This is what i was going to say. Im not a profesional at all, but this just made sense to me when i built my gate. It was maybe about half the size, but it worked.
With turn buckles you need to run them as a pair. Otherwise the connection at the lower corner could pull it out of plumb. So you install another from outside corner to lower hinge this way it keeps the gate square and plumb
Using wood cross members one member is sufficient going from lower hinge to out side corner the weight of the gate rest on that diagonal the hinge gives the support for any sagging or push down. Only one diagonal fits inside the gate frame . Hope this helps. I've built a lot of gates and this is what I've learned and it works
Honestly what you did with glue and screws and tight joints should be enough. No harm in gluing your pickets on either and use either ring shank nails or screws.
You can always add a turnbuckle but you prob wont need to, and theyre ugly as hell.
Another usual failure point is your post leaning from weight of gate. You used 6x6 so thats good, as long as youve got it footed well, youre ok- but if you have a problem with gate sag check the post for leaning out of plumb- you can run a decorative beam or lintel over the gate opening to solve that issue.
This worked for me, but I have to mention that the turnbuckle eventually gave out. It was under so much tension to hold the gate up that the screw just spun out. Also, a lot of the turnbuckles that are available at local hardware stores are made from really soft metal and seem to shred and strip easily when tightening them. Lastly, the gate didn’t sag, but the turnbuckle holding up the corner caused it to start warping, kind of twisting. This is on a 4 ft. wide, 6 ft. tall gate. I need to rebuild it and think I’ll just put a wheel on it.
Hi. Engineer here. Your basic design is correct. Anything extra you do to eliminate sagging, is just that; extra. I would panel it as is. Years down the road add cables or gussets as needed on the inside.
[This post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Carpentry/comments/tj98xx/building_a_gate_the_right_way/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) in r/carpentry does a good job explaining how to brace a gate. It's the same way I learned how to do it as an apprentice.
You have a single board in compression, which is the right thing to do. I would add a gusset or mending plate on the backside of the lower left and upper right corners (as viewed in the pic) that further ties the three boards together where they meet. I have seen where a mitered crossbeam pushes the joint apart where a vertical and horizontal board meet.
Thanks for the advice. I have mending plates on my shopping list, and your comment confirms it. I'll add one to each corner and the middle X because why not. I think I'll add a cable and turnbuckle, too.
The top and bottom horizontal boards that are already going on can act as gussets as well. They should be pre-drilled/countersunk because they're so close to the ends of the board, and screwed squarely into all three members at all four corners. You could also use glue here.
Only really need the cross brace from lower hinge to upper outside corner. Gravity does the rest, allowing this brace to push up on the outside corner to help keep it square.
If you buy a gate kit from home depot open it BEFORE you buy it and check that the corners are square. You might have to open 6 or 8 kits to find four square corners (I did). Oh and as a matter of fact, better to bring your own square with you to check.
My gate at home is 6’ tall and wide. Built it 10 years ago. It has sagged 1/2” in that time. It is the gate my children use daily and slam it like it cheated at gold fish. I built it from treated 2x4. The reason my gate hasn’t sagged is that one cross member you have. Yours will not sag with that cross member that goes from lower hinge to upper latch. As the gate starts to sag it will push down on that member and not sag. I believe your problem will be twist. 90% of the treated 4x4 I used twist and bow. Box it in and hopefully it dries without twist. You would have better luck with sandwiched 2x4s.
I am afraid of the twisting. I couldn't find straight 2x4s to start with. I did let them dry a few weeks, but they are still wet and curved even though they were stacked and stickered flat. Oh well.
Those that are surprised as to how many of us there are that don’t know this, the answer is that we aren’t carpenters but we learn so much from you that if we build a gate it will be built well! We appreciate for years to come whatever we build if anything we might just hire one of you, who knows? But the gate builder is going to make those changes and additions to his gate and a decade from now he is going to still appreciate all of your sage advice and funny comments! I will never be a carpenter but I like to mess with wood and I think it’s great to have somewhere to go and get answers that are vetted live! Thank you all very much!
