and bushes.
If you purchased a lockset with your gate, we recommend that you use lithium grease or lock graphite or other similar lubricant on the moving part of the lockset every 6 months to prevent corrosion and sticking. Spray the moving parts and cycle them 15 to 20 times to insure the lubricant flows to all the moving parts