Can you mount a side gate straight onto fence posts?

[Tonypepperoni]

I was looking to mount a gate fence and wondering whether it is possible to mount the gate hinge straight onto the existing fence post?

Gate: Proposed gate is the cypress pine 1.8m x 0.9m gate and weighs approximately 20kg-25kg. 900 x 1800mm Gate Cypress Arch Closed - Bunnings Australia

Fence: Installed professionally only about 4 months ago. Size of the fence post I was looking to put the hinge on is 120mm x 75mm. Fence post is 1.9m tall.

Hinge: Proposing to use the Pinnacle 150mm Galvanised Scotch Tee Hinge - 2 Pack - Bunnings Australia unless there's another recommendation?

Questions:

1) Can I actually do this? (Drill into the fence post and mount the gate off it)

2) What are the best screws to use to attach the hinge (and gate) onto the fence post? 

3) Do I need to drill a pilot hole and what's the best drill bit for this? Maybe the Sutton Tools 3mm Viper Jobber Drill Bit - Bunnings Australia?

For the other side of the fence (for the latch) I was going to cement in another fence post or build up a frame off the side of the house. But just wanting to make sure the gate hanging side is reasonable.

Any help much appreciated. Thanks in advance

Width: 75mmDepth: 120mmHeight: 1900mm

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Tonypepperoni. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about hanging a gate.

 

What you have in mind is workable, and the hardware you are considering is perfectly reasonable. The main question really comes down to the footing beneath that fence post. Most fencing contractors size their concrete footings just large enough to support the fence, nothing more. That is fine for normal fence duty, but when you hang a gate off a post, you introduce ongoing sideways load, and that load is repeated every time the soil goes through a wet and dry cycle. It is very common for a fence post with a gate fixed to it to slowly start leaning over the years. It often works perfectly for the first few years, then gradually begins to twist in the soil, which eventually causes the gate to bind, scrape or sag.

If the contractor happened to use very large footings, you may get away with it, but the safer and more reliable approach is to support the gate on the house side. A concreted post with a proper footing, tied back to the house frame if possible, will always give you a sturdier, longer-lasting result than relying on a fence post that was never designed for that kind of load.

As for fixings, you would be fine using Zenith 12G x 65mm Galvanised Hex Head Timber Screws for the Scotch T hinges. Pre-drilling is a good idea because cypress can split, and a standard 3mm drill bit is suitable for creating the pilot holes before you drive your screws.

You can certainly attempt to mount the gate on the fence post if you are comfortable with the potential long-term movement, but for the most reliable installation, a dedicated gate post is the better option.

Let me tag @Nailbag and @AlanM52 for their thoughts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[AlanM52]

Hi @Tonypepperoni,

In the past wherever possible I avoided hanging gates off fence posts for the reasons @MitchellMc mentioned.

Also keep in mind the number of people here and out there that have issues with gate alignment and they will often start describing their problem as 'The gate latch no longer works...'.

In your case with no house brick wall a compromise is needed and hanging of the fence post is acceptable.

Rather that the screws @MitchellMc mentioned I would use coach bolts.

Cheers

[Nailbag]

Hi @Tonypepperoni 

100% agree with both @MitchellMc and @AlanM52 in not attaching the gate to there fence post. Its the variable that will move over time you can't adjust when the gate no longer latches correctly for one reason or another.

I would install a 90mm x 45mm batten off the house wall but at the position where you know there is a timber batten behind the weatherboard. Coach-bolts are the best fixing recessed for neatness. However being on stumps you could also install a freestanding post in exactly the position n you want as there is no concrete footings from a slab to hinder this right up against the wall of the home. This is what I would do.

The fence post probably wont align with the gate position if you batten the gate post to the house. So, install a vertical batten with screws to the fence vertically across the rails for the latching side of the gate. 70mm x 45mm treated pine H3 will be ideal for this.

Nailbag