Types of Wooden Gates

Stockade Gate

• Historically, stockade fencing was used as a means of defense, constructed to keep enemies from infiltrating military fortresses. Today, the stockade fence is used for privacy and decoration, and as a means of clearly delineating property boundaries.

  A stockade gate should be made of planks of the same type of wood as the fencing, with the gate planks also being of similar length and width. As with the fence, the planks making up the gate will run vertically. The goal is to have an entry and exit point within the fencing that (almost) completely blends in with the surrounding fence, save for the gate handle and hinges. Typically, stockade fences and gates range in height from 5 to 8 feet.

Board On Batten Gate

• Board on batten fences are also used for privacy and boundary demarcation. The main defining characteristic of a board on batten fence is that the vertical planks are all on one side and secured to horizontal rails (batten), which are attached to fence posts. As with a traditional stockade gate, a board on batten gate is constructed in the same manner as the rest of the fence, in an effort to create an entry/exit point which is seamless with the rest of the fence.

  The battens of this type of fence gate are fastened to the vertical planks through the spaces between the boards, rather than the boards themselves, to prevent splitting and cracking of the vertical boards from nails and screws.

Vertical Board Gate

• Vertical board gates do not differ greatly from stockade gates in terms of construction, with the main difference being that they are somewhat less privacy-oriented, and more a matter of aesthetics. In this regard, vertical board fences and gates may be only a few feet high, and quite easy to see over. Additionally, vertical board gates are not always designed to be identical to and seamless with the surrounding fence, as with stockade and board on batten gates.