Make a Fence Gate
An attractive fence gate is an inviting addition to your yard, garden, or field, but it's also subject to more wear and tear than any other part of your fence. The fence gate described here is sturdy enough for everyday garden use, and can be modified for any size of fence. You may need to research other styles of gate for specialized purposes, such as keeping animals.
Contents
Steps
Building the Posts
- Measure the desired width of your gate. If you do not have an existing fence to attach the gate to, you will need to build one, as fence posts are necessary for installing a fence.
- Mark the spot where the gate fence posts will go into the ground. If you do not already have fence posts in place, you will need posts in order to install a gate. Make small indentations in the ground with your trowel.
- Check for utilities. Before any digging takes place, call a utility location service to locate pipes, cables, and other underground hazards. You can call the toll-free number "811" for this service from anywhere in the US and Canada.
- Consider an H-brace fence. If the fence is not yet built, you can build it in an "H-brace" style, with single crossbeams and horizontal tensioned wires connecting the posts. For the gate posts, use posts 1.5 to 2 times the diameter of the other fence posts, and attach them to the nearest fence post using a tensioned wire strung diagonally from the bottom of the gate post to the top of the other post.
- Dig a trench across the gate opening instead. If you are not building an H-brace fence, you can reinforce the gate posts with a concrete base instead. Begin by digging a trench 12" (30 cm) wide across the gate opening, and at least 18" (46 cm) deep.
- Brace the posts in position. Place the two gate posts in opposite ends of the trench. Plumb them with a bubble level to make sure they are as vertical as possible. Brace them in place by nailing two angled 2 x 4s onto adjacent sides of each post, stabilizing them against the ground.
- Add optional wooden reinforcement. For additional stability, you can lay pressure treated 2" x 4" boards across the entire length of the trench base. Nail them to the sides of the two posts.
- Mix concrete. A fast-setting concrete mix or any basic Portland cement mix will do. You'll need roughly one bag per post.
- Pour concrete into the trench. Cover the entire base of the trench with a layer of concrete 4–6" (10–15 cm) deep.
- Let the concrete cure. Wait at least 24 hours for the concrete to cure, or as directed on the bag.
- Fill the trench with gravel. Pour gravel to ground level to further reinforce the posts.
Building the Gate
- Cut top and bottom gate boards. Cut two 2" x 4" boards to 2 in. (or 4 cm) shorter than the distance between the posts. For example, if you want a gate that spans 36 in. (or 92 cm), cut the boards to 34 in. (or 88 cm).
- You can replace the 2" x 4"s with any 1" or 2" thick boards with a width that matches the rest of the fence. The thicker the board, the better, to make the gate sturdy and durable.
- Cut two 2" x 4" boards to the desired height of your gate. These will be your vertical boards.
- Form the gate frame. Place the four boards flat on the table to form a rectangle. Hammer them together so that the vertical boards rest inside the horizontal boards. If your gate is very tall, a center brace beam may also be necessary.
- For a sturdier gate, add a diagonal brace across the square. Instead of nailing the boards together, drill holes and connect them with carriage bolts.
- Add slats or pickets. Nail boards of your desired width, no more than 1” thick, to the outside of the fence gate, using 2” screws or nails driven into the top and bottom pieces. These can be butted against each other or spaced evening or unevenly, depending on your preferred look.
Attaching the Gate
- Secure one side of the hinges onto one of the fence posts. Usually, simply screwing the hinges into the fence post will suffice.
- Attach the gate in a level position. Use a bubble level across the top of gate to confirm it will be perfectly horizontal once attached. If the hinge placement does not need adjusting, screw the hinges onto one of the vertical boards of your gate.
- If your gate has a diagonal brace, the lower side of the brace should be next to the hinges.
- Test the gate. Test your homemade gate by swinging it back and forth several times, watching for drag on the ground or wobbliness in the posts.
- You can in install a heavy spring so the gate closes automatically, as with a screen door.
- Finished.
Tips
- A garden fence gate does not typically have to be very strong. If your goal is to keep animals in or people out, however, you will want a larger and sturdier homemade gate, usually made with better wood.
- If you want to paint or stain your gate, do so before mounting.
- Covering the fence gate with extra boards nailed to the diagonal boards will make your fence stronger and obstruct the view.
- Weather resistant or pressure-treated boards will last much longer than ordinary wood. You can also stain or paint the gate for a longer life span.
Warnings
- Do not secure the hinges on your fence post too close to the ground, as the gate may drag.
- Do not mount the gate while the concrete is even slightly wet. Doing so will cause the fence post to move in the concrete and your gate to angle down. Waiting at least 24 hours for the concrete to dry is advisable.
- Make sure the gate is wide enough to fit anything that might move through it, such as wheelbarrows, mowers, hand trucks, and so on.
Things You'll Need
- 4-8 boards of wood
- Two fence posts
- Hinges
- Nails
- Hammer
- Trowel
- Concrete mix
- Tape measure
- Drill and drill bit
- Carriage bolts and wrenches
- Bubble level
- Material and stakes for bracing
- Screws
Related Articles
Sources and Citations
- Editors of Organic Gardening and Farming Magazine. Build It Better Yourself. Rodale Press, 1997.
- http://www.buildeazy.com/house_property_makeover/basic-fence-gate-2.html
- http://www.landscapeplanet.com/fence-2-how-to-build-gates.htm
- http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Simple-Garden-Gate.aspx
