Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood - 2x4's and 1x6 x6'.
have a 10' opening, so 2 - 5' sections. I think these gates will be a bit
heavy, so I am wondering if I should use 4x6 posts to support these things
rather than 4x4's? I plan to cement posts in ground about 48" (frost line
here is 42") also what size hinges? will 3 - 8" "T" zink plated heavy duty
hinges be strong enough? or should I go to 10" and if I use 10" hinges can I
go with 2 for each gate? This gate is on a slope - about 6 to 8 inch end to
end so I need one gate to open upward about 3" if that is possible. Guess I
could offset the hinges a bit, but would I build gate off square on inside
to compensate? not really sure how to make that work. I was thinking to pour
10' by 1' wide by 6" deep cement across the whole opening with some 3/8
rebar to reinforce.......would this be strong enough to drive over? Thanks
any help appreciated.

On 6/29/2009 7:29 PM spake thus:

Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood - 2x4's and 1x6 x6'.
have a 10' opening, so 2 - 5' sections. I think these gates will be a bit
heavy, so I am wondering if I should use 4x6 posts to support these things
rather than 4x4's? I plan to cement posts in ground about 48" (frost line
here is 42") also what size hinges?

Phew. Lotta questions there.

I built a gate very similar to this: a set of 2 gates spanning about
10'. 4x4 posts work just fine, so long as they're set deep enough in
concrete. (And *don't* just throw the dry bag in the hole and squirt
water in; mix the stuff the way you're 'spozed to.) My gates were 2x4
frames and 1x10 or so boards, all reclaimed lumber, so very much like
yours (6' tall).

I used some heavy door hinges (removable butt hinges) because I had a
****load of them, 2 per gate. I also mounted casters below each gate to
support them. Don't know if you could do this in your situation, but
it's a very easy way to help keep the gates from sagging.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

| 2009-06-29 | 9:29:29 PM wrote:

Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood - 2x4's and
1x6 x6'. have a 10' opening, so 2 - 5' sections.

A five-foot gate isn't unusual. A standard gate is four feet wide.

I think these
gates will be a bit heavy, so I am wondering if I should use 4x6
posts to support these things rather than 4x4's?

Consider steel posts.

I plan to cement
posts in ground about 48" (frost line here is 42") also what size
hinges? will 3 - 8" "T" zink plated heavy duty hinges be strong
enough? or should I go to 10" and if I use 10" hinges can I go with 2
for each gate?

I'm no engineer, but I would use whichever hinges look the best. I
think two of either size would be fine.

This gate is on a slope - about 6 to 8 inch end to
end so I need one gate to open upward about 3" if that is possible.

You can build an out-of-square gate if you want, and it will work fine,
but it's more trouble. Try to make the gate square, but cut off the
bottom of the pickets to match the slope. Be sure to use good diagonal
braces.

You can buy rectangular steel frames to support gates if you want some
extra strength.

Guess I could offset the hinges a bit, but would I build gate off
square on inside to compensate? not really sure how to make that
work. I was thinking to pour 10' by 1' wide by 6" deep cement across
the whole opening with some 3/8 rebar to reinforce.......would this
be strong enough to drive over? Thanks any help appreciated.

That sounds plenty strong to me, but I'm not a concrete guy. In ten
feet, I think you want an expansion joint. Don't worry, a concrete guy
will be by shortly.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX USA

wrote:
Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood - 2x4's and
1x6 x6'. have a 10' opening, so 2 - 5' sections. I think these
gates will be a bit heavy, so I am wondering if I should use 4x6
posts to support these things rather than 4x4's? I plan to cement
posts in ground about 48" (frost line here is 42") also what size
hinges? will 3 - 8" "T" zink plated heavy duty hinges be strong
enough? or should I go to 10" and if I use 10" hinges can I go with 2
for each gate? This gate is on a slope - about 6 to 8 inch end to
end so I need one gate to open upward about 3" if that is possible.
Guess I could offset the hinges a bit, but would I build gate off
square on inside to compensate? not really sure how to make that
work. I was thinking to pour 10' by 1' wide by 6" deep cement across
the whole opening with some 3/8 rebar to reinforce.......would this
be strong enough to drive over? Thanks any help appreciated.

In addition to other suggestions, consider bracing the posts by tying them
diagonally to the next post.

On Jun 30, 6:07*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
wrote:
Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood - 2x4's and
1x6 x6'. have a *10' *opening, so 2 - 5' sections. I think these
gates will be a bit heavy, so I am wondering if I should use 4x6
posts to support these things rather than 4x4's? *I plan to cement
posts in ground about 48" (frost line here is 42") *also what size
hinges? will 3 - 8" *"T" zink plated heavy duty hinges be strong
enough? or should I go to 10" and if I use 10" hinges can I go with 2
for each gate? *This gate is on a slope - about 6 to 8 inch end to
end so I need one gate to open upward about 3" if that is possible.
Guess I could offset the hinges a bit, but would I build gate off
square on inside to compensate? not really sure how to make that
work. I was thinking to pour 10' by 1' wide by 6" deep cement *across
the whole opening with some 3/8 rebar to reinforce.......would this
be strong enough to drive over? Thanks any help appreciated.

In addition to other suggestions, consider bracing the posts by tying them
diagonally to the next post.

