Gate hardware has specific purposes. Above all, these pieces are aimed to provide security and help to set limits in the area secured by the fence. However, decorative gate hardware is nowadays a terrific tool to add style to the place where they are installed. This is to say that latches and hinges are an important part of the first impression that fence gates cause.
Fortunately, you can be confident that whatever the design, size or style of your fence gate, you may find matching gate hardware. Most importantly, you don’t even have to sacrifice your home security or budget. But such variety is what makes necessary that you take into account these 7 tips to buy a decorative fence gate hardware.
7 Tips to Buy Fence Gate Hardware Kit
Well, so here are 7 easy tips to buy perfect fence gates for your need. We believe, if you follow these tips perfectly you will able to buy the perfect one. So let’s go we check what’s included here.
Evaluate the Material
You should evaluate both the material of the fence gate and the hardware as follows:
- A fence gate can be lightweight such as a pool gate or as heavy as a farm gate. They can be made of wood, iron, steel, and even plastic. If you already have the fence gate you must select a heavy or lighter material according to that. As a result, you will have to lengthen or reduce your search accordingly.
- Gate hardware comes in different materials too. You can find them in bronze, stainless, iron, brass, and aluminum. Among them, the aluminum is the lightest material and Iron and bronze might be the heaviest. In addition, ornaments may add significant weight to the gate hardware.
Mechanism Versus Design
The majority of brands of decorative hardware try to innovate in their designs. But sometimes these efforts may difficult the functioning of the pieces. Therefore, make sure the design itself allows the mechanism to move properly. In addition, when they include ornaments, check they do not interfere with how the hardware functions.
Consider the Location of the Fence Gate
Fence gates are usually located outdoors. It makes that the hardware is exposed to extreme weather conditions. In addition, the area might be exposed to extreme changes in temperature and other seasonal variations. Therefore, you should consider selecting heavier materials and designs for areas where the weather is extreme.
If the fence gate is used frequently, you might also like to consider selecting designs that fit well with simple mechanisms. During extreme weather conditions, they would require to open and close easily.
Maintenance and Durability
It is easy to let yourself go when you find a design that matches perfectly with your taste and fence gate. However, you should evaluate how much money and effort you will have to put to maintenance it. Likewise, you are making an investment and want the maximum durability.
Some materials such as aluminum and stainless steel require minimum maintenance. They keep their color and appearance despite the weather conditions. Similarly, bronze age very well but it might turn green with the time and would require some treatment once a year to guarantee its lifespan. You may check maintenance and durability for each material and design.
Consider the Decorative Style
All the styles for Decorative Fence Gate hardware can be elaborated in all the materials. But not all of them look fine. The material and the design should match in order to get the best results. Usually, light metals such as aluminum and stainless-steel look better for modern and contemporary designs. Colonial, rococo, and other antique styles look better with heavy metals such as iron or bronze.
Despite those facts, it still possible that you find and select an original design with different combinations of metal and style.
Search for Good Prices
Prices for Fence Gate Hardwaremay start as low as $5 and go up until reaching more than $100. But beautiful designs are not tied to the price. You can find great hardware with the best style and high-quality for low prices. Do your research and go for the best!
Stick to Your Own Style or Try Something New?
You might already have a fence and clear ideas of what you want. Despite all the variety of models and designs that you will find, make sure you stick to your own style. If that is the case search until you find what you are looking for. On the other hand, if you are trying to decide which style is better for your project, do not be afraid to search and discover new and original options.
Conclusion
In short, these 7 tips are easy to follow. Most importantly, they will let you have a good time while picking your favorite and perfect decorative fence gate.
