A timber garden gate that used to swing shut and latch on its own, and now drags across the path and has to be lifted, has dropped. It is one of the most common outdoor carpentry jobs, and winter is when it usually gets worse, because wet ground and wet timber make every weakness show.
There are only a handful of causes, and most of them can be fixed without starting again.
The usual causes
Loose or undersized hinges
A gate hangs its whole weight off the hinges, and the top hinge takes most of the pull. Short screws, small hinges on a heavy gate, or screws that have rusted and loosened all let the gate sag away from the post.
A brace the wrong way round, or no brace at all
A ledged and braced gate relies on its diagonal brace to stop it racking out of square. The brace should run from low on the hinge side up to high on the latch side, so it pushes the weight back towards the hinges. Fitted the other way, it does very little, and gates without a brace drop sooner or later.
A post that has moved or rotted
If the hinge post leans, the gate goes with it. Timber posts rot fastest just at ground level, where the wood is wet and exposed to air. A post that moves when you push it, or feels soft at the base, is often the real problem behind a dropped gate.
Swollen timber
Like doors, gates take up moisture in wet weather. A gate that was hung with a tight gap in summer can start catching on the latch post in winter.
Quick checks
Lift the latch end of the gate and watch what moves:
- If the hinges flex or the screws pull out, the fixings are the problem.
- If the gate itself twists out of square, the frame or brace is the problem.
- If the post rocks, the post is the problem.
Repairing a dropped gate
Loose fixings are the easy fix. Hinges are refixed with longer, exterior grade screws or coach bolts into solid timber, or replaced with heavier hinges that suit the weight of the gate.
A gate that has racked can usually be squared up again and the brace refitted or added in the right direction. Rotten rails or boards can be replaced individually, matched to the rest of the gate, rather than throwing the whole thing away.
A rotten or leaning post is a bigger job, but it is the one that matters most. Hanging a new gate on an old post simply repeats the problem. The post needs replacing or resetting so it is solid in the ground.
When to rebuild instead
If the gate is rotten in several places, badly split, or was never braced properly, building a new one to the opening is often better value than chasing repairs. A new gate can be made to match an existing one, or the surround and posts can be rebuilt at the same time so the whole entrance works together.
Our page on doors, gates and pergolas covers gates built to the size of your opening, and smaller jobs like a rotten post or a sagging shed door are part of our general carpentry repairs.
Keeping a gate hanging true
Check the hinge screws once a year and tighten anything that has loosened. Keep the timber protected with paint, stain or oil as suits the finish. Keep soil and leaves clear of the bottom of the posts, so they can dry out between showers.
Leave a sensible gap at the latch side to allow for the gate swelling in winter, rather than planing it tight in summer. The same principle applies to timber doors, which we look at in why doors stick in autumn and winter.
Gates and the rules
Repairing or replacing a gate like for like rarely raises any planning questions. If you are thinking of making a gate or fence taller, or changing an entrance next to a road, there are height limits worth checking first, and listed buildings have their own rules.
Need a carpenter?
LGR Carpentry and Joinery repairs and builds garden gates, surrounds and posts across Surrey and Sussex, including Billingshurst and Rudgwick. Gates are built to the size of the opening you have and can match the style of an existing gate. Quotes are free.
Read more about doors, gates & pergolas and general carpentry repairs, or see the work Luke does in Billingshurst and Rudgwick. You can also ask for a free quote.