Side Gate Renovation

[njlee]

Looking for solutions to fix this side gate. It is quite a heavy gate and is beginning to sag due to the amount of weight. This is reducing it's ability to open more than a few inches before rubbing the concrete ground. Would it be best to:

- Take out the hinges, realign the gate again and install the hinges again (doesn't stop this happening again).

- Take out the gate and replace it with a lighter frame, something similar to https://www.bunnings.com.au/specrite-1833-x-900mm-pre-oiled-merbau-horizontal-slat-gate_p8500232 and using a panel (something like https://www.bunnings.com.au/specrite-1800-x-600mm-pre-oiled-merbau-garden-fence-panel_p8500298) to space it as needed. 

Open to any suggestions.

Cheers, 

Nathan

[JacobZ]

Hi Nathan (@njlee),

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

I would suggest you try repairing the gate before looking to replace it, because right now, the angled braces are not effectively doing what they are supposed to.

On the hinge side, the load applied from the weight of the gate is transferred through the hinges, into the post and down into the ground.

The job of the diagonal braces is to transfer the load, through compression, from the latch side of the gate to the hinge side of the gate and, in turn, through the hinges into the post. In your situation, the bottom brace is the only one doing this, and it isn't doing it as effectively as it could.

My suggestion is to disconnect the two diagonal braces and replace them with ones that run from the bottom left corner to the top right corner, as shown below.

This will transfer the weight from that outside down through the brace, which compresses against the hinge side of the frame, which in turn supports the latch side of the frame.

This video is the best visual representation of this that I have seen - The Only Way To Brace A Gate.

After doing this, you may need to shift the hinges up slightly, as even on the hinge side, the gate appears extremely close to the ground.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob