2x4 for hanging gate on a wall, should it rest on the path?

[tpb1975]

I need to hang a gate off my garage wall. Looks like people tend to attach a 2x4 (so got a tantalised one) to the wall with some decent raw plug/screw fittings, then attach the gate hinges to the 2x4.

Would you also have the 2x4 resting on the path to help take some load? The gate is only 3ft wide by 4ft tall, overlap board. So I don't think it matters too much but don't really want to be pulling chunks of brick out when the kids start swinging on the gate

I was intending on angling the path towards a gully next to the gate. So water would probably be running against the 2x4 which wouldn't do it any favours. So suspect the base would rot away after a few years anyway.

 

[wrathkeg]

About five years ago I fastened a 3x2 timber to the wall with 6 inch thunderbolts, with the timber raised off the ground, to hang a similar sized gate. Never had a problem with it.

 

[tpb1975]

Thanks for the tip.

Guy in the hardware shop recommended Thunderbolts as well. I wasn't too keen on these. Never seen them before but they don't use a raw plug from what I can tell.

My brick has a "frog" so is pretty hollow in the middle. A plumber drilled from the inside of the house to the outside to fit a pipe. The brick pretty much exploded on the outside and we had to replace it with a spare

Was going to try one of the heftier raw/plug and screw combinations into the mortar rather than the brick. Don't know if this weakens things much. Maybe just get 6-8 in to hold it.

Wouldn't mind it floating to keep the water off the wood.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If it needs additional support off the floor there's something wrong with your fixings! Most of the weight will be on the top 2/3rds anyway so that's where you should be concentrating your fixings. Don't put any fixings too close to a corner.

What's opposite the garage wall? If there's another wall you can add a header beam if you're that concerned.

 

[tpb1975]

It's a 4ft concrete post on the other side of the wall (well 6ft but 2ft buried). Going to try and screw a 4x2 onto the concrete post so I can attach a latch and a batton for the gate to close against.

Not tried drilling a concrete post before, going to do that before I add the concrete to the base in case it doesn't work.

 

[ntb]

Definitely better to be off the ground to reduce the chances of rotting. Even with deep frogs, there should be enough meat on the brick to get thunderbolts in if you position the holes carefully.