On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:50:12 +0200, David in Normandy
wrote:

I've made smaller wooden gates and repaired larger farm gates. Before
constructing it you need to consider the function of the gate. Is is to
be livestock proof? Cattle / horses can do a lot of damage if for
whatever reason they apply weight to a gate. (grass being greener on
other side for example). Does it need to keep in small livestock? Does
the gate need to be aesthetically pleasing - i.e. will it be in a posh
drive entrance position or in a farm yard?

It is not a farm nor is it a posh house, it's something halfway
between the two!

A five bar gate is all he wants really. He is quite happy with the
style of a five bar gate. It doesn't need to be any fancier than that.

He doesn't have any livestock to contain, though there was a story
about a cow escaping from a farmer's field into his garden once many
years ago, so animal resistance would be desirable but not essential.

Generally, the heavier you make a gate the more it will cost but also
the more strain it puts on the gate post. It is common for gate posts to
sag after a few years unless they are suitably strong and have adequate
foundations. A gate 15 feet wide will produce a lot of leverage on the
gate post. I'd be tempted to make two smaller gates. In fact I do have a
pair to make some time in the near future for my own drive.

I think his wife has vetoed two smaller gates!

I would think the metal five bar gate he has now is pretty heavy. I
guess I will be asked to angle grind it into smaller pieces when it is
replaced! It has very big gate posts already, so I would hope they
would withstand the weight of a new gate. OTOH I suppose the metal is
hollow. Is a wooden gate much heavier than a steel gate of the same
size?

Perhaps this is obvious, but the diagonals you refer to are most
important; they stop the gate itself from sagging, so need to be sturdy.

Horses for courses. Build the gate to meet the particular requirements.
I'm sure there are lots of gate designs on the internet if you do a
google search, from the traditional five bar gate onwards. They are not
difficult to make.

Part of the problem with google is knowing what term to use. Now that
I know what they are called, that will help me. So far I can find
people wanting to sell me their gates, not help me make my own. I can
see pictures on their sites showing the arrangement of the timbers but
they do not share the trade secrets of what size the timber has to be!

Thank you for your replies.