How to Hang a Farm Gate/Fence

Add a new level of safety and security to your country property with the installation of a properly hung gate. Two farm fencing experts demonstrate this 'DIY' project. A few important steps help insure that the next time you hang a gate on your land it will swing correctly and not sag over time. Brought to you by The Progressive Farmer.

For this project we worked with Gene and Alicia Hamman of Quality Farm Fencing. The husband-and-wife team has been building fences for a long time, Gene for 18 years.

Step 1 Preparation

In this Instructable we are hanging two 10-foot gates to create a 20-foot opening.

Two steps are important to keep your gate from sagging. First, put in sturdy hinge posts. For this project we used 7-foot, creosote-treated round posts. We sunk them 2 feet, 6 inches in the ground. For larger spans—16- or 20-foot gates—use 8-foot posts buried 3 feet deep. Take your local conditions into account. Cold climates require deeper postholes to avoid damage from the frost.

The second step is to use the correct hinges. The gates here come complete with screw-in hinges. Over time, however, this type of hinge tends to pull loose from the post.

Instead, use 3/4-inch, all-thread hinge bolts that extend all the way through the post. That way the nut can be adjusted as the position of the gate changes with time.

Comments

[AReid1380]

Nice instructions, I have a suggestion related to farm gates which may be of great interest to you guys.
Turnstyle Enterprises recently introduced the Armless Gate Opener earlier this year. This revolutionary new product is bound to change the way gates are to be opened in the future. Because these gate openers do not require external motorized arms, they do not detract from the natural beauty of the gates of which they are meant to open and close.

The website to visit to learn more is: Turnstyle Enterprises and there's also a video on youtube specifically showing the installation of a farm gate in a center mount configuration at: Installation Video: Farm Gate

Other videos can be viewed through the Turnstyle Blog at: Turnstyle Blog

Enjoy!

[smokehill]

Very useful information -- I may have to re-do my L-brackets to the bolt-thru type eventually. We had to mount the (single) 12-foot farm gate extremely low to the driveway to keep dogs in. We also had to mount 4x4 hogwire (welded wire fencing) on the gate with large wire ties ... again, to keep the dogs in. We used 6x6 PT posts about 30" deep (a foot below the frost line) because of the gate's weight, and added a wheel, also. I wish I'd thought of the brace idea, but considering our complicated fence it might be tough to add later. We have five-foot locust pickets screwed to 2x6 rails, backed by hogwire, and with electric livestock fence attached on the inside (including the gate). It's only been up five months, so I don't know if I'm going to have a sag problem yet, but next time I do this I'll use your bolt-thru method. Overkill is never wasted, in my experience.

[smokehill]

I had to consult with my wife on this critique -- she's been fiddling with farm fences & gates since dinosaurs ruled the earth, and is also a huge fan of Progressive Farmer magazine. We might skip wetting the concrete on a regular fencepost, but not on something bearing a great deal of strain right away. Before I put any side-pressure on that gatepost I want to see the thing securely set in something SOLID. Even when building decks & loafing sheds, we set each post, dump in a bag or two of Sakrete with at least 4-5 gal of water, and let it set up overnight (securely braced if there are any livestock around) before doing anything else. Second point -- we like the idea of bracing with a second post, but don't think a couple of horizontal rails spiked into their end-grain is going to add much strength. Any "pull" strong enough to affect the gatepost or the hanger is just going to pull that spike out of the endgrain quite easily, we believe. We've seen farmers attach a cable & turnbuckle between the top of the gatepost and a piece of steel or wood sunk into the ground diagonally 6-8 feet away, which seems like a better bracing technique. Using a cable (or chain) and turnbuckle between the top of the gatepost and the next fencepost should be a great deal stronger than just spiking in a rail. You could strap the rails to the posts with metal, of course, but it isn't as easy to adjust later as a turnbuckle. Gates that are periodically left open for long periods of time, such as between grazing pastures, should also be supported somehow in the open position to keep the strain off the hinges & posts. A couple of bricks or cinder blocks will often work, or a piece of wood spiked into the adjacent post. Some years ago you could get used creosote poles (10 - 12 ") from our local power company, and a lot of farmers would cut them up for gateposts. The company would even drop them at the end of your driveway for free. In our area that isn't available anymore, but in other rural areas it's worth checking with the local power company or electric co-op if you have a tractor that can handle something that hefty. We framed several loafing sheds this way, and some farmers framed whole pole barns with this free material. One further suggestion -- bolt-thru hangers like this can be readily unbolted by trespassers, of course, so for security some farmers just bend the end of the bolt (behind the nut) with a hammer. Often, though, you can still loosen the nut far enough to knock the gate loose, so be sure to bend the bolt far enough to prevent any movement of the nut.

[jaysbob]

don't know if I'll ever use it but job well done on the instructable. Very nicely and professionally explained and photographed. I wish there were more this good! +1

[fishhead455]

FLATULATIONS--With much trepidation I took a sideways glance at this Ible to see if I did my gates correctly. Amazingly I seem to have basically done a similar job. I can attest that your technique will allow the landowner many years of worry-free time not having to continuously re-align the pintles, (hinges) and/or dragging a sagging gate open and closed. Good Work--And thanks.

[GorillazMiko]

Great Instructable! The photos are just absolutely great too, nice job!