A timber gate drops because the weight of the gate pulls the latch end down and the hinge end out. Three things allow that to happen: a hinge post that has moved, hinges that have loosened or worn, or a gate frame that has racked out of square. A gate that drags on the path can often be fixed by finding which of the three it is, and only a gate with rotten joints or a failed post needs to be replaced.
What makes a gate sag?
A gate moves more than any other part of a fence. It swings, it gets pushed shut, and it carries its own weight on one edge. The usual causes are:
- The hinge post has leaned. The post carries the whole gate. If it was set shallow, set in soft or wet ground, or has started to rot at ground level, the top of the post tips toward the gate and the latch end falls.
- The hinges have pulled loose. Screws into end grain or into a post that has split lose their grip over time. Hinges and latches also corrode faster near the coast, so a gate within a few kilometres of the water can have seized or rusted fittings well before the timber fails.
- The frame has racked. A rectangular frame with no diagonal brace turns into a parallelogram under load. The corner joints open up and the latch edge drops.
- The gate is too heavy for its fittings. Solid timber, a tall privacy gate or a gate with a sheet cladding on it weighs a lot more than a light picket gate, and needs heavier hinges and a stronger post.
How do you tell which one it is?
Stand back and look at the post first. Check it against a level, then push the top of it with your hand. If the post moves or is hollow at the base, the post is the problem, and no amount of adjusting the gate will hold.
If the post is solid, open the gate and lift the latch end. Movement at the hinges means loose screws or worn pins. If the hinges stay put and the frame itself flexes or the joints have opened, the frame has racked.
A gate that only catches at the bottom corner on the latch side, with solid hinges and a solid post, has often just dropped a few millimetres and can be lifted back with a brace or a hinge adjustment.
What can be repaired?
Most repairs fall into one of these jobs:
- Re-fixing or replacing hinges. Longer screws into solid timber, or heavier hinges with the load spread over a wider area, fix a gate with sound timber and a sound post.
- Adding a diagonal brace. A brace running from the bottom of the hinge side up to the top of the latch side puts the frame in compression and holds it square. A tension rod and turnbuckle does the same job from the opposite diagonal and can be tightened later.
- Squaring and re-fixing the frame. If the joints have only opened slightly, the frame can be pulled square, glued and fixed again. Joints that have rotted cannot be saved this way.
- Resetting the post. A leaning post that is still sound can sometimes be straightened and braced in concrete. A rotten post is replaced, usually with a treated or durable hardwood post set deeper than the original. The hardwood versus treated pine post covers which timber suits ground contact.
Small gate repairs like hinges, latches and an adjustment to the hang are the sort of job covered by our handyman service. A new post set in concrete, or a full gate rebuilt to suit the opening, is fence carpentry and is part of the fencing work.
When is a new gate better than a repair?
Replacing the gate is the better job when the bottom rail or the joints are rotten, when the gate has racked more than once, or when the existing gate is too heavy for the opening. A repaired frame that has already failed twice tends to fail again.
A new gate is built with the frame braced from the start, hung on posts set deep enough for the weight, and fitted with hinges and a latch rated for the coast. If the gate sits on a slope, the swing also has to clear rising ground, which is covered in the post on fencing a sloping block.
Does a gate change the approval for a fence?
Gates are covered by the same rules as the fence they sit in. The NSW Planning Portal page on exempt development for fences says that for a fence to be exempt development, gates must not open outwards. A replacement gate that opens out over the footpath can take the fence out of the exempt category.
The same page lists the bushfire requirement: on bushfire prone land fences must be non-combustible or hardwood. A new timber gate in a bushfire zone has to be built to suit. Gates that form part of a pool barrier follow separate pool safety rules and are outside what this post covers.
What does it cost?
A hinge and latch repair is a small job. A reset post or a rebuilt gate costs more, and the price depends on the opening width, the timber, the height and whether the post has to come out. The per-metre fence figures in the fencing cost guide cover fence runs, and a wide driveway gate is priced separately.
For a gate that drags, drops or will not latch, call Dave on 0414 007 351 or send the details through the contact form. A photo of the hinge post and the bottom corner of the gate is usually enough to tell whether it is a repair or a replacement.
Want a hand with this at your place? Get a free quote or call 0414 007 351.
