A custom pedestrian side-yard entry gate completed for a residence in the greater Los Angeles area. The homeowner wanted a secure, architectural gate between the main residence and the back courtyard — one that would feel like an extension of the home’s warm woodwork rather than a utilitarian add-on, while standing up to full daily use without maintenance.
The solution: a three-panel design built from welded black steel frames with wood-plastic composite (WPC) inserts in a deep walnut tone. One active leaf with a keypad smart lock, flanked by two fixed side-light panels that fill the opening wall-to-wall between two stucco walls under a wood-soffit overhang.
Project overview
- Location: Greater Los Angeles area
- Scope: Custom pedestrian side-yard gate — design, fabrication, finishing, installation
- Style: Modern composite and steel, three-panel configuration (active leaf + two side-lights)
- Materials: WPC (wood-plastic composite) panels in dark walnut tone · welded 2.5 mm steel frame · matte black electrostatic powder-coat · keypad smart lock · heavy-duty self-closing hinges
- Finish: Flush horizontal boards with no visible fasteners on the face
Why composite and steel instead of wood
Hardwood gates look right for the first season — and then the sun, irrigation overspray, and seasonal swings start their work. Composite panels in a welded steel frame give the client the warmth of wood without the maintenance tax:
- Zero maintenance. Composite panels won’t crack, warp, split, or fade like cedar or redwood. No sealing, no re-staining, no touch-ups.
- Structural rigidity. A welded 2.5 mm steel frame holds square for the life of the gate — no sagging, no re-hanging after a wet winter.
- Clean lines. Flush horizontal boards with no visible fasteners on the face, matched by a thin black frame profile that reads as a drawn line rather than an industrial element.
- Smart access. A keypad smart lock means no spare keys to make or lose, no lockouts, and guest access by temporary code.
Three-panel configuration
The opening between the main house and the back courtyard is wider than a standard single-leaf gate. Rather than hanging an oversized active leaf — which stresses hinges and makes daily use heavy — the gate is split into three panels in matching frames:
- One central active leaf, sized for comfortable one-hand operation, with the smart lock mounted on the hinge-opposite stile.
- Two fixed side-light panels of the same composite and frame treatment, filling the opening wall-to-wall for a continuous architectural reading.
From the exterior the gate reads as a single wall-filling composition. From inside the courtyard, with the active leaf swung open, the structure resolves cleanly against the stucco walls and the wood-soffit overhang above.
Finish and hardware
- Powder-coat: matte black electrostatic finish on all steel elements, inside and out — resists UV, abrasion, and salt-air corrosion.
- Hinges: heavy-duty self-closing, rated for the active leaf’s weight and daily cycling.
- Lock: keypad smart lock with mechanical override; temporary codes for guests and contractors, no spare physical keys required.
- Fasteners: stainless on exposed hardware, no visible face fasteners on the composite panels.
Interested in a similar gate?
If you’re planning a custom side-yard, driveway, or courtyard gate and want something that looks like wood but lives like metal, we build composite-and-steel systems to spec — three-panel, double-swing, sliding, or single-leaf. On-site estimate is free.
Call ProHands: (818) 401-7766 · Email: info@prohandshandyman.com · Serving: Los Angeles, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena