Why cedar gates fail, and why ours don’t
Most wooden gates fail at their joints and their edges. A Miracle Woodworks gate has neither weakness.
Why Cedar Gates Fail
Six joints, grooves that hold water, and exposed end grain.
Why a Bamboo Gate Doesn’t Fail
Cross-laminated, bonded into one piece, sealed on every edge.
Sources for these figures
- Modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity, cedar (7,500 psi; 1.11 million psi): U.S. Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-190. fpl.fs.usda.gov
- Modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity, engineered bamboo (5,655 to 21,030 psi; 1.0 to 2.5 million psi): MDPI engineered bamboo review, 2024.
- Janka hardness, cedar (350 lbf): The Wood Database, Western Red Cedar. wood-database.com
- Janka hardness, bamboo (2,900+ lbf): bamboo flooring industry hardness testing.
Comparisons: bamboo’s bending strength is up to 2.8 times cedar’s, its stiffness up to 2.3 times, and its hardness more than 8 times.
| Property | Cedar | Bamboo |
|---|---|---|
| Modulus of rupture | 7,500 psi | 5,655 to 21,030 psi (up to 2.8 times stronger) |
| Modulus of elasticity | 1.11 million psi | 1.0 to 2.5 million psi (up to 2.3 times stiffer) |
| Janka hardness | 350 lbf | 2,900+ lbf (over 8 times harder) |
Six decisions that make the difference
Three layers, crossed
Each 12 mm panel has three layers. The outer layers run up and down, the centre layer across, so a split in one layer is stopped by the next.
One piece, not six joints
A solid centre panel runs the full width of the gate, with the rails and stiles laminated to both faces. Nothing to loosen, rack or sag.
Nowhere for rain to sit
No dado grooves under the rails. The decorative V-grooves are only 3 mm deep and stop at the rails, so water runs down and off.
Sealed, not capped
A solid 36 × 12 mm bamboo band is bonded into a 45° recess on every edge, including the arch. No exposed end grain, no metal cap to streak.
Identical on both sides
The front and back frames are laid out exactly the same, so the gate looks finished from either side.
CNC-cut
Every piece is machine-cut, so the layers line up exactly when they are laminated.
Specifications
| Size | Arch height | Weight | Fits opening | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38″ | 75 7/8″ | 61.1 lb | 38 1/2" to 38 3/4" | $799 |
| 40″ | 76 1/8″ | 65.7 lb | 40 1/2" to 40 3/4" | $829 |
| 42″ | 76 5/16″ | 68.3 lb | 42 1/2" to 42 3/4" | $859 |
| 44″ | 76 1/2″ | 70.8 lb | 44 1/2" to 44 3/4" | $889 |
All sizes: 72″ tall at the sides, 1 7/16″ (36 mm) thick, 5 1/2″ stiles. Ships unfinished and sanded. Fits standard gate and door hardware (not included); use three hinges no wider than the stile.
Transcript: Why a Bamboo Gate Doesn’t Fail
Every piece starts as a 4 × 8 sheet of solid bamboo plywood, three layers. The outer layers run up and down; the centre layer runs across. A hard blow can start a split along the grain, but the crossed centre layer stops it and turns the force back. The third layer stops it again, from either side. Every rail, stile and panel in the gate is cut from this sheet. Every piece is CNC-cut for a precise fit. Back frame, solid centre panel, front frame: all the pieces are laminated together into one solid gate. No mortises, no tenons, no dado grooves. And the back of the gate looks exactly the same as the front. The V-grooves are only 3 mm deep and stop at the rails. Water runs down and off; it never gets under a frame piece. But an unprotected edge exposes end grain, and end grain wicks water in like a straw. That’s where rot begins. Cedar gate makers try to fix this with a copper cap, which oxidises, and the runoff streaks down the face of the gate. Every edge of our gate has a deep 45° recess, 12 mm deep and 36 mm wide. A solid 36 × 12 mm bamboo insert is set deep into it, not a thin veneer glued on the surface. It locks into the recess on every edge, including the arch. No exposed end grain anywhere. No metal. No streaks. Laminated. Sealed. One solid piece.
Music: Ravel, Boléro, licensed recording via Shockwave-Sound.