Building a wooden side gate - help...

[andyoxon]

I want to erect a side access gate & not done this before.

Viewing from the garden:

About 50cm from corner of house at the side...
Wall to the right.
3x3” post on the left (neighbours fence)
1425mm gap in between...

I plan to have a 1200mm (4ft) close board gate. Leaving about 0.5” (12.5mmx2) gap on either side of gate, and make up the rest with a 4” (100mm) post (sunk about 2ft and with 'post cement mix') + 2x 2” (50mm) battens. (trying to avoid using a section of fence in the construction)

Unfortunately if the hinge side is on to the wall batten, the gate will partially block access into the garden when you open it. Do you think that the 4x4 post on the fence side will support the weight of the 1200mm gate – so that the gate can open inwards if you’re coming into the garden from the front.

What screws bolts should I use to fix the batten into the bricks; and join batten to fence post to neighbours post (3x3)?

Any other ideas/tips?

Andy

 

[mosschops2]

I'd have thought... in no particular order:

- you should get the door to hang off one post you are cementing in. Then you can use a hinge which has more than a 90 degree opening, which should not restrict access. I'd be tempted to simply attach the "latching" post to the side of the house - to save digging / concreting.

- 1200mm is very wide for a gate. 3 ft (95cm) is a "normal" if slightly narrow width. (sorry for mixing my units of measure!!)

- You could therefore go (from the house side): 3 x 3 inch post fastened to the brick (rawlplugs etc x 4) 75mm
- Gate 1200mm
- Post 4 x 4 inch 100mm
- "filler posts" to make up the last 25mm.

Does that even make sense??

It's late in the day... and I didn't make that much sense of the OP either....


see http://www.diydata.com/projects/build_gate/garden_gates.php

 

[Aperitif]

Gate - implies that it finishes somewhere about waist high?
Sink the 100 x 100 in a nice big lump of concrete and it shouldn't budge. Just use 20mm Ballast with cement (4 ballast to 1 cement) mix.
Set the post up nice and plumb - pack your hole with bits of brick etc, fill and leave to set. On the wall side, if you have a 50mm batten then fix it with frame fixings - 100mm x 10mm. - assumes the gate/ door will 'slam' against it. Otherwise, depending on what design you want to arrive at, have the 100 x 100 as one part of a doorframe, 100 x 50 as the head and other side and it will all be 'tied' together.
Fixing post to post - use coach screws - 100 - 125mm. Drill 'clearance holes the diameter of the screw, through your wood, level the wood against your neighbours post, tap screw with a hammer and wind tight with a spanner, or socket - as appropriate. Use a 'penny washer between the head of your screw and your wood. You can get barbed connectors to really stop it moving but could be a bit of overkill... Drill into the centre of bricks - not the mortar.

Have fun and if I haven't explained things too well - sorry - ask some more.

 

[bobg]

Hi Andy,
Just some suggestions -
Yup, 4x4 should be plenty big enough - better too thick than too thin. Rawlbolts would be your best bet for securing to the brick wall, they are sleeved and expand as you tighten. You'll need a decent big masonry drill though. Coachbolts will be OK for the post to post. They have a domed head and squared collar which bites into the timber allowing the "nut side to tighten without the whole thing slipping.
Hope this helps -And forgive me if I'm teach my grandmother etc... All of the above are readily available from builders merchants or via the "Screwfix " catalogue. Pity you're so far away or I'd pop round and give you a hand

Good luck Bob

 

[bobg]

Oops sorry, didn,t realise you'd already had those helpful replies

Bob

 

[Aperitif]

Oops sorry, didn,t realise you'd already had those helpful replies

Bob

helpful? ha ha bob - we're confusing the issue

 

[andyoxon]

Thanks mc2/Aper/bob... That is very helpful...

BTW gate will be 1.8M (6ft) high...

I have 1425 mm gap to fill so could I put 4x4 against wall instead of 3x3, then I can fix 4x4 to 3x3 directly on fence side – I think?

So .....(viewed from the side looking into garden)

Wall - 100mm (4x4”)[instead of 3x3] + frame fixing - 1200mm(4ft) gate - 100mm (4x4”) (cemented into hole- fixed directly to existing 3x3 (also cemented in))
=1400mm + some gap (each side of gate)

But how would you attach a 4x4” post to wall – screws, bolts, brackets (up the side – front and back) ?

What sort of ballast – aperitif?

By the way I thought about putting on a rim lock – so gate can be opened from outside.

Andy

 

[andyoxon]

Mp, that's what I was thinking too.

----
Actually, I'd prefer a 50mm batten on the wall - easier i think, and wouldn't stick out as much...but then I'd need to fit 50mm between the fence 3x3 and 4x4-that gate will hinge on...

Andy

 

[Aperitif]

100 x 100 from which the gate swings, 100 x 50 head piece with 100 x 50 'batten' (ha) on the wall side - a huge door frame - but good!
Ballast is standard 20mm stuff about 1.30 a bag from Wickes B&Q etc... buy a couple of bags and a bag of cement - give you more solidity that an expensive bag of stuff. Add more cement if you want it to go off quicker... or mix it up with Hot water! Not too sloppy though.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

It depends on the conditions on the planning permission.

 

[mosschops2]

Your post on the wall - shouldn't need to be 4x4! (IMHO) That would be a demon to drill through - and does not need to be as "stiff" as a concreted version, as the wall will hold it still (hopefully!!). I'd be tempted to go for something more like 4x2 with a 2x2 square section screwed on - to give you an L shape to close the gate against...... probably!!

 

[andyoxon]

It depends on the conditions on the planning permission.

This gate is my: less-than-£125-Test-construction-skills-Under-2m high-doesn't-require-pp-to-make-garden-more-secure-project. I hope. The other great-wall-of-the-vale one is still on for later in the year probably... May end up with two gates...eventually

Andy

 

[andyoxon]

100 x 100 from which the gate swings, 100 x 50 head piece with 100 x 50 'batten' (ha) on the wall side - a huge door frame - but good!
Ballast is standard 20mm stuff about 1.30 a bag from Wickes B&Q etc... buy a couple of bags and a bag of cement - give you more solidity that an expensive bag of stuff. Add more cement if you want it to go off quicker... or mix it up with Hot water! Not too sloppy though.

Thanks. I meant to ask before - what's a 'head piece'...?

Andy

 

[Aperitif]

Head piece...the bit of wood that is over your head as you walk through the frame of the gate!

 

[Monty Dog]

I have one of my wooden driveway gates which is about 4ft wide, 6ft high and weighs about 50kg swinging from a 4"x4" post held with Rawlbolt 10mm sleeve fixings to a brick wall. Putting a top rail between your two posts will stiffen it up greatly. In terms of locks, I use ERA fortress mortice locks for my gates and garage door - extra long bolt and designed for outdoor use