01
Built in our shop
We welded the steel frames and the mesh band, powder-coated them black, then fitted the vertical wood slats.
Project · Palo Alto, CA · April 2023
Automatic Steel & Wood Driveway Gate in Palo Alto, CA
The old wood lattice gate had grayed and worn, with wire mesh patched over it. We replaced it with a custom hybrid: a black powder-coated steel frame filled with vertical wood slats and topped with an open mesh band, opened by a dual LiftMaster LA500UL.
- Location
- Palo Alto, CA
- Completed
- April 2023
- Scope
- Double swing driveway gate
- Material
- Black steel frame, natural wood slats
- Design
- Mixed-width slats, mesh top band
- Operator
- Dual LiftMaster LA500UL
The brief
Tired lattice, a warmer entry.
The driveway reaches the gate across a wooden deck with railings on both sides. The original double gate was wood lattice that had grayed and worn over the years, with wire mesh added over it along the way.
The owners wanted a gate that still felt natural among the trees, but with clean modern lines, a frame that would stay square, and an open feel along the top like the old lattice.
Before & after
From weathered lattice to steel and wood.
How we built it
Three steps, one crew.
02
Working off the deck
The gate sits where the driveway leaves the wooden deck, so the new posts went in beside it and the leaves swing in over the gravel, clear of the deck boards.
03
Hung and automated
Steel and wood weigh more than the old lattice, so each leaf hangs on a new steel post with heavy-duty hinges. A dual LiftMaster LA500UL, one arm per leaf, swings them level and closes them evenly in the middle.
The details
Small choices that make it work.
Mixed-width slats
Slats of different widths give the gate a hand-built rhythm instead of a fence-panel look.
An open band on top
A welded-mesh band across the top keeps the light, see-through feel of the old lattice.
Gaps that let it breathe
Spacing between the slats lets air move through, so the wood dries out after rain under the trees.
A frame that stays square
The powder-coated steel frame carries the load, so the gate won’t sag or pull apart over time.
Planning something similar?
We’d be glad to take a look.
Every gate we build starts with a free visit and a written price. Tell us about your driveway and the look you have in mind.