I can’t believe I made this mistake when replacing a wooden gate that had rotted. I read a dozen books before starting and went to a lot of trouble to give it a weather-proof finish. I measured, adjusted, and readjusted until it was absolulely, PERFECTLY square.
It turns out that wall it attaches to is not plumb, causing a very noticeable gap in the latch area. It never occurred to me to measure the opening at top *and* bottom, because, well, a house is a box that sits squarely on the ground. Isn’t it? 🙁
Janet
Replies
I've learned to do this anytime I'm fitting something to an existing structure. In any structure of any age things will have moved a bit (if they ever were level and plumb to begin with).
There's a fine art to fudging things to come out looking nice and fitting well when everything is cockeyed to begin with.
Yes Dan...very true Dan...
Its called boogerin!
blueBe cautious when taking any advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, some of it is viewed as boogerin and not consistent with views of those who prefer to overbuild everything...including their own egos!
Yes Janet.
It is a box that sits on the ground...but the earth is round!
You shoulda checked in with Comumbus.
blue
Be cautious when taking any advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, some of it is viewed as boogerin and not consistent with views of those who prefer to overbuild everything...including their own egos!
Can you adjust the top hinge out from the house wall so that the closing stile on the gate is parallel to the gatepost?
IanDG
Ian, thank you for the suggestion, which would work in lots of places but not in my neighborhood, where the lots are small and the houses jammed as close together as allowed. The builders had to use 2x4s for the posts to keep the gateway a usable width. Or maybe they just used 2x4s because they were cheaper than 4x4s (don't get me started).
Anyway, the hinge attaches to the narrow face of the 2x4s, so there's not enough room to shift it.
Dan, not only is the wall not plumb, it is not straight. There are sections of the posts that are not in contact with the wall.
I'm going to use the K.I.S.S. approach and attach a strip of 1x2 to the latch post. In theory it is a gate-stop, but it's really to cover the gap so it can't be seen from the street. I just hope this gate-stop doesn't constitute a violation of neighborhood covenants.
Janet