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Gate Materials and Finishes That Suit Older Streets

By georgetown metal gates files

On an older Georgetown street, the gate that sits best beside the houses is usually simple: a steel frame, slim vertical pickets, modest height and a dark matte finish. The streets around the courthouse square carry homes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with porches, painted trim and lots that were laid out for walkers and wagons. A gate that echoes the proportions of those homes, rather than copying them, looks as if it belongs and tends to please a design review board.

Reading the street first

Walk the block before choosing a design. Notice what older fences and gates exist: low wood picket, wrought iron, wire, limestone walls. Notice heights, colors and the way fences relate to porches. Georgetown's Old Town has a mix of Victorian houses, bungalows and cottages, and the local stone is common in walls and foundations. The best gates take one or two cues from the street and leave the rest alone.

Steel profiles that suit

• Square or round pickets with a flat top or a simple point: the classic match for iron fences of the period.
• Flat bar with a modest curve at the top: gentle detail without ornament.
• A plain top rail with no scrollwork: the most restrained choice, often the easiest to approve.
• Simple finials on posts: small and in scale with the gate.

Heavy scroll panels, large medallions and elaborate crests can seem out of place on a modest cottage, and they draw closer review.

Height and proportion

An older home sits on a smaller lot with a modest front yard. A gate that is tall and heavy overwhelms it. Keep the height close to the porch rail or the neighbors' fences, and within the front yard limit. Keep the posts slim and the pickets close enough to look like a fence, not a barrier. A gate that is a little lower than expected usually looks better than one that is a little too tall.

Finishes

Black is the traditional color for iron and suits almost any house. A deep green, a dark bronze or a charcoal can also work, particularly when they pick up a shade from the trim or roof. A matte or satin finish looks more natural than a glossy one, which can read as new and plastic. Bright colors and metallic finishes stand out and draw reviewers' attention for the wrong reasons.

A powder coat finish holds up to Georgetown's strong sun and heavy rain, and a good coating can last many years. Hot dip galvanizing under the paint gives added protection against rust where the steel is near sprinklers or low ground.

Wood and steel together

Some older houses are better served by a wood gate, and many historic districts favor it. Wood needs regular painting or sealing. A steel frame with a wood infill can give the look of wood with a stronger structure, though reviewers may prefer a material that matches the nearby fences. Ask staff what they favor on the street.

Stone and masonry

Local limestone appears in walls and posts on older properties around town. A short stone pier beside a gate can echo the house's foundation, if the house has one. Stone is heavy, wide and solid, so it needs care near sight lines and in any easement. A pair of low piers with a light steel gate between them is a restrained way to use it.

Hardware

Hardware is part of the look. Black hinges and a simple latch suit most gates. Avoid shiny brass or chrome, bright plastic housings or large operator boxes on the front face. If a gate has an automatic opener, hide the operator behind the posts or set it on the inside of the lot, and keep the keypad small and low.

Lighting and add ons

Small low lights at the posts are fine on many streets, but large lanterns and bright lights are not. Signs, house numbers and mailboxes should be modest in size. A gate with many attachments looks busy. Keep the design clean.

Landscaping beside the gate

Plants soften a steel gate and tie it to the yard. Climbing roses, jasmine and low shrubs are traditional. Keep plantings low where they meet the driveway or sidewalk so they do not block the view of the street.

Aging and upkeep

A gate on an older street is expected to look cared for, not new. Touch up chips right away, keep hinges oiled and wash off road dust once or twice a year. Rust stains on the sidewalk or on a stone pier are a sign that the finish has failed, and it is cheaper to fix early.

A gate that borrows its proportions from the street, uses a dark matte finish and keeps its detail light will sit comfortably in the historic part of Georgetown and pass review with little fuss.

Samples and mock ups

Ask the fabricator for a small painted sample of the finish and hold it up beside the trim of the house in daylight. Colors change between a shop light and a Texas afternoon. A full size mock up of one picket section, clamped in place for an hour, shows the proportions better than any drawing.

Working with limestone and brick neighbors

Many older Georgetown homes sit beside stone walls or brick walks. A dark steel gate looks good against both, while a light or colored gate can clash with the warm tones of local stone. If the walk is brick, keep the gate hardware simple so the walk stays the focus.

Walk gates and drive gates on the same lot

A lot with both a walk gate and a drive gate looks best when the two share one pattern, one finish and one top line. A walk gate with round pickets beside a drive gate with square flat bar looks like two different owners. Draw them together, even if they are built at different times, and keep a note of the paint color and the coating so a later gate can match.

Where a house has a deep porch close to the walk, a narrow arched walk gate can echo the porch opening, as long as the arch stays low. Where the house is a plain bungalow, a straight top reads as more honest.

Long term view

A gate on an older street will be seen for decades. Quiet design ages better than fashion. Choose a pattern that would have looked right fifty years ago and will look right in another fifty, and most of the review questions answer themselves.