Gate Upgrades

When we originally built the main entrance gate for P&P, we used some “exterior” spraypaint on the posts and doors to create a silver and gold effect.  Unfortunately this spraypaint was not suitable for our weather and soon began cracking and peeling.  To prevent damage to the underlying wood we needed to sand and refinish everything properly.  While we were at it, we decided to improve the design of the doors to give them improved longevity as well by making them 100% redwood.  Our workaway guest Paul took the lead on this project. We started by deconstructing the old doors and removing any excess silicone:

Next we sanded and re-painted the posts and re-applied silicone where needed:

Then we added aluminum flashing to the posts for aesthetics and weather protection.

Here are the refinished 100% redwood doors having their final coats of tung oil applied.  Beautiful, right?

The most challenging part of the project was actually adding the brass spirals over the aluminum flashing.  Not only was the material challenging to work with but it also came with laser-etched markings from the manufacturer that had to be painstakingly removed with isopropyl alcohol and a lot of elbow grease.  Nonetheless the final result of our efforts was a much more beautiful and all-weather gate.  Here’s Paul after the project was completed: