Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 02, 1999 10:55pm | #1

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   10' wide, 6' high huh. First problem...footings. Any footing is only as solid as the ground around it. A headpiece or spreader will stop the posts or columns from sagging towards themselves under the weight(tremendous), of your gates, however, what about when the gates are in the open position. Time to get creative.

   Secondly, the gate has to remain square permanently and that means support it's own weight for ever.

   Third the lumber should be a little more substantial than PT if you expect it to last more than 2 years.

   Fourth, consider rot, how to avoid it etc.

   Fifth, lateral stability.

   If this one came across my desk it would be a hundred dollar question. I'm not going to publish a book on line and every situation is different. Do not underestimate your task...better still check out the hundreds of failed attempts strewn about on line.

   Personally, I tell people straight, gates above 42" wide require additional planning and upgraded materials which means the cost is at minimum doubled.

   Good luck...should be a good challenge.

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 03, 1999 04:12am | #2

   *A ten foot wide gate? You gotta be mad. The gate will weigh at least 200 lbs! The post would have to be a 4 x 6, and I'd want to bury it 6' down into the ground, surrounded by 3' of concrete. I wouldn't give the post or the gate more than 5 years. If it didn't rot out from bugs and water, it would tip over.May I suggest that you buy a steel gate, and dress it up with some wood facings?I might also suggest a track type gate, with rollers on the gate, and track bolted into a concrete base. No stress, no worries.

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 05, 1999 03:29am | #3

   *As the others have mentioned, a very substantial post is required, well secured.Your end design certainly affects how to build the gate and how the gate will support itself.Without knowing what you desire it's difficult to give ideas for structure. I'll mention one point, probably quite obvious to you, but abused by many: If your design incorporates a diagonal brace, PLEASE have the diagonal go from the lower hinge UPWARD to the latch rail. This puts the diagonal in compression and will help prevent sagging.Don't skimp on the hinges, either.Good luck!

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 05, 1999 03:50am | #4

   *Good Evening Terry,This may seem strange advise, but have you contacted your agricultural extension office. Normally they have a whole box full of designs and ideas for farm gates (many of which are made of wood) They may just have what your looking for....Who Knows......Good luck

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 05, 1999 04:04am | #5

   *Terry, As one who has experimented with gates and the engineering of them, be very cautious of the accepted sources of designs...very Careful indeed. You would be better served going into the upscale areas where private gates (wooden), have been hanging for years. Observe and learn, as mentioned before, there are many failed attempts to observe and learn from. For fun I go to chapters and easily pick out 70 to 80% of gates in books and magazines and count errors. I am always searching for inspiration...and am typically quite disappointed in the garbage spewed in the form of advice.Take Mongo's advice and look at how many gates are braced backwards, (and sagging).L

2. 
   Guest_ | Apr 05, 1999 05:37am | #6

   *Six by six post in 2 1/2 to 3 feet of concrete or 4 x 4 with guy wire at it's top to the next (nearest) post. Also in 2 feet of concrete. Keep the hole as small as possible and keep the amount of undisturbed earth to a maximum. Don't dig a big hole and then backfill and expect it to hold. i.e. be accurate in hole placement and digging. Brace from the bottom of the hinged side to the top of the free swinging edge of the gate itself. Don't depend on nails only to hold the brace but let the weight of the unsupported gate to do the work for you by putting the brace into compression first before nailing, or pegging it, into place. Don't leave the gate open when it's not needed since this will place unsupported stress on the support post.

3. 
   Guest_ | Apr 05, 1999 05:41am | #7

   *I have a 12' wide by 8' high gate in my fence in backyard - hung on a barn door track. Much less snow to shovel to open and never sags. Does prevent big trucks obviously.

4. 
   Guest_ | Apr 05, 1999 08:11am | #8

   *Hey guys! are you all missing the obvious here or did I miss reading it. My father has an eleven foot gate by six feet high. the free end is on a wheel. No weight problems, no head rail needed. Anyone trying to do this size gate as free-winging wouldf have to be insane, althoug I would recommend a cable from the free end to the top of the hinge side post to relieve the burden of support from the gate panel itself. If I had a digital camera, I could take a pic of my 6x5 gates and then run down the street and snap one of my father's gate. By the time I get around to buying a digital camera, your gate will have been built and rebuilt at least once.Digitally disadvantaged,Pete Draganic

2. 
   gregg | Apr 05, 1999 09:17am | #9

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   I think the guy with the wheel wins! Really. Or if it must be 4x4 red steel with a skin over it.

3. 
   Guest_ | Apr 06, 1999 06:19am | #10

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   Gee, everyone around here puts the brace the other way. I'm hoping to scare up some door repair business. :) The brace is very important for keeping the door square. Or some sort of rigid skin. Dressed-up metal sounds like a darn smart idea.

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 06, 1999 06:45am | #11

   *I have a picture of a beauty of a gate...made from 6x6pt on a huge pivot hinge....It's really a site to see...simple, stronge, beefy looking, yet clean in design and line...oh well.Near the beach,Barefoot

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 06, 1999 07:04am | #12

   *... and bear in mind how ill-mannered pt tends to be.

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 06, 1999 07:10am | #13

   *Terry, I emailed a picture of some rather large wooden gates I made about 10 years ago that may be of some interest to you. I have made several gates using this method that stand up to hard use.I prefer to use cedar or redwood as these woods are lighter, take a finish and weather better than ptyp.I make a rectangular frame out of 2x4 material and half lap, screw and glue the corners. You may require more members for the style of gate that you choose. Using commonly found hardware I cross brace the rectangle in both directions with vinyl coated cable. I install a turnbuckle in the most inconspicuous spot on each cable cross brace for tightening and future adjustment. Now I square up the frame and apply slight tension to the cables. Now you can apply the finish treatment ( The gates in the picture had 2x2 pickets 6" o.c. to match the fence ) and hang them to the hinge post. I anchor the hinge post and the next post over in concrete and run a guy wire from the top of the hinge post down to the base of the next post over. Its really very simple to do. These gates are about 5x7 but I believe I could make them that large without excess ornamentation. Incidentally, these gates are attached to about 65k worth of fencing, with as I recall about 4800 2" holes at varying angles that the pickets are mounted through.Tom

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 06, 1999 05:31pm | #15

   *Some good advice in these messages: 6x6 posts; minimize disturbed soil; diagonal brace in compression; wheel (if design and surface allow it); cooperative extension design.If you use PT shop around for KD19, KD15 or SDRY grades especially if you're going to let in the intersections. Bolts or screws better than nails. Biggest strongest hinges you can get and pay careful attention to swing geometry especially if you want to swing in both directions. Seems to me I even read about custom hinges with roller bearings, maybe adapted automotive wheel bearings.One suggestion I did not see here but I'm sure I've seen on long gates is to extend the post 2-3 x the height of the gate and support the end of the gate with a cable to the top of the post. Prevents sag and takes weight off the hinges. You may need to devise some sort of swivel at the top of post. This may supplement the diagonal gate brace in compression particularly if the angle of the brace is <45 degrees.

4. 
   Terry_Tracy | Apr 06, 1999 05:31pm | #14

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   What's the proper way to build a wooden gate that's 10x6.Any special needs for the weight of pressure treated lumber.This will be a double gate of two 10x6 panels.