That's the ticket, some sort of an H post is needed for a gate post.
Any single post will sag some unless it is to the center of the earth.
You can be some what sloppy and still have a strong setup if you just
H the posts. There are some physics involved, and longer H posts work
better. With all wood, you need some way to tension the H, usually
wire or cable Xed across rhe corners. Here on the farm, we generally
build them from dill casing,15' long with at least 2 cross bars. My
neighbor built one from 2 railroad cross ties with a single pipe
between & built an X brace out of barbed wire tightened by twisting
with a rod, it has supported a 12' gate for over a decade with no sag.
It isn't pretty, but it does the job.

If it is on a slope, why not have the gates open out instead of in?

Or make the area level where the gates open.

Other than that, you can be quite creative with this keeping in mind you
could go to a welder and have you own hinges made. Hinges which would lift
the gate up as it swung open. Or push the bottom out as it swung open.

Also best to have a welder make a metal frame for each gate to support the
wood. Use square channel. Then the gates will not sag.

Also don't use wood screws for the hinges. Use stainless steel machine
screws with lock nuts.



wrote in message
Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood - 2x4's and 1x6
x6'.
have a 10' opening, so 2 - 5' sections. I think these gates will be a
bit
heavy, so I am wondering if I should use 4x6 posts to support these things
rather than 4x4's? I plan to cement posts in ground about 48" (frost line
here is 42") also what size hinges? will 3 - 8" "T" zink plated heavy
duty
hinges be strong enough? or should I go to 10" and if I use 10" hinges can
I
go with 2 for each gate? This gate is on a slope - about 6 to 8 inch end
to
end so I need one gate to open upward about 3" if that is possible. Guess
I
could offset the hinges a bit, but would I build gate off square on inside
to compensate? not really sure how to make that work. I was thinking to
pour
10' by 1' wide by 6" deep cement across the whole opening with some 3/8
rebar to reinforce.......would this be strong enough to drive over? Thanks
any help appreciated.

On Jun 29, 9:29*pm, wrote:
Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood

snip

Way too much work for a simple double gate. Go to any real farm store
and buy the ready made assemblies. Easier to set up, far more durable
and totally time proven and practical. OTOH, if esthetics are
involved, good luck on building with wood.

Joe

On Jun 30, 11:31*am, "Bill" wrote:
If it is on a slope, why not have the gates open out instead of in?

Or make the area level where the gates open.

Other than that, you can be quite creative with this keeping in mind you
could go to a welder and have you own hinges made. Hinges which would lift
the gate up as it swung open. Or push the bottom out as it swung open.

Also best to have a welder make a metal frame for each gate to support the
wood. Use square channel. Then the gates will not sag.

Also don't use wood screws for the hinges. Use stainless steel machine
screws with lock nuts.



wrote in message
Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood - 2x4's and 1x6
x6'.
have a *10' *opening, so 2 - 5' sections. I think these gates will be a
bit
heavy, so I am wondering if I should use 4x6 posts to support these things
rather than 4x4's? *I plan to cement posts in ground about 48" (frost line
here is 42") *also what size hinges? will 3 - 8" *"T" zink plated heavy
duty
hinges be strong enough? or should I go to 10" and if I use 10" hinges can
I
go with 2 for each gate? *This gate is on a slope - about 6 to 8 inch end
to
end so I need one gate to open upward about 3" if that is possible. Guess
I
could offset the hinges a bit, but would I build gate off square on inside
to compensate? not really sure how to make that work. I was thinking to
pour
10' by 1' wide by 6" deep cement *across the whole opening with some 3/8
rebar to reinforce.......would this be strong enough to drive over? Thanks
any help appreciated.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Or make the area level where the gates open.

wrote in message
...
Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood - 2x4's and 1x6
x6'.
have a 10' opening, so 2 - 5' sections. I think these gates will be a
bit
heavy, so I am wondering if I should use 4x6 posts to support these
things
rather than 4x4's? I plan to cement posts in ground about 48" (frost
line
here is 42")

Cement around treated lumber is a bad idea, unless you like wobbly posts.
Treated lumber shrinks long after the concrete cures.

I second the idea "Joe" has.

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Jun 30, 11:31 am, "Bill" wrote:
If it is on a slope, why not have the gates open out instead of in?

Or make the area level where the gates open.

Other than that, you can be quite creative with this keeping in mind
you could go to a welder and have you own hinges made. Hinges which
would lift the gate up as it swung open. Or push the bottom out as
it swung open.

Also best to have a welder make a metal frame for each gate to
support the wood. Use square channel. Then the gates will not sag.

Also don't use wood screws for the hinges. Use stainless steel
machine screws with lock nuts.


Slight amplification: "Use stainless steel machine BOLTS with lock nuts."

KWP wrote:
wrote in message
...
Am wanting to build a double gate made of treated wood - 2x4's and
1x6 x6'.
have a 10' opening, so 2 - 5' sections. I think these gates will
be a bit
heavy, so I am wondering if I should use 4x6 posts to support these
things
rather than 4x4's? I plan to cement posts in ground about 48" (frost
line
here is 42")

Cement around treated lumber is a bad idea, unless you like wobbly
posts. Treated lumber shrinks long after the concrete cures.


Right. When building a fence, I stack the treated pickets in the garage for
a month or more (with proper air flow) to let them dry out. If put them up
wet, they dry on the vine, so to speak, and you get 3/8" gaps between the
pickets.

'Course they swell back up when it rains...

Maybe there's a market for kiln-dried fence pickets?