Gate Post Bracing

No sagging gates please.

Gate post bracing.

Brace the gate hinge post to the f rst line post. We strongly suggest that the bracing between the hinge post and f rst line post for larger and heavier rail or driveway gates should be done as shown above. A 4 x 4 is not suff cient for a drive gate for example. A cross brace will usually be constructed of a 2 x 4 material and acts as a compression load that keeps the gate nice and square.

How to brace a post for an automatic swing gates posts for swing gates should ideally be larger and strong so they don t bend with the weight of the gate causing the gate to drag on the ground but these can be expensive so lighter weight posts can be used if braced correctly. Use post anchors where termites are common or in very damp soils. A compression brace would channel water that hits the back of the gate down towards the gate post where it would saturate the soil encourage rot and result in the premature failure of the post. The traditional farm gate or ranch gate utilizes horizontal bracing.

To give strong support to the gate and the fencing make sure to add lengths of strainer wire to the first pair of posts on either side of the gates. If you go back up to the top of the post and compare the sagging gate to the lifted one you ll see what a big difference it makes. Designed by adjust a gate a steel frame no sag gate building kit will fit wooden gates from 36 to 60 inches wide and up to 84 inches high. A tension brace would channel water away from the gate post helping to keep the soil there dry and prolonging the life of the post.

The cross brace acts just like an enormous shelf bracket that holds the gate s structure at a 90 degree angle to the post on which it s mounted. Set gate posts in a concrete encasement typically three times the diameter of the post. You can now brace your gate by tightening the adjustable eye in the middle by twisting it. A kit includes a vertical frame spreader bars frame hinges post hinges two way gate latch kit diagonal truss cable and screws.

The more you twist it the tighter the wire will get lifting the bottom of your gate up as it goes. Drill holes through the hinge post as well as the first fencepost and into the beginning of both ends of the brace post. Cap post tops or at least bevel cut the tops to shed water. Drive 12 inch galvanized spikes into those two holes.