Sagging Gate Help

[LegionOfBrad]

Hi there,

I've recently bought a property where the rear gage is pretty severely sagging and which we need to remedy.

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• LegionOfBrad
• 29 Jul 2013
• 1

If you look at the bottom bolt you can see how much it has sagged. I've moved the top bolt so that we can keep it locked for now. We have checked that the sag isn't caused by hinges/support bar and its not. You can actually see the the wood pieces of the gate move when we lift it.

What would anyone recommend to help un-sag this gate? We were thinking that getting someone to add diagonal cross pieces would help? I've also seen gate sage kits which feature a turnbuckle and a tense diagonal wire. But it would be hard to fit due to the position of the hinges and the bolts.

Many thanks!

 

[HERTS P&D]

It needs diagonal bracing.

See below:
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Making_a_framed_ledge_and_brace_door

Andy

 

[big-all]

before you put any braces on the door move it about 6-9mm past the level required as its an old gate
then when it "settles" and takes up all the slack in the old fixings it will be about right

 

[ImayKnow]

When you brace the gate don't forget that the lower part of it goes to the hinge side of the gate and the upper part to the latch side of it. Ie with the first image that Herts provided in his link, the hinge side is the right side of the image and the latch side is the left side of the image.

This ensures that the weight of the gate goes 'through' the brace and is supported by the hinges to prevent the gate dropping.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Hi guys, thanks for the help this is what i plan to try as i'm not much of a carpenter. I'm going to go with wire rope tensioners in the same orientation as suggested.

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• LegionOfBrad
• 30 Jul 2013
• 1

Will look something like this. With the turnbuckles tightened to lift the gate back into shape.

 

[big-all]

wrong angle that will pull the door down as its under tension
you need to go up to the hinge side if your using rope/cable

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Ah i see. So if it was being braced it goes up from hinge however when its under tension i need down from hinge. So something like this? Eye hooks would be attached to the cross beams at bottom and the upright on the top.

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• LegionOfBrad
• 30 Jul 2013
• 1

 

[HERTS P&D]

No. The other way round and Use timber!!!

Andy

 

[big-all]

i agree full about using timber but iff he wants to use cords he needs to know the correct way
another point if you use cord or wire it needs to be within the frame if its on the face it will tend to pull the gate out off wynd as in pull the bottom off the gate away from the gate stop and it will still drop regardless off how tight you pull it

 

[LegionOfBrad]

I want to try wire as i have everything i need without any outlay. If it doesn't work too well i'll have someone come in and make the cross brace timbers for me. But it can't help to do this way first.

 

[ImayKnow]

Use timber! You will get sufficient for about £3.