self closing gate/door

[charlie175]

Grateful for advice please. We've recently started keeping chickens in the garden, and when we have the back door open they are inclined to wander into the kitchen. As a temporary measure we are using a barrier to keep them out - but we have to lift it out of the way every time we go in or out.

I would like to install a very lightweight gate to keep them out, and I would like this to be self-closing. I envisage a simple frame with chicken wire, about 2 feet tall and some sort of sprung loaded hinges. Can anyone recommend a hinge? I don't think it needs to be very powerful and the gate will need to open flat against the wall.

Thanks - any other tips/advice also appreciated.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What about ........












a gate spring?

 

[charlie175]

Thanks Freddy. I had considered a gate spring but I had ruled it out because 1) I thought it might be too powerful for a lightweight gate and would be unnecessarily hard to open and might slam shut on a chicken 2) it wouldn't look very nice attached to the back of my house and 3) having read some posts they seem difficult to fit because of the need to get the tension right. But I'll have another think.

I'd still appreciate any other advice/tips.

 

[Mursal]

Best to slip into the nearest big DIY store and have a look, after studying these examples

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_n...sacat=0&_odkw=sphinge+spring+loaded&_osacat=0

Really a half door you need?

 

[ladylola]

Fit it out of plumb and it'll close under it's own weight.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Fit a stable door.

Andy

 

[dhutch]

Fit it out of plumb and it'll close under it's own weight.

This would be by thought.

You can get special hinges to allow it to selfclose in both directions (see below link) but for one direction but place the gate at an angle.

http://www.gatecatch.com/cms_media/images/250x250_fitbox-self_closing_hinge_11.jpg


Daniel

 

[charlie175]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'm going to try to get my hands on some of those hinges that Mursal suggested. If that fails I'll consider a stable door.

Charlie

 

[dhutch]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'm going to try to get my hands on some of those hinges...

Why not just fit the hinges 20mm out of vertical?