Driveway Gate

[Anonymous No.461889]

Making a 8.5'x5.5' driveway gate. I am planning on replicating the gate in the photo and using 6x6x8 posts.Anything wrong with this guys method?

All I see driving around town are shitty looking saggy drive gates that drag along the ground or rely on a wheel. My driveway is bumpy gravel so I have to rely on this thing being stout and not sagging. He re-inforces his posts with a 2" steel flat bar, but I don't have a drill press or a way to cut a dado so I will probably skip that bit.

What would be a reliable method for setting the posts? The way I've done it in the past for regular fencing is this:

3.5' deep hole 4 inches wider in diameter than the widest part of the post. From the bottom: .5' gravel tamped down, set post on top, then 1.5' tamped gravel, 1' concrete dry add water and mix well, finish with gravel.

The posts I plan on using are 5.5x5.5x8 pressure treated from home depot, $33 a piece, is that a ripoff? What do I look for in a post? I seem to remember being told to get timber with as tight a grain as possible.

Finally, Are those adjust-a-gate things worth a shit? I need to do a double gate due to space constraints (and to distribute weight among two posts). But $200 for two metal frames is pretty steep, also as far as I can tell the hinges they provide only swing 90°.

[Anonymous No.461977]

I'd put the bottom mount for the stakes closer to the ground. Probably not that big a deal, but there's not really any reason not to.

Honestly, in my experience, anything past the traditional "Z" arrangement is overbuilding. Not necessarily a bad thing, of course, given that 2x4s are very cheap and you're trying to ensure this thing never sags, but pretty much anything past that should hold up well as long as you provide the wood with adequate protection from weather.

Mixing the concrete AFTER its poured in the hole? Why? (I've never done a fence.)

Can't say much about the price, but that seems about right if I go off of what 2x4s and 4x4s cost. Lumber gets more expensive per unit of volume as its dimensions go up. I'd just check anywhere close just to scope out possible future sources, though.

The steel supports are nice, but the real strength of an adjust-a-gate comes from the cable that provides tension on the cross beam. It works sort of like a suspension bridge, quite literally holding the gate straight. Thing is, you can make this part yourself with a couple of 3/8" eye screws, some cable, two crimps, and a cable tensioner. Total cost shouldn't be much more than $10.

[Anonymous No.461985]

>>461977
>I'd put the bottom mount for the stakes closer to the ground. Probably not that big a deal, but there's not really any reason not to.

I'm going to use long ass cane bolts, probably make my own out of rebar actually.

>Mixing the concrete AFTER its poured in the hole? Why? (I've never done a fence.)

Not sure, it is how I remember my dad doing it. I don't think we had a wheel burrow large enough for the amount of concrete we were working with. It is also pretty easy to mix this way.

>couple of 3/8" eye screws, some cable, two crimps, and a cable tensioner.

That's not a bad idea, I worry about the tension being off center because of the weight of the pickets being all on one side and causing the gate to twist though...

[Anonymous No.461995]

>>461985
>That's not a bad idea, I worry about the tension being off center because of the weight of the pickets being all on one side and causing the gate to twist though...

The amount of leverage they'd have to actually twist the gate forward is tiny, and the few pounds total force they'd have will be mostly converted into small compressive/tensile/shear forces acting against the top and bottom hinges. The only place it could possibly twist is in the far top corner, but, again, the CoG shouldn't be very far offset from the plane your cable lies in. As long as you're using something thicker than a 1/4" sheet of plywood to support the pickets and, you should be fine.

However, to be perfectly honest, I don't see much point in using a cable. A single 2x4 in the same place should do the job better, more cheaply, and provide additional anchor points for your pickets.


If it were ME? I'd frame it with a few 4x4s in a square, two more crosswise, add the appropriate brackets, and then nail my pickets onto that. Over 9000 hours in mspaint to exemplify.

I'm assuming you have a saw capable of miter cutting a 4x4.

[Anonymous No.461998]

>>461985
mixing it first yields stronger concrete.
jam big rocks around the post as well.

id go at least 4 ft deep. having a sturdy post is the most important part of a gate

[notop No.462003]

>>461985
Also, less water is better when mixing concrete

They sell turnbuckle kits to adjust existing fences/gates too. I used one to pull the post holding my gate closer to plumb. Worked awesome.

[notop No.462006]

I would be most concerned about such a large gate causing your post to sag. It doesn't really matter how deep you dig the footing past a certain point. Any unsupported wood isn't going to be able to resist that weight over time. If you had more fence along the same plane as the gate, it would be okay, but if your setup is like his (just posts with fence perpendicular to the gate) then I'd definitely do the steel straps.

[Anonymous No.462007]

Back it with plywood siding.
Easy.
built four 6'x8' doors for my shop that way, and use cane bolts top and bottom to secure, sagged less than 1/4" when installed, and no sag in 2 yrs since.

