Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: omegod on 29 December 2009, 14:50:29

Title: Stupid gate question!
Post by: omegod on 29 December 2009, 14:50:29
Just in the process of gating off the drive at the side of my house and am planning on making the gates(130cmx180cm each gate) myself due to the ridiculous costs being quoted, they dont need to be anything fancy so it occured to me I could just use plywood instead of faffing around with T&G.

Does anyone here have ply gates? or is there any reason it shouldnt be used?

Excuse the dimness, but been out digging the post holes and got brain freeze
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: davethediver on 29 December 2009, 15:11:40
As long as the posts are made from tanalised wood and you use marine ply (less likely to warp) can't see any reason why not :-?
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: Martin_1962 on 29 December 2009, 15:12:23
Ply delaminates as water gets in the ends.

Try marine ply
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: omegod on 29 December 2009, 16:05:00
Cheers, was considering Marine ply, any suggestions of thickness( the wood that is , not me) :)
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: STMO999 on 29 December 2009, 16:40:20
Quote
Cheers, was considering Marine ply, any suggestions of thickness( the wood that is , not me) :)


6 inches should make it nice and sturdy :y
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: MickAP on 29 December 2009, 17:06:50
Use pressure treated timber.
Ordinary T & G is not and will rot pretty quickly.

Just had new fences and two gates fitted. The old gates were rotten, they were ordinary timber just painted with a Cuprinol type stuff.

Mick ;)
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: sexydaz on 29 December 2009, 18:58:24
if yer get yer sen on google and put pics of garden gates that,ll give yer some ideas :y
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 29 December 2009, 20:29:27
Even marine ply will de-laminate unless you protect the edges of it with wood.
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: Tony H on 29 December 2009, 22:02:21
As Mark says the edges will need capping to prevent water ingress. I would also incorporate a frame to stop the ply twisting
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: Hannah Judes Dad on 30 December 2009, 00:39:30
If you are nailing together use annular nails as they grip timber better due to the rings on the shank(no pun intended for the only nail in the village) As previously mentioned capping is a definate must to prevent delaminating even if you use a strip of roofing felt to help protect the edges or tanalised timber as an alternastive.With regards minimum thickness 25mm marine ply is very sturdy for the job with a decent frame but it is also expensive.If you can get away with 22 or 18 mm ply it will be cheaper(but still more expensive than standard ply) Hope that helps.
Title: Re: Stupid gate question!
Post by: Gaffers on 30 December 2009, 07:14:59
Marine ply is very expensive, go for WBP instead just as good in terms of the glue used the only difference is the thickness of the laminates which are uniform and there are no voids in marine ply.  This is neither here nor there for you but very important to a boat builder.

You will definitely have to treat the edges as once water gets in it will rot unless you totally restrict the supply of oxygen (ie epoxy the lot) at which point it becomes very expensive.

I think there are cheaper ways of doing this.