Building a Fence Gate

I provide a basic overview of building a wooden gate for a privacy fence.

This ible will be somewhat generalized due to everyone's varied preferences in size and material. Generally speaking though, it's safe to assume you'll need the following to accomplish this.

Tools:
24" level (or larger)
Drill w/bits
Tape measure
Circular saw
Triangle
Marking pencil
ratchet w/socket for bolts

Materials:
Wood
Metal hardware
bolts

I used pressure treated 2x4x10 for the framework and 6 ft dog eared fence planking. After picking out the hardware you want to use, don't forget to count how every hole. It turned out I would need 48 bolts to get the job done. Also, make sure the bolts aren't going to be longer than the thickness of your 2x4.

My gate threshold is 3 ft and I want to make sure that I closely match the gaps used in the rest of the fence. So lay out the boards on the ground and get an idea of where you can fudge things. It turned out, I could perfectly fit 7 planks using the same sized gap.

I took my frame measurements from the existing fence section. Measure from the bottom of the upper horizontal 2x3 to the upper side of the bottom horizontal 2x4. (I know, it's confusing). But once you understand what I'm talking about, you'll prevent some incorrect cutting.

After you've made your cuts, lay it all out and check your measurements. Also lay the hardware out where it's supposed to go.

Once everything checks out and the frame is squared, mark your holes for the L brackets making sure the framework doesn't get too jarred out of alignment. Take note as to how square your brackets are. They might need a little bending. I went with some pretty hefty hardware, so it went fairly smooth for me.

Using a drill bit roughly smaller than the barrel width of the bolt, drill your holes. You want the screw to bite into the the wood, but not split it. Using lag bolts this size would definitely split your wood.

Once all my drilling was done, the fun part came. I didn't have a driver attachment for the hex head, so I had to use the good ole socket wrench for 48 bolts. Make sure you do a little at a time to ensue squareness before final tightening.

This might be a little tricky if you do this alone like I did. There's always a way to go about something though if you put your mind to it.

First, is to simply position the gate as close to where it's supposed to go so you can eyeball it. Look at it's squareness or take note of any potential problems that might hinder the gates operation. Now look at how you're going to be able to hold it in place while you actually attach the hardware.

What I've done in the 1st photo is set a temp nail in one of my 4x4 posts to keep the gate from falling forward through the opening. So far so good.

Next, I used 2x4's on the ground in a position so as to leverage the gate at it's proper height.

My final nifty trick was to use a single shim to go between the gate's opening and 4x4 post. A gate like this is pretty heavy and will tend to lean towards the opposite side of the hinges. Therefore, you want to make sure there will be some clearance for the gate to smoothly open.

While I didn't take a picture during the process of installing the header, now is a good time do so, if your gate is going to require one. The 4x4 post, while strongly set in concrete, is still not enough to keep it upright and true without some sort of additional support. Since my GF doesn't want me to build fencing on that side, I explained my woes to her and she agreed to installing the header. The header is the support running along the top .

Make sure your tops are level and equidistant to the measurements taken at the bottom.

Make sure you're still level. You don't want the gate to swing one way or the other all the time, it should be nicely balanced. Then again, if you didn't get your posts plumb, then you'll have some issues.

Now take note of where the top, middle and bottom horizontals meet the post on the hinge side and mark the upper and lower limits of each 2x4.

Now set the gate aside and remove the temporary nail. I know...all that work....Now find a scrap of 2x4 about a foot long or so and the first hinge.

Place the scrap against the face of the post and then the hinge between the markings. This will ensure your brackets will be plumb to the length of the post and promote good alignment. Do this with all three brackets. Once you've marked all the holes, drill them.

NOTE: It's a good idea to keep using the scrap 2x4 even while ratcheting down the bolts.

Once that is accomplished, get the gate back into an aligned position, don't forget the shim.
Now mark your next set of holes for the other side of the hinges, drill your holes and ratchet the lag screws as well.

All the while keep checking on aligments and finally see how she swings.

Now get those planks on, and attach whatever kinda hardware you'd like to use to keep it shut.

The header I have on there right now is a temporary one being just a 2x4 across the top. I plan to create a nice one soon. Cheers!