Improve Your Kitchen to Help Sell Your Home

Old man winter can cause damage to many things in your yard, especially if the snow and ice hang around for a long time. Because of this, you need to take steps to keep some things you have outside protected from the snow, ice, and water, including your gate.  It is generally easy to protect a gate from the harsh winters. How you do this depends on the type of gate you have. If you have an aluminum gate, it will hold up well to the winter months. Other types of gates are not so lucky—two of which are listed below.

Wrought Iron

One way you can protect a wrought iron gate from winter is by painting it. The paint places a coating on the iron which acts like a barrier to keep snow, ice, and water off it. If the gate is already painted, make sure the paint is intact. If there are any areas that have chipped paint, these areas can rust. To take care of this problem, you can paint these areas or repaint the entire fence.

Galvanizing the gate is another option. You'll have to remove the gate and hire a gate company to dip it in hot molten zinc. This creates a tough coating on the gate that offers protection from rust and other damage. Galvanizing the gate can last for years, which makes it a much better option when compared to paint, even though it will be more expensive.

Wood

One of the best ways to protect a wooden gate is to make sure the base of the gate stays dry. To do this, remove any debris around the gate. If there is a lot of debris, water will not be able to drain away and the wood will rot. If water seems to collect around the gate after it snows or rains, install a drainage system or a slope to divert the water to another area of your yard.

Use a preservative to protect your wooden gate against the weather. The preservative you use depends on the type of wood the gate is made from. You can purchase wood preservatives at home improvement centers. You will usually brush the protective coating onto the wood, but the specific coating your purchase will have instructions.

If you have more questions about gate maintenance over the winter months, talk to a contractor like Gibson Construction Of Nevada Inc.