Heavy gate - how best to install

[Slicecbr]

Hi all,

When we moved in there was a fence for the full length, which basically fell apart in the first few months of moving in, but was annoying as had to walk around to access cars etc. and with me wanting a project car and occasional extra parking i want access through.

Ive just finished the first section of a fence, tried to follow best practice, 1/3 below ground with bitumen paint etc. - added some pictures for to show the current situation.

I want to extend the fence basically and make it look like a full length fence but I want the last section to be a gate (roughly 2.4m in length). What's best in term of mounting the fence, I was thinking a 3x3 mounted onto the wall of the house with fence brackets attached and then a basic wooden gate frame clad the same as the existing fence. Any thoughts, products or concerns etc will be helpful? I'm mindful of how heavy it will likely be.

Cheers

 

[JohnD]

Two half-gates will be more durable than one full gate

The weight of the gateposts will try to pull the gateposts together when closed, and backwards when open

You can combat the "together" forces by running a lintel between the tops of the two gateposts, secured with large bolts, and by linking the two concrete pads for the foot of the posts with a concrete beam or "doorstep", with reinforcing steel bar to link them together. This will turn them into a portal frame, which is very strong

to combat the backwards force when open, run a spur from the "foot" backwards.

Pour the feet, the step, and the spurs, on the same day so you get a monolithic structure with steel reinforcement.

This will be adequate for lightweight gates matching the fence. If you have substantial gates, you will need steel stanchions as gateposts.

the concrete does not have to show at the surface, you can sink it if you wish

If you use wooden posts, you will be annoyed when they rot.

Concrete spurs don't rot.