Failing ledge and brace gate
- Thread starter bsr
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D
Deleted member 174758
Take off. Lay flat across a couple of trestles with three 3 x 2 CLS across, then use a set of cramp heads on a timber bar placed diagonally (across the longest diagonal) to pull the whole lot back in square. Renail, but screw the braces
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Do you think a ratchet strap would do instead of cramps?
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Update for you, the ratchet strap worked well enough. Gate is back on the post now and square again. I have screwed wherever there was previously a nail. I don't think the tiny thin pins they used were strong enough, plus they fixed the cladding through the V of the TGV which I suspect was not strong enough
@JohnD the braces are not rebated into the rails or attached them in any way. I could skew screw the braces into the rails if you think that will help.
@JohnD the braces are not rebated into the rails or attached them in any way. I could skew screw the braces into the rails if you think that will help.
D
Deleted member 174758
Just to point out an installation error - the gate appears to be hung upside down or is wrong sided! (take your pick) To resist the tendency of gates to droop over time the diagonal braces should always run from hinge side (lower) to latch side (upper). Yours appears to be the other way round which wasn't immediately apparent from glancing at your first photo's
If you screw the diagonals, as I suggested previously, the best way is to use a long screw (4 x 70 or 4 x 80mm) and screw downwards through the ends of diagonal braces into the (horizontal) ledges. That will at least resist part of the tendency of the gate to drop, but won't cure it if the gate is wrongly installed. Another technique is to make up (or buy in) triangular corner strengthening plates and fix them in the corners, joining them to the (vertical) rails, (horizontal) ledges and (diagonal) braces. Not pretty, but works, and in this case may be what you need to do
Glad the diagonal pull fix worked for you.
If you screw the diagonals, as I suggested previously, the best way is to use a long screw (4 x 70 or 4 x 80mm) and screw downwards through the ends of diagonal braces into the (horizontal) ledges. That will at least resist part of the tendency of the gate to drop, but won't cure it if the gate is wrongly installed. Another technique is to make up (or buy in) triangular corner strengthening plates and fix them in the corners, joining them to the (vertical) rails, (horizontal) ledges and (diagonal) braces. Not pretty, but works, and in this case may be what you need to do
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You don't get a choice, they only come RH. At the time I bought them in COVID they were the only sensibly priced gate I could get. Lesson for next time though.
Definitely not upside down unless you're telling me the capping rail should be at the bottom!
Wickes Framed Ledged & Braced Flat Top Timber Gate - 915 x 1829mm | Wickes.co.uk
Wickes Framed Ledged & Braced Flat Top Timber Gate - 915 x 1829mm
www.wickes.co.uk
Thank you both for your help I will screw the braces later.
So it's luck if you're gate happens to be handed one way or the other, that's presumably why the other side hasn't sagged.
You don't get a choice, they only come RH. At the time I bought them in COVID they were the only sensibly priced gate I could get. Lesson for next time though.
Definitely not upside down unless you're telling me the capping rail should be at the bottom!
Wickes Framed Ledged & Braced Flat Top Timber Gate - 915 x 1829mm | Wickes.co.uk
Wickes Framed Ledged & Braced Flat Top Timber Gate - 915 x 1829mm
Thank you both for your help I will screw the braces later.
Pretty poor that Wickes don't explain the differences to customers.. but I am not surprised.
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Maybe that's why the braces are not fix particularly well in the first place - you're supposed put them the right way round and then fix them yourself 
To be fair that would have been an option this morning, I would have done that.
Now I've screwed them the other way so there would be a load of holes in the face of the gate which will look even worse!
Now I've screwed them the other way so there would be a load of holes in the face of the gate which will look even worse!
Maybe that's why the braces are not fix particularly well in the first place - you're supposed put them the right way round and then fix them yourself
Some doors are listed as having the braces loosely fixed on delivery, with the intention that they will be fixed correctly at installation.
Move them next time it sags.
Or just do it now and get it over with.
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