Free DIY Guides & Advice

Hallgate Timber has put together a few step-by-step guides to help you in preparing for and maintaining your garden buildings, and a guide to hanging your gates. Choose a guide below to download it.

• PDF Base GuidePreparing a base for your garden building. PDF, 329 KB
• PDF Garden Building Treatment GuideTreating and maintaining your garden building. PDF, 275 KB
• PDF Gate Hanging GuideHanging a timber gate. PDF, 466 KB
• PDF Wood Dust GuideGuidance on wood dust. PDF, 19 KB
• PDF Woodworking With MachineryGuidance on working with woodworking machinery. PDF, 33 KB
• PDF Health and Safety Policy StatementOur company health and safety policy statement. PDF, 44 KB
• PDF Our WarrantyDetails of our warranty. PDF, 283 KB

If you have any suggestions on new guides that should be added, please contact us and we will do our best to add them to our site.

General notes on timber

Timber is a natural product and as such is prone to knots, cracks, warping, shrinking and discolouring. All these properties are natural and are not faults in the timber. Proper treatment and storage of timber can help to eliminate warping and discolouring.

Timber should always be stored flat and level, preferably undercover. If you are using timber for flooring it should be allowed to acclimatise inside the house before it is laid. This can take a few days, and will reduce the amount of shrinkage and movement.

If timber is to be used outside it should be treated regularly with a good preservative, even if it is pressure treated. Hallgate Timber sells a wide range of timber preservatives in its shop and will be happy to advise you on the best product for the job in hand.