Custom Timber Gates in Heaton Chapel: Two Bespoke Gates for a Rental Property

A landlord living in the United States got in touch about her rental property in Heaton Chapel. She wanted better security around the outside of the house before a new tenant moved in, and she needed the whole thing organised from more than 3,000 miles away. That meant we handled the survey, the quote, the deposit and the installation remotely, with two gates to sort out and one of them a real handful.

If you are thinking about a new side gate or replacing one that has seen better days anywhere around Stockport or Greater Manchester, there is plenty in this job worth knowing.

The brief

The customer found us online, read our reviews and made contact. She owns the property but lives in the US, and with a change of tenant coming up she wanted to tighten up the access points around the house.

She had two concerns. At the front, an old metal pedestrian gate had been taken off years earlier and never put back, so there was no gate there at all, just the original metal fixings still set into the brick pillars. At the back, the timber access gate had rotted and given up. It was no longer keeping the rear of the property secure or private.

She asked us to measure, supply and fit replacement gates at both points. Simple enough on paper. The site, as usual, had a few opinions of its own.

What we found on site

We went out to measure both openings before quoting, because we would rather give real options than a rough guess over the phone.

The front entrance still had bits of the old metal gate to deal with. Hinge fixings were embedded in the brickwork and had to be cut out before a new timber gate could go in. Some of the surrounding masonry had started to crumble too, so we needed to be careful about where the new fixings went.

The rear was the bigger job. It was an unusually wide opening that needed a gate around six feet high and more than 1.3 metres wide, which is well beyond a standard side gate. It also sits under part of the property and forms a shared access, and the shape of the opening meant the gate could not be hung square. It had to sit and swing at an angle while still opening, closing and latching properly. On top of that, the previous gate had been hung off the neighbour's fence and posts, which was never going to be strong enough for a gate this size.

Choosing the right gates

We talked the customer through the options, because the right gate is as much about the timber as the measurements.

She liked the look of brown-treated timber over pressure-treated (tanalised) timber, and it suited the existing exterior of the house. We were straight with her that brown-treated timber does not hold up to the weather as well over the long run, so it needs re-treating from time to time to keep it looking good. She was happy with that trade-off.

Where she did upgrade was the boarding. Instead of the usual feather-edge, she went for tongue-and-groove, which gives a smoother, more solid finish and better privacy. For a rear gate where you want to keep the garden to yourself, that is a sensible choice.

The tricky part: an oversized gate in an angled opening

The rear gate was the part of the job that took the most thought. At roughly six feet by 1.3 metres and more, it was heavy enough that we brought in a second person just to move it into the tight access safely. Hanging it at the right angle, while keeping enough clearance for it to swing and latch, was the fiddliest bit of the whole install. This is the sort of opening where a made-to-measure gate really matters. A standard size simply would not have fitted.

Fixing to the building, not the fence

The old rear gate leaned on the fence and posts for support. For a gate this big and heavy, we did not want to do the same. So we set up a stronger fixing arrangement that uses the property wall as the main structural point.

It sounds like a small detail, but it makes a big difference. A heavy gate hung off solid brickwork stays square, swings cleanly and lasts far longer than one relying on fencing that was never built to take the weight.

Latches, bolts and keeping it simple

The customer decided a keyed lock was not needed, so we kept the security straightforward. The rear gate got a standard latch and an internal sliding bolt, which works from inside the property and gives the tenant nothing fiddly to deal with. The front gate had its own furniture and latch fitted, then we adjusted and tested both.

One for the diary: we did this job during a stretch of heavy rain, so we stopped and started a few times to keep the tools and equipment safe and get the work done properly rather than rushing it in the wet.

The result

Both access points now have new custom timber gates. The front has a proper gate again after a long time with nothing there at all. The rear has a solid six-foot tongue-and-groove gate that gives the property much more privacy and security than the rotten one it replaced, fixed to the building and sitting neatly in its awkward, angled opening.

And the landlord arranged all of it from the States. Clear measurements, photos and regular updates did the job that an in-person visit normally would.

Thinking about a new gate in Stockport or Manchester?

A gate replacement is not usually a straight swap. The best result comes from measuring and building for the actual property: the right timber for the look and the exposure, the right construction for privacy, and fixings strong enough for the size and weight of the gate. That matters even more with larger or awkwardly placed openings, where off-the-shelf sizes and quick fixes tend to let you down.

We install custom timber gates, side gates and garden gates across Heaton Chapel, Stockport and the wider Manchester area, and we are happy to look after jobs for landlords managing properties from a distance. If your gate is looking tired, or it is missing altogether, we will come and measure the opening, talk you through the options and build something made to last.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a custom timber gate cost in the Stockport area? It comes down to the size of the opening, the timber and construction you choose, and how much prep the site needs, such as removing old fixings or working around tired brickwork. Every opening is different, so we measure on site and give you a clear quote. Larger or angled gates like the rear one on this job are always priced individually.

Should I choose brown-treated or tanalised (pressure-treated) timber? Both are good. Brown-treated timber gives a warmer finish that suits a lot of properties but needs re-treating now and then to stay protected. Tanalised timber holds up to the weather better over time. We will show you both and match the choice to the look you want and how much upkeep you are happy to do.

What is the difference between tongue-and-groove and feather-edge gates? Feather-edge is the more traditional, slightly more open construction. Tongue-and-groove boards fit together for a smoother, more solid look with better privacy, which is why it is a popular upgrade for rear and side gates.

Can you fit a gate in an unusual or angled opening? Yes. Shared accesses, sloping ground and openings that are not square are all fairly common. A made-to-measure gate is built to sit and work correctly within them, as we did with the six-foot rear gate on this project.

Can you handle the job if I am an overseas or out-of-area landlord? Yes. We ran this whole project for a landlord in the US using measurements, photos and regular updates from the survey through to completion. It is a simple way to look after a rental you cannot easily get to.

How do I look after a new timber gate? Check it over from time to time and re-treat it with a suitable exterior timber protection product to keep both the finish and the weather resistance up. This matters most with brown-treated timber.