Jayded Metalworks
The look of timber, without the timber problem
A steel gate is strong, but it is see-through. A timber gate is private, but it is a maintenance commitment — sanding, staining or painting every year or two, and eventually warping, splitting and rot regardless.
Fitting infill boards within a steel frame gives you both halves of what people actually want: the strength, precision and longevity live in the metal, and the solid, private, warm-looking face is the boards. The frame does the work and the infill does the looking.
Composite: the low-maintenance answer
Composite boards are made from wood fibre bound in polymer. They do not absorb water the way timber does, which is what removes most of the failure modes at once — no rot, no splitting from repeated wetting and drying, no annual re-staining, and no warping out of a frame.
They come in wood-effect finishes convincing enough at normal viewing distance that most people never question them, and in plain colours such as anthracite grey, black and light greys for a contemporary look. Cleaning them is a hose and occasionally soapy water.
The honest trade-offs: composite costs more than softwood up front, and it will fade slightly over the first year or two before settling. Against that, it is the last time you will think about it. For a driveway gate that is otherwise a yearly job, most customers find that maths straightforward.
Natural wood, when you want the real thing
Some projects want genuine timber, and on a period property or a rural setting the case is a good one — real wood weathers in a way composite imitates rather than reproduces.
We will fit timber infills where that is what you want. We will also be straight with you about what it means later: a timber infill in an exposed position is a recurring job, and the boards will move seasonally. That is not a reason not to have it, but it should be a decision rather than a surprise.
Layout and design
Horizontal boards are the contemporary default and make an opening read as wider than it is. Vertical boards suit traditional and cottage settings and shed water fastest. Mixed layouts — a solid lower section with a decorative or open panel above — give privacy at eye level while keeping some light and some visual interest.
Boards can be fitted edge to edge for total privacy, or with a deliberate shadow gap between them for a lighter look that still screens the view.
Not just gates
Infill panels work anywhere you want a solid face inside a made-to-measure frame: side and pedestrian gates, garden screens, bin and bike stores, balcony and terrace privacy panels, fence panels between steel posts, and the lower sections of railings where you want to hide what is behind them.
Because we fabricate the frames as well, the boards and the metalwork are designed together and match across every piece on the property.
Getting a price
Tell us what the panel is for, the size of the opening, and whether you want composite or timber. A photo of the space and any reference images help. We will come back with a design and a price for it made and fitted.
Infill panels are made and fitted across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and we cover Birmingham and the surrounding area as well.
