A wooden fence gate is often an ornery object—indeed, the faulty ones some times seem to outnumber the good ones. They sag, they bind, they refuse to latch. But by following three simple precepts, you can have a gate as trouble-free as anyone can reasonably expect.
The first requirement is a pair of strong, plumb gateposts, set in concrete to a depth equal to one half the height of the part aboveground. Space the posts to accommodate the gate width plus a ½” clearance for the latch as well as enough clearance for the kind of hinge you plan to install.
The second critical element is a frame that's braced by a diagonal board between the top rail at the latch side and the bottom rail at the hinge side. But no brace can sufficiently stiffen a gate wider than 5 ft.; for a larger opening, install two gates. One gate is held closed with a cane bolt, a 1 sliding rod that drops through brackets on the edge of the gate into a hole in the pavement or in a block of concrete; the second gate latches to the first. To provide bottom clearance, hang all gates at least 1” above the highest point of ground within the arc of the opening gate.
The third crucial requirement is strong hardware, particularly the hinges; weak hinges are the most frequent cause of gate problems. To prevent rusting, use cadmium-coated or galvanized hardware. Among latches, the simplest and most trouble-free are the thumb- and -string types; sliding bolts are not recommended because even a slight sag in the gate throws them out of alignment.
Even a carefully built gate may eventually sag and bind as its weight pulls hinge screws loose or causes the supporting post to lean. Problems of this nature are relatively easy to correct—leaning posts can be pulled upright with turnbuckles; loose hinge screws can be either tightened or replaced.
To tighten screws, first take the gate off the post and , using a twist drill, enlarge the width of the old screw holes to 1/2” and drill the holes to a depth that's three fourths of the thickness of the post. Cut 1 dowels to the depth of the holes, coat them with waterproof glue and tap them into the holes with a mallet. Then drill holes in the dowels, 1/16” smaller than the screws, and re-hang the gate. For an inexpensive improvement on this method, replace loose screws with bolts that go completely through the post and are secured by nuts on the other side. But it's best not to attempt repairs of basic damage, such as rot that severely weakens the wooden parts. It is easier to build a new gate instead.
How the hinges go on. These three common styles of
hinge have one element in common: all attach to the gate with a strap,
which should be at least 7” long. But the method of attachment to the post
varies. The strap hinge has a post strap—preferably one that runs the full
width of the post. The T hinge has a roughly rectangular pad, resembling
the crossbar on a T; for a 3½-by-3½-ft. gate the pad should be at least
7” high and 2” wide. The screw- hook hinge has an L-shaped screw hook driven
into the post; the hook should be at least ½” thick and the screw 4” long.
The screw hook hinge has special advantages. It permits easy removal of
the gate for minor repairs, and it's the simplest to attach to a masonry
wall—either insert a flat-shank hook into a mortar joint while the wall
is being built or drive a screw hook into a lead anchor.
Making and Hanging a Gate
1. Assembling the frame. Cut 2-by-4s the width of the gate for stringers and , using a steel square to guarantee right angles, nail pickets or 2-by-4s to the stringer ends. Position the pickets or rails so the stringers of the gate will align with those of the main fence. For a fence 6 ft. tall or more, add a third rail or stringer at the middle of the frame. Before you proceed to the next step, nail both of the end pickets to the stringers, then turn the frame over.
2. Bracing the frame. Mark and cut a 2-by-4 brace with angled ends to fit diagonally between the gate’s top corner at the latch side and the bottom corner at the hinge side. Secure it with 4” wood screws started about 2” in from each end and angled into the stringers.
Nail the remaining pickets to the stringers and the brace. Fasten the hinge straps to the ends of the stringers with lag screws.
3. Hanging the gate. Set thee gate on wood scraps
to align it with the fence and , holding the back of the frame flush with
the back of the post, mark the post at the bottom of the top hinge. Drive
a screw hook diagonally into the post at the mark and slip the hinge strap
over the hook. Install the bottom screw hook in the same way and hang the
gate.
To make a gatestop, nail a strip of 1 by 1½ flush with the front of the latch post. Install a latch bar on the gate and a latch on the post. A string latch is shown here; most gate latches are installed in the same way.
Remedies for Sags
Plumbing a leaning post. Pull the post to vertical
with two 1 stainless-steel cables and a 7¾” turnbuckle fitted with ¾” eyes.
With cable clamps, secure one end of each cable to a ¾” eyebolt, one at
the top of the gate post and the other at the bottom of the nearest fence
post. Similarly secure the other ends of the cables to the turnbuckle ,
then tighten the turnbuckle by turning it with a screwdriver.