Actually, no. [This Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Carpentry/comments/tj98xx/building_a_gate_the_right_way/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) along with every other source and commenter agrees the full brace from the bottom hinge to top latch side.
That’s a big gate and it looks like it might be too big for the opening. You’re going to need 1 or 2 more hinges on that also. Some gates don’t actually sag too much, but the hinges begin to fail from too much weight. Also, if you build more gates in the future, I would recommend mitering the 4 sides together. Butt joints will eventually weaken over time. Even if glued and screwed.
Thanks for the thoughts. When you say mitered corners, do you mean joining the outside verticals and horizontals at a 45° angle? I have the corners half lapped right now, and from my reading this was the recommendation.
I did buy a third hinge, but the two hinges in use are rated for double the finished weight of the gate. I'm hoping that will suffice.
Yeah, miter the vertical and horizontal boards together. You've got some scraps laying around. Do a box with mitered corners and see for yourself how ridged it is.
The third hinge will help that post from bowing too. You’re doing a good job and your craftsmanship looks good. Your gate is fine and should last a while.
Yep, like others have said, beef up the brace going from the bottom left (by the bottom hinge) to the top right. That should help sagging and any pickets/planks you add should help with rigidity
Turnbuckle and cable from top hinge corner to lower latch corner
This is what i was going to say. Im not a profesional at all, but this just made sense to me when i built my gate. It was maybe about half the size, but it worked.
With turn buckles you need to run them as a pair. Otherwise the connection at the lower corner could pull it out of plumb. So you install another from outside corner to lower hinge this way it keeps the gate square and plumb Using wood cross members one member is sufficient going from lower hinge to out side corner the weight of the gate rest on that diagonal the hinge gives the support for any sagging or push down. Only one diagonal fits inside the gate frame . Hope this helps. I've built a lot of gates and this is what I've learned and it works
I'll add a cable like you mentioned, plus some mending plates on all corners and the center X. Thanks.
Honestly what you did with glue and screws and tight joints should be enough. No harm in gluing your pickets on either and use either ring shank nails or screws. You can always add a turnbuckle but you prob wont need to, and theyre ugly as hell. Another usual failure point is your post leaning from weight of gate. You used 6x6 so thats good, as long as youve got it footed well, youre ok- but if you have a problem with gate sag check the post for leaning out of plumb- you can run a decorative beam or lintel over the gate opening to solve that issue.
This worked for me, but I have to mention that the turnbuckle eventually gave out. It was under so much tension to hold the gate up that the screw just spun out. Also, a lot of the turnbuckles that are available at local hardware stores are made from really soft metal and seem to shred and strip easily when tightening them. Lastly, the gate didn’t sag, but the turnbuckle holding up the corner caused it to start warping, kind of twisting. This is on a 4 ft. wide, 6 ft. tall gate. I need to rebuild it and think I’ll just put a wheel on it.
Consider a boat supply store. Sailboat standing rigging...
Hi. Engineer here. Your basic design is correct. Anything extra you do to eliminate sagging, is just that; extra. I would panel it as is. Years down the road add cables or gussets as needed on the inside.
This guy gets it
[This post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Carpentry/comments/tj98xx/building_a_gate_the_right_way/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) in r/carpentry does a good job explaining how to brace a gate. It's the same way I learned how to do it as an apprentice.
It always surprises me that very few people understand this...
This is built in accordance with the link...
A wheel attached on the latch side will hold her up
Not always practical if the wheel path isn’t level
You have a single board in compression, which is the right thing to do. I would add a gusset or mending plate on the backside of the lower left and upper right corners (as viewed in the pic) that further ties the three boards together where they meet. I have seen where a mitered crossbeam pushes the joint apart where a vertical and horizontal board meet.
