We are demolishing our older house and building a new modern house. Our old fence won't look that good with a modern house, so we are searching for a sleek, modern fence to complement the new house. It's quite fun to shop for the new house and see how the different fence styles might look with the new house. This blog has some inspiration for other home owners looking to get a new fence installed. We have a range of materials, styles and fencing techniques on display on this blog. I hope you will find it useful when looking for a new fence.
Over time, wooden gates can become saggy and eventually start touching the ground when you open or close them. When you need your gate to stand firm for years, you will have to reinforce the posts that hold the gate. These posts weaken over time because of environmental elements such as frost, causing the gate to sag. Follow the following design and gate construction tips to have your wooden gate it top shape for many years without regular maintenance.
Installing a Wheel -- When a small wheel is installed beneath the moving side of the gate, you will stop it from scraping the ground every time the gate moves. Also, the wheel reduces the downward gravitational pressure that causes the gate to sag. Make sure that you grease or oil the wheel a few times during the year for a much smoother movement of the gate.
Cross-bracing the Wooden Gate -- The Z-shaped brace solidifies the gate giving it durability. When installing the brace, start from the bottom part of the gate near the lower hinge, moving upwards and towards the side of the latch. This way, the brace absorbs the gravitation force that causes the gate to sag. Fixing the brace the other way round will weaken the gate because it will not endure much compression.
Hinge Alignment -- Most hinges on wooden gates squeak and weaken when the gate moves because of poor alignment. Sometimes, poor workmanship can also cause the gate not to swing due to the irregular alignment of the hinges. A nicely fixed hinge should allow the gate to swing open or close in order to enhance the movement of people and animals. Align the hinges properly by drawing a perfect line where the hinges are to be placed (pivot points). Alternatively, use a square or level to get the best alignment.
Reinforce with Turnbuckles and Cables -- The sagging problem can be mitigated with the use of a steel cable to provide added support. Install the cable so that it assumes an X shape as it crosses the brace. Start from the top near the uppermost hinge, moving downwards. A turnbuckle installed in the middle can be used to tighten the cable when it ultimately stretches. If you are short on budget, replace the turnbuckle with a firm stick. For the steel wire, you can combine strands of copper wires and use the stick to tighten them against the gate by twisting and turning the stick multiple times.
Share30 August 2016