Don't frame it with 4x4s, way too heavy and they warp like motherfuckers. My doors are just a standard 2' on center 2x4 wall with a sheet and a half of 3/8 plywood siding nailed on. Big ass 12" strap hinges.

Also, dig hole, brick at the bottom to set post, couple scoops of gravel, and pour the concrete to it. Mix in a wheelbarrow or mudbox ffs. Weak as shit if you mix it in the hole.

[notop No.462009]

Last two gates I made I practiced my half laps. Fuck working with pine. fucking A.

[Anonymous No.462468]

So, general consensus is to mix with as little water as possible outside of the hole. Do I want to set the post directly on gravel and do concrete around it, or put a 2x4 across the hole and tap a screw into the post to keep it from sinking through the concrete so the end is encapsulated?

Unless I can find some scrap steel bars somewhere for cheap I think I am going to forget reinforcing the posts. Strapping some flat bar to each post would cost almost as much as just ordering some thick steel 4x4 posts.

Now some dumb questions: What kind of screws should I be using to hold all this together? When 2x4s come together at the corners do I want to use 4 screws or 3 when doing a box frame? Where do I attach the hinges first, post or gate? Should I hang the frame before I add the pickets?

>>461995
As far as powertools go I've got a cordless drill and a miter saw that I believe I've cut 4x4s with. I could probably borrow my dad's table saw for a few days.

>>461998
I'd go deeper, but they only carry 8' posts at home depot and I am trying to match it up with a 6' fence. I was thinking I could use the pickets to extend the height a foot but two feet would be a bit much.

>>462006
The soil I'm digging into is hard as fuck, I'll be placing the posts in a wide gravel driveway that has been built up for a long time. The adjacent yard is a foot and a half lower than my strip of driveway, so I'm not terribly worried about the posts coming loose so long as I do a good job of setting them. One post is going to be tied into a fence running the same direction as the gate, the other post will be maybe 2 feet from the house

>>462007
Plywood would be a good idea if it weren't so ugly, this is in my alley but the alley is the only real access to my house so it needs to be presentable.

[GreenGC No.462512]

>>462468
That gate would be fine and sturdy.

I've used the adjust a gates many times. You can build them if you desire, but they're quality products and work great so I never had an issue forking out the money for one on any project.

As far as the posts depending on where you live its anywhere from 30" - 48" deep, if you're in a cold climate you'll get upheaval, so go 40 at least. I put round concrete footers at the bottom and then tap in a few galvanized nails into the bottom of the post usually 3 on each side and then pour concrete.

You can pour it inside just have to not overpour water. Concrete will soak up water quick not to mention soak up moisture from the nearby soil. If you decide to do it while in the hole just put enough water that it barely sits at the top in a small puddle watch it and if it soaks it all up..just pour a little more. This is fine to do for posts such as this.

As far as framing the back of the panels 2-3 galvanized or stainless steel screws, and we generally just shoot up the pickets with 2" nails. When dealing with nails and screws in 2x4 don't fall into the more is better.. you'll compromise the strength of the wood.

Hang the frame before the pickets. If you get the adjust-a-gate, they make this part easy which is another reason I use them. Get that sqaured away and lined up and its easy to add pickets. If you decide not to go with it and build your door and frames make sure to get a heavy duty hinge and use lag bolts...NOT SCREWS. I've seen so many fence gates sagging and falling just due to people thinking that 3 inch screws are going to hold up big ass gates for any amount of time.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous No.462543]

part of the reason why gate/fence posts tend to warp and bow is because they aren't properly sealed. if moisture cant get in or out then the grains of the wood will stay stronger and straighter longer.
prime and paint or stain and seal them, also add a post cap.

[Anonymous No.462723]

>>462543
>>462512
Thanks for the replies. It is looking like I won't get started until next weekend, if I am proud of my work I'll report back with photos so you can all tell me how I fucked up.

[Anonymous No.462844]

>>462468
I'd go deeper, but they only carry 8' posts at home depot and I am trying to match it up with a 6' fence. I was thinking I could use the pickets to extend the height a foot but two feet would be a bit much.

In Canada, the minimum code for hole depth for fencing posts is 4' to prevent frost uplift. That may be something you need to consider, maybe not.
I installed some gates in my time.
Soil density, gate material (weight) and gate width (lever) are factors to consider.
The goal is to eliminate the possibility of sag over time.
My best advice is to support the gates in the center in the closed position.
That way, they'll only stress when being functioned.

[Anonymous No.462845]

>>461889
>I'd go deeper, but they only carry 8' posts at home depot and I am trying to match it up with a 6' fence. I was thinking I could use the pickets to extend the height a foot but two feet would be a bit much.

In Canada, the minimum code for hole depth for fencing posts is 4' to prevent frost uplift. That may be something you need to consider, maybe not.
I installed some gates in my time.
Soil density, gate material (weight) and gate width (lever) are factors to consider.
The goal is to eliminate the possibility of sag over time.
My best advice is to support the gates in the center in the closed position.
That way, they'll only stress when being functioned.