M
Mickymoody
After the heavy winter, my garden has taken a battering, so first sign of good weather, top of the list fix garden gate, as the hinges have dropped, and the upright has come away from the wall, so the gate needs lifting to open.
Tighten the hinge screws, they were loose, making sure to straignten gate beforehand, to pull it all together, this then puts more stress into the upright, holding the gate to the wall, making it come away even more!
I recalled having a prefab L shaped bracket, and there is a hole in the mortar right next to the upright, so shove a rawl plug into hole, disappears. Another rawlplug, gone! So I shove a length of wood into the hole, hammer it home, then snap it off, reinsert, and continue (really Heath Robinson type stuff), glue this in place, then when set, go about screwing the bracket into place. SOLID!
Renewed with enthusiasm, turn my attention to the upright, wedge the gate, to it is all square, upright is against the wall, OK, insert 1st screw, solid. Open and close gate, sorted. Insert 2nd screw, upright wood splits, whole thing drops and twists. Worse than square one.
Ever wish, however well intentioned, that really, you shouldn't have bothered, even with the best will in the world?
I understand that there are FAR easier, established, and reliable ways of doing this, but I'm proud of that gate, built and installed by me. For example I assembled the gate in my living room, and after I installed all the cross beams, and counter beams, found out that I'd actually nailed it to my laminate floor. (OOPS!) I admit I'm bad.
Tighten the hinge screws, they were loose, making sure to straignten gate beforehand, to pull it all together, this then puts more stress into the upright, holding the gate to the wall, making it come away even more!
I recalled having a prefab L shaped bracket, and there is a hole in the mortar right next to the upright, so shove a rawl plug into hole, disappears. Another rawlplug, gone! So I shove a length of wood into the hole, hammer it home, then snap it off, reinsert, and continue (really Heath Robinson type stuff), glue this in place, then when set, go about screwing the bracket into place. SOLID!
Renewed with enthusiasm, turn my attention to the upright, wedge the gate, to it is all square, upright is against the wall, OK, insert 1st screw, solid. Open and close gate, sorted. Insert 2nd screw, upright wood splits, whole thing drops and twists. Worse than square one.
Ever wish, however well intentioned, that really, you shouldn't have bothered, even with the best will in the world?
I understand that there are FAR easier, established, and reliable ways of doing this, but I'm proud of that gate, built and installed by me. For example I assembled the gate in my living room, and after I installed all the cross beams, and counter beams, found out that I'd actually nailed it to my laminate floor. (OOPS!) I admit I'm bad.
thats a good en 
