Does Mulholland still build wood gates?

No. We built in wood, iron, stainless steel and glass for years, and in 2017 we moved to aluminum exclusively. For the look of wood, we build Wood-Like Aluminum.

Does Wood-Like Aluminum look like real wood?

From the street, yes. The grain is transferred into the powder coat. Up close you can tell it is not timber: the texture and feel of real wood cannot be copied in aluminum.

What upkeep does Wood-Like Aluminum need?

A rinse with a hose. Near the ocean, rinse with fresh water every two weeks. There is nothing to stain, seal or repaint, and it will not rot, warp or attract termites.

Our Approach to Wood

We built wood gates for two decades. Here is why we switched to aluminum.

In 2017 we moved from wood to aluminum only, and found a way to bring the warmth of timber to our Wood-Like Aluminum gates, fencing, pergolas and more. The finish will not rot, warp or need staining.

See Wood-Like Aluminum Call Now

Today · Wood-Like Aluminum

Before 2017 · Wood

Left: built by Mulholland in wood, before 2017. Right: Wood-Like Aluminum.

Our Story

How a wood shop became an aluminum shop

The beginning
Where we started
We started as a door hardware company and grew into gates and fences in wood, iron, stainless steel and glass, with tens of thousands of projects across Southern California since.
The wood years
Beautiful, and never finished
Wood suited almost any house, and it asked for work every season: stain, sealant, boards that shifted. As Avi puts it, every species of wood needs maintenance. The only question is how much, and how often.
2017
Aluminum only
Our customers put durability and low maintenance first, so we stopped building in wood and iron and moved to aluminum exclusively.
Today
Wood-Like Aluminum
The grain is printed into the coating by sublimation and baked on at our Canoga Park factory. It reads as wood from the street, and the upkeep is gone.

Side by Side

Wood and Wood-Like Aluminum, over time

Wood

Wood-Like Aluminum

Wood compared with Wood-Like Aluminum
Topic	Wood	Wood-Like Aluminum
Upkeep	Re-stain or re-seal, repaint, and replace rotted or warped boards.	Rinse it with a hose. Near the ocean, rinse with fresh water every two weeks.
Rot, warping, termites	It is organic: it shrinks and swells with the weather, warps, and can rot.	It will not warp, crack or rot, and termites have nothing to eat.
Fire	Combustible.	Non-combustible and CAL FIRE tested.
Color	Stain and paint fade and have to be renewed.	The color is baked into the powder coat and holds without re-staining.
Up close	Real grain and real texture under your hand.	Reads as wood from the street. Up close the feel is different, and we will always tell you so.

With fences and gates, I used to be a wood guy. And I used to be an iron guy.

Avi Ben David, CEORead his comparison

Then and Now

Our wood work, and what we build today

Wood, built by Mulholland before 2017

Wood-Like Aluminum, recent installs

Fire

The wood look, with no risk of fire

Most homes lost to wildfire are lit by embers, carried on the wind well ahead of the flames. What those embers land on decides whether the house catches. A wooden gate is fuel, and it is usually standing right beside the house.

Aluminum does not burn
It is a metal, classed as non-combustible. There is nothing in it for an ember to ignite, so the gate cannot carry fire toward your home.
Wood is fuel at your door
California's proposed Zone-Zero rules cover the first five feet around a house and would require non-combustible materials there. Fences and gates are on that list.
Tested by CAL FIRE
CAL FIRE put Mulholland's aluminum systems through formal fire testing and selected our materials for its Zone-Zero compliance demonstrations.

Get a Zone-Zero Assessment What Zone-Zero requires

Questions

What people ask about wood

Does Mulholland still build wood gates?: No. We built in wood, iron, stainless steel and glass for years, and in 2017 we moved to aluminum exclusively. For the look of wood, we build Wood-Like Aluminum.
Does Wood-Like Aluminum look like real wood?: From the street, yes. The grain is transferred into the powder coat. Up close you can tell it is not timber: the texture and feel of real wood cannot be copied in aluminum.
What upkeep does Wood-Like Aluminum need?: A rinse with a hose. Near the ocean, rinse with fresh water every two weeks. There is nothing to stain, seal or repaint, and it will not rot, warp or attract termites.

Next Steps