Wooden Hardwood Gates

Idigbo Hardwood


Idigbo is one of the more affordable hardwoods to choose from. The grain of this material can be temperamental and a little irregular, causing it to fur up on machining. The colouring is usually uniform throughout. However! Idigbo is not as readily available or as ‘mainstream’ as woods like Iroko. Therefore, the price may be higher. It is viewed as a more exclusive timber, but due to its yellowish colour it is an acquired taste. When Idigbo is used, it is important to watch out for its reaction to ferrous metals. Stainless steel should be used for all fixings and hinge wear. Coating Idigbo can bring its problems with lighter colours as the tannin that’s readily available in Idigbo gets drawn out and can look like tea stains around joints. Properly sealing the gates when they are in bits is a must due to the tannin that can migrate to the surface. We at Mitech would always recommend Iroko for an oil finish and Accoya for any painted/stain finish.

Iroko Hardwood

Iroko is a popular choice of hardwood here at Mitech, and we find that it carries some of the best properties as a constructional timber. A tropical hardwood, Iroko is found in Africa, and whilst we focus on mild yellow stock for our gates, it can come in various shades. It is an extremely hard-wearing timber and when oiled and left to go ‘park bench silver’, looks simply stunning. The natural colour of Iroko is non uniformed on first installation. Over time it will even out to the silver weathered colour. Be aware that natural organic surface splits especially on end grain will always be found on any hardwoods that are left to silver down.

 

Accoya

Accoya is a modified softwood that is outstanding for gate manufacture. With a Class 1 durability, it can last 40 years above ground, even out-performing Teak. It is also perfect for coating in paint or stain and being UV-resistant, it shows less degradation when used with translucent stains. Another advantage is that Accoya is naturally indigestible to a wide range of insects, including termites, leaving your gate in top condition for longer. Additionally, all Accoya comes from sustainable sources, making it an all-round perfect timber for your wooden driveway gates and locking up carbon emissions.


Performance and sustainability together are what makes Accoya so unique. The trees selected to make Accoya are sourced from fast growing, abundantly available sustainably certified forest. Accoya sustainable wood offers an alternative to slow growing and often unsustainable hardwoods, as well as many other carbon intensive and depleting materials such as plastics, aluminum, and concrete.