Table of Contents
How wide should a fence gate be?
We typically recommend that your gate area be no wider than four feet when building a single gate. Anything wider than that and you will need to measure and build a double gate, which meets in the middle.
Where do you put hinges on a gate?
As a rule of thumb, gate hinges are placed at the top and the bottom of the gate but heavy-duty gate hinges will often have a third hinge for the middle to support the weight.
What angle should a gate brace be?
If your cross-brace is at an angle greater than 45 degrees from the base of the gate, your door will support itself and last a lot longer. Also of importance is that an angle less than 45 degrees will render your cross-brace totally ineffective, and the weight of the gate will place undue stress on the hinges.
What is the best wood for a gate?
The best woods for garden gates are spruce, fir, pine, cypress, cedar and redwood. The ultimate choice comes down to your purchasing budget, personal style, maintenance budget and what climate your state has. Whatever wood you choose, keep it well maintained to protect it from the elements.
How far apart should fence posts be for horizontal fence?
Posts should be no more than six feet apart, if more than six feet apart, the stability of the fence may be compromised.
How do I make a cheap outdoor gate?
Should a fence gate open in or out?
Your gate should always swing inward. You want the gate to move towards private space, not out to the public. Single gate hinges work on either side. If you have a gate swinging on a sloping hill, you might need to place hinges on a different place, like the downhill posts.
Can you use a fence panel as a gate?
A prefabricated gate can be one of the most expensive parts of your wood fence. Fortunately, you can use an extra fence panel to build your own custom gate for a fraction of the cost. Wood fence is easy to cut and alter, so creating a gate out of the fence is actually fairly simple.
How far apart should gate posts be?
Single walk gates require 3¾” for hinges and latches and double drive gates require 5½”. For example, a 3 foot walk gate should measure 32¼” wide. Adding 3¾” to the width means that the distance between posts (inside face to inside face) should be 36″.
What do you put under gate gap?
Secure chicken wire or wire mesh to the bottom of a chainlink, wood or wire gate. Cut a piece that is roughly double the length of the open area and as wide as your gate. For example, if the gap is 3 inches tall with a width of 36 inches, cut a 6-inch by 36-inch piece of chicken wire, using a pair of wire cutters.
How big should hinges be on gate?
A rule of thumb for most gate hinges (Tee hinges excepted) is that the hinge length should be one third of the width of the gate or door it is fitted to for normal domestic use; so a 900mm (3ft wide or therabouts) wide gate would be fine with a 300mm (12″) hinge.
How many hinges do I need for a gate?
Pool gates should be spring-loaded and self-closing. Lombardi says for small- to medium-sized gates, one one of the three hinges needs to be spring-loaded unless local regulations have a different requirement.
Can you use door hinges on a gate?
Full size garden gates generally can use a 4-1/2″ ball-bearing hinge. Over 48″ wide, though, a gate should use a strap hinge and pintle set for the added stoutness of the hardware.
Do you need a cross brace on a gate?
The reason is you can adjust the tension to move the gate up or down as it moves and it will move. Also, to help slow down the uptake of moisture into and out of the wood causing it to move you can paint it or oil it. Over time a wooden gate will tend to sag. So you need a cross brace.
Does a gate need a brace?
Pretty-much all doors/gates require some form of bracing, but depending on size, shape and weight, you can sometimes get away with very little bracing and the type of bracing doesn’t really matter.
Why is my fence gate sagging?
Wooden fence gates tend to sag over time due to exposure to the elements. There are several ways to repair and reinforce a sagging gate, but the easiest is by installing an Anti-Sag Gate Kit available at home centers and hardware stores. Stanley’s Anti-Sag Gate Kit is available at hardware stores and home centers.
Is Cedar good for fence posts?
Cedar does not warp or shrink and is a naturally stable material perfect for picket and privacy fences. For fence posts, cedar can go several years without rotting; however, they tend to be less durable against soil erosion than pressure treated pine posts.
Should I use pressure treated wood for gate?
It is relatively stable, rot resistant, and primes/paints well. And it’s relatively light, which is easy on your hardware. I resist the urge to use treated lumber, as it is wet, heavy, and prone to checking and warping/cupping as it dries. And you need to let it dry out a few months prior to finishing.
How wide should the gap be between fence boards?
When building a solid privacy fence, the fence boards are either butted tightly together, or spaced 3/8 to 1/4 inch apart to allow the wood to expand and contract in wet and dry weather. The board-on-board style of fence is often used as a “good neighbor” fence, since it is equally attractive on both sides.
Are horizontal fences strong?
For any installation where a contemporary look is required, a horizontal fence will be your best bet. These fences hit a strong stylistic note that’s unmatched by vertical fences.
