We would need to get a gate to keep our daughter in the yard. We have an old fence, maybe 70-80 cm high. At the driveway, there is a gap of just over 4m where we thought of putting a double gate. The end of the fence at the driveway looks like this on both sides:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kerstin.hoyer/Grind#5365069471563261442
Our idea is to avoid putting new posts for the gate in the ground and use the existing ones (they are rock solid). We thought of screwing a thick wooden post (vertically) at the end of the fence (perhaps fastening with a screw in each beam that the fence is on and a screw in the concrete block that the entire fence stands on). Do you think that would work and hold?
I will put together the gate itself from upright boards that look like the ones in the fence, which I thought to attach to two horizontal beams just like the fence itself. Do you think that's enough, or does one need a diagonal beam as well? Each gate half will be almost 2m wide.
And last but not least, I'm wondering if someone has a drawing of a simple gate. I'm mostly wondering if it's as straightforward as I think to attach hinges at the edge and screw it into the post, or is there something else to consider?
http://picasaweb.google.com/kerstin.hoyer/Grind#5365069471563261442
Our idea is to avoid putting new posts for the gate in the ground and use the existing ones (they are rock solid). We thought of screwing a thick wooden post (vertically) at the end of the fence (perhaps fastening with a screw in each beam that the fence is on and a screw in the concrete block that the entire fence stands on). Do you think that would work and hold?
I will put together the gate itself from upright boards that look like the ones in the fence, which I thought to attach to two horizontal beams just like the fence itself. Do you think that's enough, or does one need a diagonal beam as well? Each gate half will be almost 2m wide.
And last but not least, I'm wondering if someone has a drawing of a simple gate. I'm mostly wondering if it's as straightforward as I think to attach hinges at the edge and screw it into the post, or is there something else to consider?
You must have a diagonal brace and maybe even extra support with a dragstötta (or whatever it might actually be called) from above when the gate becomes so large.
ceetah1: What do you mean by support from above?
We might consider putting wheels on the outer end of each gate half so they rest on the ground and are easier to pull. That would provide extra support, but maybe not enough?
We might consider putting wheels on the outer end of each gate half so they rest on the ground and are easier to pull. That would provide extra support, but maybe not enough?
Diagonal brace from the lower hinge and diagonally upwards. See the lower example in the attached link: http://www.beijerbygg.se/templates/BB_ByggradListItem.aspx?id=12045
Another example: http://www.aftonbladet.se/hemtradgard/article4777173.ab
Another example: http://www.aftonbladet.se/hemtradgard/article4777173.ab
Almost better to do the opposite. Almost all drawings are made with compression supports but it is significantly better with a tension wire or such. If you then add a turnbuckle, it becomes adjustable too. The compression support dries and shrinks over time.
mats_o: Good point there about the pressure-treated wood drying and shrinking, that's something I've experienced quite a bit with several gates I've made for horse paddocks, resulting in an annoying little sag in the gates. After seeing how much they've sagged, I built the remaining gates with a 1.5 cm "excess" slope, and they've sagged exactly level. But if I build more, I'll definitely try using a tension wire instead, great tip. Sagging gates really get on my nerves 