Like a lot of decisions related to your home, purchasing a quality driveway gate will cost you more but will also last longer so you don’t have to replace it as often. Quality often correlates to a more sustainable product as well.
Leaving design choices and security features out of the picture, today we’re just going to assess the materials that are used for driveway gates to determine which is the high quality, in terms of which is most durable, lasts the longest, is the least resource intensive and has the lowest maintenance requirements. If you want to jump straight to the comparison chart click here.
Wood Driveway Gates
If you’re looking for the most environmentally friendly option, consider using reclaimed wood. You can source wood locally from online listings, salvage yards or by asking friends and family who may have some old wood lying around.
Even if you don’t go the reclaimed wood route, new lumber is still an environmentally friendly option since it’s a renewable resource. Another bonus with wood is that it’s easy to work with, so if you want to do it yourself you can save on costs and also the related environmental impact that comes with manufacturing and transporting the product.
Maintenance – Wood is pretty high maintenance. Over time wood absorbs moisture and ends up rotting so you have to keep on top it with regular sealing (how often you have to re-seal the wood depends on the particular product you get but in general you’ll have to do it every few years).
Sealing is the main maintenance requirement for wood, but you also have to clean it, inspect it for rot, insect damage and splitting. It’s also good to keep grass and weeds trimmed down around the gate so that moisture doesn’t build up on your gates.
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If you’re using reclaimed wood for your gate, the wood could be sourced from old-growth trees, which will result in a longer lasting, higher quality lumber that is stronger, denser, more durable and has better stability.
Environmental benefit and concerns – Going with reclaimed wood reduces demand for new lumber. It also potentially prevents that wood that you reclaimed from entering landfill.
Wood is a renewable resource, though how sustainability the lumber is depends somewhat on how that timber was harvested. Look for wood that comes from responsibly managed forests (e.g. FSC-certified wood).
If you like wood yet reclaimed wood is not an option, consider bamboo since it grows really quickly and it’s also really durable. It’s hard and it’s got natural moisture and pest resistance, so it’ll last as long or longer than hardwoods. Other good types of wood for outdoor use are cedar, redwood, cypress and teak as they last long and are naturally resistant to rot and insect damage.
One big disadvantage with wood is that it has a shorter lifespan than the other materials on this list since it will decay and needs to be replaced more often, resulting in more material that’ll need to be extracted, manufactured, transported and installed. In general, wooden gates will last you about 10 to 30 years with softwood being on the lower end of the spectrum and hardwood being on the higher end.
Cost – $
Metal Driveway Gates
Metal is a solid choice for gates. Not even considering the many design options available, it has three good things going for it: it’s a highly durable material, it lasts really long, and it often contains a good amount of recycled material.
Maintenance – Metal’s biggest issue is that it can rust. When metal is properly treated (e.g. galvanized or stainless steel or powder coated aluminum) the rate at which it corrodes is slowed down, but you still have to keep an eye on it for rusting and then touch it up when necessary.
Rust is particularly an issue if you live somewhere humid or close to the ocean as the moisture content and salt content in the air causes corrosion.
Environmental benefit and concerns – By using recycled metal you’re reducing the need to mine new raw materials. It’s easier to find recycled metal than a lot of other materials since metal is valuable it’s more likely to be recycled. That also means that at the end of its life it’s also going to be easy to recycle.
Steel, aluminum and wrought iron are three common choices, though steel is the best choice here as it’s the strongest and longest lasting – it can last 20 to 50 years or even more if well maintained. If you want the longest lifespan, lowest maintenance possible look for galvanized steel or stainless steel.
Cost – $$$
Composite Driveway Gates
Made from a blend of wood fibres and plastic, which is often recycled, composite gates give you a nice balance of durability, low maintenance and eco-friendliness. If you’re looking for the wood look, but you want something that will last longer and spare you the maintenance then composite is a great choice. You have to be prepared to give up some of the design quality though as composite won’t look quite like real wood.
Maintenance – Unlike wood, which needs regular sealing, or metal, which requires rust treatment, composite materials don’t require regular treatment. They are made to last and look good throughout their life as they’re UV-treated (some brands even guarantee no fading for 25 years). They also won’t warp or sag over time the way wood can. If you’re looking for a low maintenance gate, this is it.
Environmental benefits and concerns – Composite gates can last you 20 to 40 years. They often use recycled materials, so if you get the right product that has a high recycled content you’re diverting material that would end up in landfill.
They also require little maintenance, so that’s even less products you’ll have to consume and less time spent maintaining. Composite materials include plastic, so look for products that contain a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content. If the product contains virgin plastic it’s not going to be nearly as environmentally friendly an option.
Cost – $$
The Verdict
When you take cost and design out of the equation and just look at which is the highest quality, longest lasting and most durable gate, metal is your best bet. It will last you the longest (particularly if it’s stainless steel or galvanized steel). If properly maintained you can even get more than half a century’s worth of life out of them.
They also don’t require much maintenance and they’re as strong as it gets. If you were to accidentally drive into them they’ll stand up to the hit a lot better than wood or composite. There’s also a good chance the product you’re looking at will have a high percentage of recycled material. Taking all that into consideration it makes for the highest quality choice.
Comparison Chart
| Feature | Top Pick | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | Metal | Composite |
| Maintenance | Composite | Metal |
| Durability | Metal | Composite |
| Eco-friendliness | Wood | Metal |
| Affordability | Wood | Composite |