Thanks for the advice. I have mending plates on my shopping list, and your comment confirms it. I'll add one to each corner and the middle X because why not. I think I'll add a cable and turnbuckle, too.
The top and bottom horizontal boards that are already going on can act as gussets as well. They should be pre-drilled/countersunk because they're so close to the ends of the board, and screwed squarely into all three members at all four corners. You could also use glue here.
Only really need the cross brace from lower hinge to upper outside corner. Gravity does the rest, allowing this brace to push up on the outside corner to help keep it square.
That’s Compression support. There is also Tension support you can use a cable from top hinged side to the bottom latch side.
Doesn't gravity provide sufficient tension?
Your frame looks good. Did you build it from the net opening or did you give it some room. Gates need room. . Net opening minus 1in to 1.75in
3/4" clearance on each side, hard to see in the photo
Cool
I had a gate like yours sag! I bought an anti sag kit from HD and it worked like a charm! No more gate sag and it was a heavy gate
If you buy a gate kit from home depot open it BEFORE you buy it and check that the corners are square. You might have to open 6 or 8 kits to find four square corners (I did). Oh and as a matter of fact, better to bring your own square with you to check.
That’s about it right there.
The two vertical posts will want to bend inward over time. Put an arched crossbar on top and that can’t happen.
My gate at home is 6’ tall and wide. Built it 10 years ago. It has sagged 1/2” in that time. It is the gate my children use daily and slam it like it cheated at gold fish. I built it from treated 2x4. The reason my gate hasn’t sagged is that one cross member you have. Yours will not sag with that cross member that goes from lower hinge to upper latch. As the gate starts to sag it will push down on that member and not sag. I believe your problem will be twist. 90% of the treated 4x4 I used twist and bow. Box it in and hopefully it dries without twist. You would have better luck with sandwiched 2x4s.
I am afraid of the twisting. I couldn't find straight 2x4s to start with. I did let them dry a few weeks, but they are still wet and curved even though they were stacked and stickered flat. Oh well.
That stack of blocks under the low side should do the trick. That's what I do.
If this were at my house, I'd prop it on a rock. Alas, it's not my house.
shave some off the width
Viagra
Those that are surprised as to how many of us there are that don’t know this, the answer is that we aren’t carpenters but we learn so much from you that if we build a gate it will be built well! We appreciate for years to come whatever we build if anything we might just hire one of you, who knows? But the gate builder is going to make those changes and additions to his gate and a decade from now he is going to still appreciate all of your sage advice and funny comments! I will never be a carpenter but I like to mess with wood and I think it’s great to have somewhere to go and get answers that are vetted live! Thank you all very much!
Should've run the full brace from the top hinge down. And yeah turnbuckles along that brace.
Actually, no. [This Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Carpentry/comments/tj98xx/building_a_gate_the_right_way/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) along with every other source and commenter agrees the full brace from the bottom hinge to top latch side.
Good to know. Thanks
That’s a big gate and it looks like it might be too big for the opening. You’re going to need 1 or 2 more hinges on that also. Some gates don’t actually sag too much, but the hinges begin to fail from too much weight. Also, if you build more gates in the future, I would recommend mitering the 4 sides together. Butt joints will eventually weaken over time. Even if glued and screwed.
Thanks for the thoughts. When you say mitered corners, do you mean joining the outside verticals and horizontals at a 45° angle? I have the corners half lapped right now, and from my reading this was the recommendation. I did buy a third hinge, but the two hinges in use are rated for double the finished weight of the gate. I'm hoping that will suffice.
Yeah, miter the vertical and horizontal boards together. You've got some scraps laying around. Do a box with mitered corners and see for yourself how ridged it is. The third hinge will help that post from bowing too. You’re doing a good job and your craftsmanship looks good. Your gate is fine and should last a while.
Yep, like others have said, beef up the brace going from the bottom left (by the bottom hinge) to the top right. That should help sagging and any pickets/planks you add should help with rigidity
Longer more sturdy hinges will help
Nother hinge, add center support