How to fix Colorbond gate that is hard to open?

unawarek

Hi, we have a Colorbond gate at the side of the house that gradually over time got harder and harder to open. When I took a closer look, it looks like the top of the gate "sagging" and pinching the latch of the gate.

I've attached some photos where you can see the space between the top of the gate is much smaller than the bottom of the gate, and also photos of the location of the gate. We've moved the top hinge once a few years ago when it got hard to open to remedy this, but now its worse. What else can we do about it? Thanks!

Location of the gate

Space between the top of the gate and bottom of the gate is uneven

Latch getting pinched by the door, making it hard to open

EricL

Hi @unawarek 

Thanks for sharing your question about your Colourbond gate. I suspect that the post that the gate is hanging off from is starting to lean in making the gap smaller. I don't think it is the structure of the gate itself as it does not look slanted. There are a few ways to fix your gate and it all depends on which one you would like to undertake.

• Disassemble the front of the gate and cut the top and bottom rail as well as the sheet itself by 3mm with a tin snip or a grinder. Once you've trimmed the gate simply re-assemble it. You now have a gap suitable for your lock.
   
• Dig into the earth where the gate post is buried. Move the gate slightly to see if it is still solidly fixed into the ground. If it slightly moves it will be necessary to dig a larger hole in order to add more cement into the ground to fix its position. You'll need a few pieces of timber to prop up the post while the new concrete cures.
   
• Relocate the position of the hinges. Remove the hinges and position the door as close as possible to the other post so that the gap on the other side will increase. Re-screw the hinges to their new spots.
   
• Move the latch mechanism to the very top to prevent it from getting sandwiched between the post and the door.

Let me call on our experienced members @TedBear and @Neo19 for their recommendations.

Please make sure to wear gloves, goggles and a dust mask when working on your door  

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric