Wooden fence gate

[reconstyle]

I need to put a gate here. The 4x4's are not set in concrete so I'm going to dig those out, pour some gravel at the bottom and put in some treated 4x6's in with some quickcrete fast setting mix.

I'm planning to build the gate frame with treated 2x4's with half lap joints at the four corners (glued and screwed) and a diagonal support coming down from the top outside corner down to the bottom hinge side.

My questions are:

How much gap do I plan for between the gate frame and the post, and then in between the 2 gates? I was thinking maybe 3/8" between gate and post and then 1/2" between the 2 gates?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for hardware? (hinges and latches) I would prefer something heavy duty and corrosion resistant (stainless steel maybe?)

I want this gate to outlast me!

 

[KEH]

Your plans sound basically fine. The gap between the gate and the post is going to be decided by the type of hinges. Strap hinges are limited in how much you can adjust the gap without bending the hinge. Generally the idea is that you attach the hinge on one side of the post and attach the other side of the hinge flat to the inside of the gate. The important thing is to attach the hinge spaced so that it does not bind when folded. A little experimentation before you drill holes to mount the gate should help.

The other style hinge is a strap and pintle hinge. The pintle may be thought of as a pin welded to a lag screw, but it is forged in one piece.
A hole is drilled in the post and the lag screw part is started in it and tightened. You mentioned stainless hardware and in looking up gate hinges I saw some strap and pintle sets for $365, which is a bit rich for my blood.

I recommend fastening the strap part of the hinge to the gate with machine bolts and flat washers which can be tightened after they loosen in the future. I also would use bolts to fasten the cross pieces to the uprights of the gates, since the wood is likely to shrink and loosen the pieces of the gates. Galvanized (zinc plated) hard ware is a good idea. BTW, if the existing holes in the strap hinges are too small drill them out. I think 1/4 inch bolts will be large enough.

There are a number of gate latches available. I always made do with a short length of chain and a snap ring, so it would be better if you investigated them at a hardware or farm supply store.

Good luck.

KEH

 

[Jackfre]

I am going to my daughters today to install a turnbuckle to plumb up a gate post someone put in incorrectly. 3/8” all thread and thru bolting it. It might be worth a thought before the gate goes up.

 

[nadogail]

I got lazy about 15 years ago and bought a kit from Home Depot, it had welded corner braces and hinges for the gate that easily accommodated the pressure treated 2X4's and 6" Cedar fence boards I built the gate from. I used structural steel posts set in concrete and drilled the posts for the grade 5 bolts that hold the hinges to the posts.

 

[Forgottonia]

I've built and hung about half a dozen wooden gates over the years. I'd go with more than a 3/8 inch gap if it was me. Maybe 3/4 inch or so. The posts tend to get a bit out of alignment over time--even if concreted in. That puts the gate out of alignment. A little more space gives you something to play with to realign it.

For hardware I favor galvanized "L" shaped lag screws with hinge piece that the "L" goes into. That way you can lift the gate off if need be. Also, if the post ever becomes misaligned you can adjust the lag bolts to put it back in square. The downside is that there's about an inch to a 1.5 inch gap on the hinge side of the gate.

Also, if you're set on using two opposing gates you might think about putting in a removable post between the two so they won't pull inward/outward when closed. You could set a large piece of pipe in concrete to put the removable post in.

Have fun!

 

[CraigStu]

I am with forgottonia, go w/ a larger gap. I would also use hinges that allow the gate to swing at least some in the direction you won't use. One at a previous house only allowed one way swing which I 'thought' was fine. Until I opened it, and a wind gust caught it before I got the truck through it. Bent the **** out of the hinges and I had to replace them. Then I got smart and pounded some 1.5 inch ID pipe into the ground so the drop down cane bolt that located the gate when closed would also locate it when open. Also work an adjustable diagonal into the initial design. Every gate I have ever used needed to be adjusted at some point.